Freeman’S Russell ‘Settles’ For State Title

1A track and field

He wanted the state record, but missed by less than a second.

So John Russell settled for a state championship.

The Freeman High School senior held off a charge at the finish by Lynden Christian’s Hendrik Kok to win the 1,600-meter run on the first day of the State 1A track and field championships Friday.

And he has a chance to win another event. Russell has the best time heading into today’s 3,200 final at Eastern Washington University’s Woodward Stadium. The meet resumes at 9:30 a.m.

Cashmere leads the boys meet with 20 points and Lynden Christian and Bellevue Christian are tied for second with 16. Ilwaco and Okanogan share the girls lead with 23 points each.

Russell’s time of 4 minutes, 16.29 seconds was slower than his winning district time of 4:15.80 but he wasn’t concerned. Kok, a junior who finished second last season, pushed him from the start.

“I’ve been working for it all year,” Russell said of winning a state title. “I was so mad I got third last year. Two weeks later, I ran 4:17 (which would have won state).”

Another dramatic finish came in the boys pole vault. Kalama junior Zach Hamilton cleared 15 feet to defeat defending state champion Luke Marker of Chelan, who went 14-9.

Both athletes vaulted 13-6 last year, when Hamilton tied for second based on his number of attempts.

“I said I was going to be in the lead the whole time and not let him get ahead of me,” Hamilton said. “I was not going to let (getting second) happen again.”

Marker said he’s hoping to make big strides in the event for next season, when the Goats will move up to the Class 2A ranks.

“Nobody really realizes how tough it is to come back to the state meet as a junior and as state champion,” he said. “There’s a lot of pressure. Everybody is out to get you.”

Hamilton was just happy to be competing.

The 5-foot-10, 145-pounder broke a bone in his left arm at a pole vault clinic in January and was in a cast and couldn’t vault for the first five weeks of the season. His vault of 15-1 in the district meet was a personal record.

“I wanted to jump every day,” he said. “I felt stronger after the injury. I couldn’t even tell.”

In the girls meet, Columbia Burbank junior Cassie Sloan won the 3,200 for the third straight year. She finished in 11:26.06, 13 seconds ahead of second-place Laura Halverson of Freeman.

“I can’t wait to win another title next year,” said Sloan, who’s hoping to run under 11 minutes. “I know I can do it (under 11), but it’s kind of tough when you have no one to run with.”

Matt Isbell’s winning leap of 46-6-3/4 in the triple jump was 3 feet further than what the Bellevue Christian senior jumped last year to win the event.

Tim Gehring of Kettle Falls won the discus with a heave of 152-8. He was second at the 1998 meet.