Kentwood girls take third, Royals boys fourth at district track and field meet

Published 9:55 am Wednesday, May 23, 2012

The Kentwood girls and Kent-Meridian boys put together strong performances at the West Central District meet on May 19-20 at Mt. Tahoma High in Tacoma.

Kentwood girls placed third, racking up 66 points, the highest of any Kent or Tahoma team and only two points behind district champs, Auburn Riverside. They also brought home two gold medals, with senior Alyx Toeaina and junior Beth Parrish winning the discus and pole vault respectively.

Kentwood Head Coach Steve Roche said he has high hopes for the girls team at the state meet.

“Anytime you are up in the range with the elite in the district and state it’s always a good thing,” he said. “We’ve had a lot more years when you’re down rather up, so you’ve got to enjoy it. It just goes to show how tough it really is.”

With a mere two points between them and Auburn Riverside, who took the district title, Roche believes they have a great opportunity to take first at state,

“I feel guardedly optimistic that we can be successful as a team,” he said. “How good that is it just depends. “If Alyx (Toeaina) and Maddy (Varela) has a great day, we could be walking home with another state title. It’s going to come down to a matter of inches.”

Kent-Meridian boys took fourth, scoring 39 points.

“We were all excited,” said Royals head coach, Shane Barto. “They did such a phenomenal job this weekend and we’re all very proud of the these kids. They worked so hard to get there.”

The Royals also took home two gold medals in the 110 hurdles and the high jump by senior Abu Kamara Chelsea Muskelly won the high jump respectively.

“Abu did a fantastic job,” Barto said. “He’s worked really hard this season and perfecting his craft as a hurdler and working on the little things. But I think as a whole the team really made a statement this year.”

Barto added that the loss of several top performing seniors last year gave impression that it was a rebuilding year for the team.

“The kids took this to heart and took them (the other teams) by force. I’m very proud of the kids and I have no doubt this week that they’re going to surprise some people. People can say this a rebuilding year but I said ‘We’re strong, but next year we’re going to be stronger.'”

Tahoma’s girls placed sixth with 43 points.

The Royals girls team took eighth with 39 points.

“This year has been a different year,” Barto said. “We didn’t have the numbers…They’re strong and they’re so mentally tough, they know we’re low on numbers but we can still compete…We’re looking good…There’s not really any runaway teams…It’s anybody’s spot. Really, it just comes down to who wants it more. I think we’re going to make a statement at state.”

The Bears boys placed 11th with 23 points, while the Conks boys placed 18th with 12 points. Kentridge girls placed 20th with 12 points, while the boys took 28 with .75 point. Kentlake girls placed 27th with two points.

Tahoma Head Coach Gary Conner said he was pleased with the team’s performance.

“Our throwers just did fantastic,” he said.”As far as time wise, the kids ran well. The Tahoma girls had a fantastic district meet. I think they’re going to put themselves into a situation where they’re going to a have great state meet.”

The 4A state championship meet is set for Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Mt. Tahoma.

Royals junior Abu Kamara won the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.50 seconds and seventh in the 300 hurdles at 41.13 to lead the Kent-Meridian boys. Fellow senior Kaid Tipton took fourth in the 110 hurdles and second in the 300 hurdles, with times of 14.77 and 38.98 respectively. Senior Jarey Suiter took sixth in the 400 meters, running a time of 50.93.

The 400 relay team, comprised of B.J. Phillips, Suiter, Tyler Hammer and Kamara took fourth with a combined time of 43.28. The 1,600 meter relay team, comprised of Quincy Carter, Phillips, Cartez Green and Suiter took second with a combined time of 3:25.78. Josh Smith took second in the pole vault with a vault of 14 feet, three inches. Junior Alec Moss placed eighth in the pole vault with a vat of 12 feet, six inches.

Kent-Meridian junior Stephanie O’Hara placed seventh in the 400 meters, finishing at 1:00.17. Senior Alexia Martin took seventh in the mile and sixth in the two mile, finishing at 5:11.72 and 11:13.59 respectively. Their 400 relay team took sixth, with Deedra Patterson, Kariona Micks, Stephanie O’Hara and Jenica Rogers running a total time of 50.04.

The 800 meter relay team, made up of Stephanie O’Hara, Rogers, Sara Madden and Micks took sixth with a total time of 1:47.20. The 1,600 meter relay team, comprised of Micks, Martin, Jessie O’Hara and Stephanie O’Hara placed fourth with a combined time of 4:05.91. Senior Chelsea Muskelly won the high jump with a vertical leap of five feet, four inches. Juliana Adams took second in the pole vault, vaulting a height of 10 feet, six inches. Junior Chloe Watson took sixth in the triple jump with a combined leap of 35 feet.

Bears senior Aaron Davis took third in the shot put, throwing it 51 feet, 11.5 inches and fifth in the discus with a throw of 150 feet, three inches. Junior Dallas Hayes placed fifth in the shot with a throw of 48 feet, 2.5 inches and fourth in the discus with a throw of 151 feet, six inches. Sophomore Tucker Mjelde placed fifth in the pole vault, vaulting a height of 13 feet.

Tahoma junior Olivia Ranft placed fourth in the 400 meters with a time of 58.82. Ranft also took eighth in the triple jump with a leap of 34 feet, 9.5 inches. Freshman Delaney Tiernan placed eighth in the 800 meters and the mile, with times of 2:28.09 and 5:13.78. Junior Elizabeth Oosterhout finished sixth in the mile with a time of 5:10.62. Freshman Abby Atchison took eighth in the two mile with a time of 11:18.04. Sophomore Cheyenne Haverfield placed fifth in the 100 hurdles with a time of 15.65. Senior Cassidy Richmond took third in the 300 hurdles with a time of 46.15.

The Bears 400 relay team, made up of Savanna Haverfield, Richmond, Paige Hammock and Emery Dillon, took fifth with a combined time of 49.95. The 1,600 meter relay team, made up of Ranft, Richmond, Emma Terry and Nadia Sinner, took sixth with a time of 4:07.36. Senior Alivia Ward placed fifth in the shot put with a throw of 38 feet, 8.75 inches. Sophomore Claire Whiting took seventh in the discus with a throw of 109 feet, three inches.

Senior Nadine Hyde placed eighth in the discus with a throw of 104 feet, one inch. Savanna Haverfield placed third in the javelin with a throw of 127 feet, 11 inches.

Kentwood senior Danny Lunder finished sixth in the 800 meters and the mile, running them in 1:59.95 and 4:22.60 respectively. The Conks 400 relay team, comprised of Matt Riddle, Bailey Paladin, Ivan Semerenko and Brandon Stribling took fifth with a time of 44.02. Their 1,600 meter relay team, comprised of Tanner Heinz, Paladin, Robin Cheema and Lunder took seventh with a combined time of 3:32.52.

Mykala Benjamin, a senior from Kentwood, took fourth in the 100 meters and fifth in the 200 meters, running times of 12.67 and 26.42 respectively. Senior Madelayne Verela placed seventh in the 100 meters and eighth in the 200 meters, with times of 12.76 and 28.24 respectively. She also took fourth in the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 3.25 inches. Sophomore Sarah Toeaina placed sixth in the 100 hurdles, finishing at 15.73.

The Conks girls 400 relay team placed seventh, with Tori Vallal, Sarah Toeaina, Malea Munoz and Benjamin running a combined time of 50.33. Their 800 meter relay team, made up of Amari Bradley, Sarah Toeaina, Benjamin and Varela took second with a combined time of 1:43.96. Senior Alyx Toeaina won the discus with a throw of 128 feet, four inches. She also took second in the shot put with a throw of 43 feet, 1.25 inches. Senior Kacie Seims placed fourth at 127 feet, nine inches. Junior Carly Horn placed sixth in the high jump at five feet, two inches.

Parrish won the pole vault with a vault of 10 feet, six inches.

Kentridge senior Talon Abernathy took eighth in the two mile, finishing a 9:30.14. Fellow senior Reggie Collins placed sixth in the 300 hurdles at 40.43. Junior Kevin Hall placed eighth in the 300 hurdles at 41.47. Hall also took sixth in the javelin with a throw of 155 feet, four inches.

Chargers girls sophomore Lexi Klinkenberg took fourth in the 100 hurdles with a time of 15.54. She also placed fifth in the 300 hurdles with a time of 47.28.

Kentlake sophomore Matt Dispensa placed seventh in the high jump with a vertical leap of six feet.

Falcons junior Tori Lanza placed seventh in the 300 hurdles with a time of 47.53.