WASHINGTON STATE MEET

Trevontay Smith Triple Jump (50-4.50) Leads Yelm; Hana Moll Jumps Meet Record 14-7; Zach Munson Triples In 2A; JaiCieonna Gero-Holt Powers Emerald Ridge; Federal Way Wins 4A Boys Crown; Braelyn Baker Smashes 300m Hurdles Record

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

It’s been a year of firsts for the Yelm High athletic program.

Back in the fall, the Tornados won the school’s first state championship in football after defeating Eastside Catholic in one of the greatest high school football games in state history. 

This spring, the Yelm boys track and field team captured its first state title since 2002 at the Washington WIAA 4A/3A/2A State Championships at Mt. Tahoma in Tacoma.

Behind four first-place finishes, including a state record mark in the triple jump, the Tornados scored 59 points for the team title, defeating Mt. Spokane WA by 7.5 points.

INTERVIEWS | PHOTOS

“For us, we built everything on the foundation that was established by the coaches that came before us,” Yelm coach Chris Stovall said. “For us to be able to do it and win it with amazing field events team, couldn’t have been any better. Everybody did their job.”

Trevontay Smith’s triple jump state meet record, also a US #8, of 50-4.50 was the driving force for the Tornados from the get-go. The Thursday victory set the tone for the rest of the three-day meet. 

Jordan Lasher and Isaiah Patterson followed with two more titles for Yelm on Friday. Lasher won the pole vault in a clearance of 15-6 and Patterson won the discus with a throw of 177-4. On Saturday, Brayden Platt won the shot put with 61-10.

Platt also finished second in the javelin with a US#3 throw of 216 feet. Central Kitsap's Roderick Schenk went even farther, winning with US#2 219-1.

Capital’s Hana Moll completed her sensational career with a state title in the 3A girls pole vault with a clearance of 14-7, besting her sister Amanda's meet record of 14-6 set last spring. Shorewood’s Ava Enriquez cleared 12-6 for second, with Bishop Blanchet WA’s Lucy Markow third at 12-3.

"I'm really grateful for the season I've been able to have," Moll said. "I feel like I've done a really good job of keeping myself healthy and consistency is really important, especially for pole vault for progress. I think that was a big factor to my season."

Moll also contributed to the Cougars’ 4x100 and 4x200 relay victories in 48.13 seconds and 1:42.54, respectively.

Mercer Island sophomore Owen Powell ran a US#27 time of 4:07.75 to win the 3A boys 1,600 meters, out leaning Walla Walla’s Brody Hartley (4:07.97) and Bishop Blanchet’s Vincent Recupero (4:08.04). 

Recupero bounced back in the 3,200 with a winning time of 8:58.61, beating Lakes' Cruize Corvin in 9:00.00 for second. Seattle Prep’s Jack Henzke finished third in 9:00.22, with Hartley finishing fourth in 9:01.22, Powell was fifth in 9:01.33 and Mt. Spokane’s Parker Westermann was sixth in 9:01.66.

Auburn Riverside’s Julia Couch won the 3A girls 1,600 in 4:52.04 and also won in the girls 800 in 2:10.78.

Bellevue’s Kalea Hill beat Bonney Lake’s Latham West in the 3,200 by a margin of 10:29.19 to 10:30.31.

Lincoln-Tacoma’s Jonathan Frazier completed the hurdle sweep in the 3A 110 and 300 hurdles, running 14.23 and US#22 37.27.

Kelso’s Josie Settle also swept the hurdle, running 14.91 in the 100 hurdles and 43.59 in the 300 hurdles. The Hilanders won the 3A girls team title with 53 points.

Arlington’s Kellen Langford ran 1:51.67 to win the boys 800.

Mead’s Dominik Corley won the 200 in a time of 21.30.

University’s Addy MacArthur threw a personal best 134-3 for a victory in the girls discus.

Lincoln-Tacoma’s Pray’Cesslily Kamuta won the shot put with a throw of 41-11.25.

Eastside Catholic’s Braden Ganashamoorthy hit 23-1.25 to win the boys long jump.

Mt. Spokane’s 4x400 relay team of Bradley Runge, Jackson Hale, Ben Sonneland and Bode Gardner ran a meet record time of 3:18.34.

Nora Cullen, Liv Ferraro, Teryn Gardner and Charlotte Cullen of Mead won the girls 4x400 with 3:54.45.

Gero-Holt Scores 38 Points In 4A Meet

Emerald Ridge sophomore JaiCieonna Gero-Holt led the Jaguars to win the 4A girls state team title behind her three state individual titles. The nation's top prep heptathlete won the 100 hurdles (14.45), the high jump (5-10) and javelin (139-3), with a second-place effort in the long jump (18-11.25). All but the high jump were personal bests. 

Federal Way’s Cassandra Atkins swept the long and triple jump state titles, jumping 19-3.75 and 40-8.50.

Tahoma’s Brooke Lyons ran a US#24 54.13 to win the 400.

Bothell’s Haedyn Bambolo won both the shot put (47-1) and discus (146-11) titles.

Skyline’s Anna Callahan pulled off a 800/1,600 double in times of 2:10.75 and 4:44.05. Teammate Rebecca O’Keefe ran 10:39.01 to take the 3,200.

Hanford’s Landry Allen went 12-7 to win the girls pole vault.

The Federal Way boys won the 4A team title, scoring 79.5 points with big points coming in the jumps. Roman Hutchinson won the long jump and triple jump, hitting marks of 23-9 and 47-7.25, and Jaylon Jenkins won the high jump at 6-8. 

Grant Buckmiller of Lake Stevens ran 21.34 in the 200 and a US#18 46.62 in the 400 to win both titles.

In Class 2A, Sehome duo Jake Andrews and Zack Munson scored 60 points together and won every track race from 100 meters to 3,200 to lead the Mariners to back-to-back state titles. Andrews completed the sprint sweep, winning the 100 in 10.56 and the 200 and 400 in meet record times of 21.21 and 46.89. Munson won all three distance races, running 1:54.59 in the 800, 4:13.64 in the 1,600 and 9:07.38 in the 3,200.

Squalicum’s Andre Korbmacher bested his own 2A  meet record in the boys 110 hurdles, running 13.74 into a head wind.

Braelyn Baker Shines At 1A/2B/1B Meet

Over in Yakima at the 1A/2B/1B championships, Bear Creek’s Braelyn Baker set the all-time state record in the girls 300 hurdles, running US#6 41.02 to highlight her four 1A individual titles at Zaepfel Stadium. The previous Washington best of 41.76 by Emerald Ridge standout Karlee Stueckle stood since 2018.

The junior also won the 100 and 200 races in meet record times of 11.92 and 23.55 and the long jump competition with a mark of 17-5.75.

Reggie Witherspoon III of Seattle Academy ran 10.83 in the 100 and 21.45 in the 200 to win both 1A boys sprint finals, leading the Cardinals to the team title with 66 points.

Lynden Christian’s Andrew Luce beat Bush School's Amare Fields in both the 1A boys 800 and 1,600 races, with Luce running a meet record 1:52.76 in the 800 and 4:14.71 in the 1,600. Fields ran 1:52.95 and 4:15.05.

Vashon Island's Bodie Thomas won the 1A boys 3,200 in a meet record time of 9:13.84.

Mary Walker’s Tomeko Cates set two 1B boys meet records in the high jump (6-9) and long jump (22-1), along with winning the triple jump (44-9.50) and 200 (22.83).

Kennedy Cook of Garfield Palouse ran 25.47 in the 200 and 57.30 to set 1B girls meet records.

DeSales Morgan Thomas won the 1B girls shot put and discus in meet record marks of 42-2 and 131-11.

Willapa Valley's Lauryn McGough cleared 12-3 to set a 1B girls pole vault meet record.

Team Champions - 

Class 4A - Federal Way boys 79.5 points, Emerald Ridge girls 67 points - RESULTS

Class 3A - Yelm boys 59 points, Kelso girls 53 points - RESULTS

Class 2A - Sehome boys 73 points, Tumwater girls 51 points - RESULTS

Class 1A - Seattle Academy boys 66 points, King's girls 52 points - RESULTS

Class 1B - Evergreen Lutheran and Mary Walker boys (tie) 56 points, Garfield-Palouse girls 98 points - RESULTS

Class 2B - St. George's boys 52 points, St. George's girls 118 points - RESULTS