State 3A, 2A track

Click the tab below to read my unedited State 3A and 2A track stories.

By Greg Lee

gregl@spokesman.com ; (509) 927-2180

TACOMA – When a track team doesn’t have athletes in every event, maximizing potential points is pivotal to success.

That certainly was the case for the North Central boys Saturday.

Down to their final two athletes in the 1,600 meters, the North Central Indians needed everything that Ben Johnston and Casey Adams could muster.

Johnston defended his state championship and Adams took third, and it was just enough to allow North Central to capture its third straight 3A state championship as Star Track XXVIII finished under cloudy but rainless skies at Mt. Tahoma High School .

North Central finished with 55 points, five more than coach Kelly Walters anticipated, as the Indians held off West Seattle , which ended with 53.

“Last year and the year before we came with the potential to score an incredible amount of points and things didn’t go as well as they often do at a state meet,” Walters said. “This year I figured we’d score 50 and we finished with 55. That says a lot. Every single kid competed well. All the points were critical. I can’t say enough about our kids and their performances and their toughness all the way around.”

Johnston completed the distance triple crown by adding the 1,600 title to go with the 3,200 he won on Thursday and the title in cross country last fall. In the 1,600 he finished in a time of 4 minutes, 12.96 seconds – well off his season personal best (4:06.54). Adams finished in 4:18.55.

“It wasn’t the time I wanted,” said Johnston, who is headed to Brigham Young University . “The first lap I got boxed in pretty bad. There wasn’t a lot I could do. I found the gap and I took it. I was pretty tired (from Thursday) and my legs were pretty sore after I finished. But this was my last high school race. I wanted to go out with a bang.”

NC senior Luke Evans took second in the high jump, increasing his lifetime personal best by an inch (6-5).

“I didn’t expect to take second,” said Evans, who took second in the javelin on Friday. “All I was going for was a PR (personal record).”

NC’s Alex Avila and J.T. Mellgren took third (1:54.08) and fourth (1:54.96) respectively in the 800.

Indians freshman Katie Knight took second in the 1,600 (4:55.77) after placing second in the 3,200 on Thursday. She finished runner-up to another freshman in both events, Amy Eloise Neale of Glacier Peak .

“She doesn’t count as a rookie,” Knight quipped of Neale, who also won the state cross country title.

Rogers senior Corde Bailey had a pair of thirds in the 100 (11.47) and 200 (22.42) against a stout headwind.

By Greg Lee

gregl@spokesman.com ; (509) 927-2180

TACOMA – Nina Al-Hassan flashed a smile only a defending state champ could sport.

The Pullman senior hurdler captured back-to-back state championships in the 2A 300-meter hurdles Saturday, finishing in a time of 45.9 seconds as Star Track XXVIII concluded at Mt. Tahoma High School .

Al-Hassan’s victory helped the Greyhounds secure fourth with 35 points. Sehome captured the team title with 68. Cheney finished six points out of a trophy tied with Sequim.

“It was OK, better than I’ve been running lately,” said Al-Hassan, who is headed to run hurdles at Brown University . “It was close to my season PR (45.24), but not anywhere near my lifetime PR.”

That was largely due to a stiff headwind athletes encountered in the final 100 meters. At least they were spared a third day of rain.

Al-Hassan didn’t try to hide her glee.

“I was so glad I was able to come away with a championship,” she said.

Al-Hassan was the lone Great Northern League female state champion and just second overall.

The Cheney girls came away with runner-up finishes in the 800 and 1,600 relays.

In the 800 relay, Briana Estrellado, Janessa Day, Shelby Maurer and Shaley Ham combined in a time of 1:47.08. Estrellado, Day and Maurer then teamed with Chelsie Breen in the 1,600 (4:01.58), a season best by more than two seconds.

Sara Lentz of Colville took second in the discus (128-7), finishing four inches out of gold.

“I’m very happy. It’s a big step from last year,” said Lentz, who didn’t make the finals in the event last year. “It’s a good place to end.”

Other top medal winners Saturday were: freshman Anna Guo of Pullman took third in the long jump (16-1¼); Maurer of Cheney was fourth in the 200 (26.59); Joseph Aubert of West Valley took fourth in the pole vault (13-6); and Cheney freshman Sanne Holland was fifth in the 1,600 (5:13.71) after placing fifth in the 3,200 on Thursday.