Fix, Druffel score gold in state 1,600

The senior who knew what to expect really didn’t expect to win, but the freshman who didn’t know any better didn’t expect anything less.

The State 2A/1A/B track meets kicked off at Eastern Washington University’s Woodward Field Thursday evening with St. George’s senior Kirsten Fix and Pullman freshman Cory Druffel among the winners, grabbing gold in the girls B and 2A 1,600-meter races, respectively.

“I just really wanted to win real bad,” Druffel said after pulling away on the last lap. “I didn’t know for sure. I knew there were a lot of really good runners.”

Fix, who took control with 600 meters to go, said, “I came in not expecting to win. I placed as a sophomore and junior. This year I felt stronger, maybe it’s because I’m a senior.”

Fix hung behind Emily Timmer of Tacoma Baptist, who had the No. 2 qualifying time, and defending champion Mary Labbee of Riverside Christian before blasting away. She won handily in 5 minutes, 10.78 seconds, almost a 9-second personal record and close to 5 seconds in front of Timmer.

“I’m not used to having people lead me through the first couple of laps,” she said. “I made sure I stayed behind them, and then gave it everything I had. … How I do it usually is see how I feel and make one big move. I try to do it with a little distance left and try to break them. … I didn’t know where they were.”

Fix, who is going to Clark University in Massachusetts to play basketball, has the 800, 1,600 relay and, surprisingly, the 200 remaining. She only entered the 200 at the District 7 meet to help the Dragons go for the team title. They won by one point with Fix finishing fourth in the 200.

Druffel was horribly boxed in through 700 meters, but, racing like a veteran, he broke outside down the homestretch and then settled into fifth for the third lap. She worked her way to the front of the pack with 400 meters left and took off. She finished in 5:19.13, a 2-second PR, winning by almost 2 seconds over Connel sophomore Cydney Knight, who was third last year.

“I was a little (worried) in the beginning. I was boxed in real deep,” said Druffel, who also has the 800 and 3,200 left. “I was feeling a little better when I got to the front. … I was a little surprised (to run alone). I was wondering where the other girls were.”

There were two B records set in the preliminaries. Northport’s Chad Butorac ran 49.19 in the 400 and last year’s 1A champ Kelsey Dunne of Adna ran 45.16 in the B girls 300 hurdles.

The meet resumes at 9:30 this morning.