Girls State 4A/3A/2A track and field: Mt. Spokane sprinter Laine Gardner wins 200-meter and 400-meter championships

TACOMA – Mt. Spokane could have had a perfect effort at the State 3A track and field championships, but it wouldn’t have been enough to top Mercer Island.

Mt. Spokane scored 56 points on the track at Mount Tahoma High School while heavily favored Mercer Island used depth to win with 70.

For Mt. Spokane, it was the best finish state since the school opened in 1997. Coach Annette Helling has been there the whole time.

“The girls competed with everything they had,” Helling said. “There are ups and downs for all teams, but our girls stayed focused and continued to persevere throughout the weekend.”

Sophomore sprint phenom Laine Gardner led the way. After getting off to a difficult start in her first event Saturday morning – finishing third in the 100 meters (12.27 seconds) – she bounced back with state titles in the 200, 400 and anchored a state-meet record 4x400 relay.

“I just didn’t have a great start,” Gardner said of the 100. “I was disappointed with myself.”

Gardner broke through for her first gold in impressive fashion in the 400, lowering her personal best and school record (55.11).

“It was so big. I didn’t even make it to state in an individual event last year,” Gardner said.

Gardner fought through a challenging corner in the 200, eventually passing Marcella Jones of Kent Meridian who had beaten her in the 100. Gardner posted a time of 24.99, 15-hundredths ahead of Jones. Gardner’s teammate Makenna Ritter took third (25.34).

“I was pretty motivated against (Jones),” Gardner said. “I had to really fight.”

Gardner anchored the 4x400. Junior Kayli Eastham started, giving the baton to Ritter and she handed it to her freshman sister, Kira Ritter. And Gardner put the punctuation mark on it as the Wildcats finished in 3:50.27, topping the record (3:51.17) set in 2012.

It was a measure of redemption for Makenna Ritter, who was ranked second in the state behind Gardner in the 100 but suffered a false start in the prelims.

“After I false started in the 100, I just wanted to do the best that I could,” Ritter said. “I had a personal best in the 400 and this (the relay) was a great way to end it.”

Ritter was third in the 400 (55.35).

Gardner praised her team.

“It was an amazing year for Mt. Spokane track,” Gardner said. “I wanted to win four golds. After the first race I just knew I had to make it up and win the next three.”

Gardner had specific praise for the relay quartet.

“It’s an incredibly special group,” Gardner said. “It’s really memorable. I’ll never run with a group like that ever again.”

Helling wants to enjoy the moment but understands Gardner’s future is bright.

“She had an outstanding meet,” Helling said. “Three state championships as a sophomore is just the beginning for her.”

After coming up a few feet short of a threepeat in the discus, Addy MacArthur of University didn’t waste any time getting started in the shot put Saturday.

She topped her personal-best and school record by two inches on her first throw – 46 feet, 4 inches. It was all she needed to pull off a state repeat.

MacArthur had two other throws in the 44s and her final attempt was 43-3½.

“That first throw – it honestly never happens for me,” MacArthur said of starting off with a bang. “I’m so really happy with today, really with the whole weekend. I just wanted to go out doing something good.”

She didn’t crack 40 feet at district. In fact, her final five throws were scratches.

“I was really motivated, and it showed,” MacArthur said.

Other area 3A medal winners Saturday were: Hannah Ward of Cheney, second in the 3,200 (10:37.78); Cora Donley of Central Valley, fifth in the shot (38-3½); Brooklyn Lawrence of North Central, tied for second (11-6); Jane Wycoff of Mt. Spokane, fourth in the 800 (2:11.34); Kyla Roberts of U-Hi, seventh in the 800 (2:16.83); and U-Hi was fifth in the 4x400 (3:55.82).

4A

Sophomore Mercedes Gilroy of Mead won the state title in the javelin by 19 feet.

Gilroy, fourth at state as a freshman, threw 147-7. It topped her previous best (140-1).

She improved more than 23 feet this season.

Mt. Si was the runaway team champion with 58 points.

Other area 4A medal winners Saturday were: Gonzaga Prep’s 4x100 relay was sixth (48.46); Katie Lubbe of Lewis and Clark, seventh in the 3,200 (11:00.25).

2A

The West Valley 4x400 foursome of Aubrey Matthew, Hadassah Duff, Quincy Andrews and Lauren Matthew scorched the field.

The Eagles finished in a state-meet record time of 3:53.10, topping the record set in 2012 (3:56.59).

Anchor Lauren Matthew and the third leg, Andrews, ran spectacular 400s.

“This is about us,” Duff said. “We’re the winners; it’s not about other teams.”

“It’s what we’ve worked all season for,” said Matthew, whose younger sister, Aubrey, a freshman, ran the opening leg.

The East Valley 4x100 – Hayden Andersen, Weather Salinas-Taylor, A’Niya Shaw and Ashlynn Deaton – teamed to finish in 48.39.

They return intact next year, hoping for a threepeat.

They were in a battle to the finish with Rogers and Tumwater. Shaw ran a fantastic 100, putting EV in the lead for good.

The Eagles had special thanks for Rogers’ relay.

“We absolutely love them for giving us great competition,” Deaton said.

Senior Veronica Garcia of EV defended her state title in the 400 (55.70). Lauren Matthew of WV (56.75) was runner-up for a second straight year. Quincy Andrews of WV was fifth (58.58).

EV, state champ a year ago, tied for fourth with Lynden with 48 points. Sehome won with 83.

Other area 2A medal winners Saturday were: Hayden Andersen of EV, second in the 300 hurdles (44.54); Lauren Matthew of WV, fourth in the 200 (25.63); Iraina Swift of WV, fourth in the discus (115-0); Rogers’ 4x100 was third (48.96) and the 4x200 was fifth (1:43.93); EV’s 4x400 was third (3:57.31).