TACOMA — If you’ve made it this far, it’s time to start peaking.
The Gig Harbor and Peninsula high school boys and girls track and field teams all placed in the top 15 at the West Central District III championships last weekend at Mount Tahoma Stadium.
With the state meet this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the same location, local athletes who advanced to state are preparing for the biggest high school meet of the year.
The following is a breakdown of both schools’ boys and girls results:
Peninsula senior anchor runner Deven Wilson hummed a song in her head as she waited for her turn in the 400-meter relay finals on Saturday afternoon.
When she received the baton in stride, she darted down the home stretch to help her team win the district championship with a season-best time of 49.85 seconds.
It was the third best time statewide in 3A competition this year, and it was Peninsula’s second consecutive district championship in the event.
“It’s pretty much amazing,” Wilson said about having the anchor leg as opposed to running the leadoff leg last year. “It’s the best feeling in the world. Relay races are more fun and intense to me.”
Peninsula freshman Nicole Holcomb ran the opening leg on Saturday. She said it’s exciting to start with the baton and see the team finish at the end of the race.
“We’re really good as a team,” Holcomb said. “We believe in each other. I’m very excited to compete at state. I’m sure we’ll do very well.”
The handoff between Wilson and Peninsula senior Hannah Gilman was smooth. Having earned her fourth year at state, Gilman said powering around the corner is her favorite thing to do.
“Going into Dev (Deven), I always feel strong and confident,” Gilman said. “I always feel safe with that connection. You can almost turn around and walk away and not watch her. She’s a great finisher.”
The team’s previous season best was a 49.95 — one-tenth of a second slower — at the SPSL/WCC bi-district meet the previous week.
Junior Kayla Erickson, Gilman, sophomore Hannah Lekson and Wilson also qualified in the 800 relay with a season-best time of 1:47.50.
Wilson said earning better times as the season progresses bodes well for the final meet of the season. Last year, the team placed eighth at state in the 400 relay (50.28) and sixth in the 200 (1:46.85).
“For me, it’s really important,” Wilson said about earning season-best times heading into state. “Because I think we have stronger competition, and we have a new team with a freshman. I think it’d be amazing for Nicole to see what it feels like to be high up on the podium.”
There were 10 Peninsula girls who qualified for the state meet. As a team, the Seahawks girls placed fifth with 44 points. Columbia River dominated the district competition with 94, 31 points ahead of runner-up Bonney Lake.
Peninsula freshman Addi Johnson qualified for state with a sixth-place finish in the 3,200 in 11:38.10. During most of the race, she was no better than eighth place, which was one spot short of qualifying.
“It was intense,” Johnson said about the finish. “I knew I needed to pick it up if I wanted to go to state.”
She said the last part of the race hurt, but it paid off.
“I knew I had it in me,” she said. “I knew I could pick it up, so I just kicked it in.”
Gig Harbor Tides junior Conner Peloquin qualified for state in the 3,200 and 1,600, placing fourth in both events at the 4A district meet on Saturday.
Although just one of his times was a lifetime best — he set a personal record in the 1,600 by more than three seconds — he said he’s saving up for the state meet.
“My main goal was just to qualify (to state),” Peloquin said. “I was trying pretty hard, but not 100 percent.”
Knowing he didn’t have to expend all of his energy last weekend, Peloquin said he’ll be going all out this weekend in the 2-mile event, which is the stronger of his two races.
Peloquin didn’t compete at state last year because of an injury. He ran the fastest 3,200 time in the state this season when he finished in 9:08.86 at the Shoreline Invitational on May 2.
The Gig Harbor boys finished ninth with 31 points. Federal Way won the district title with 60 points.
In the throwing events, the Tides advanced two to the state competition.
Gig Harbor sophomore Nick Laketa qualified in the javelin for the second straight year with a personal-best toss of 176 feet, 8 inches (third place). The throw was more than 17 farther than his previous best of 159-2.
“Coming into the competition, I knew that nothing was definite,” Laketa said. “I knew I had to come throw.”
In order to qualify for state this year, 4A javelin athletes had to muster at least 173 feet, which is much higher than last year’s minimum requirement.
“It seemed a lot more competitive,” Laketa said. “Everybody is out here doing their best. I just need to not think about the throw and compete. Hopefully this year I can score some points for my team.”
Gig Harbor senior Eric Murrell won the discus event with a heave of 153-5, which is more than 7 feet better than his previous best mark set the previous week at the Narrows League championships.
The toss put him in the top 10 in 4A competition statewide, with Mead senior Justin Graff ranked No. 1 at 203-1.
Peninsula junior Darrian Creamer said he was bummed he won’t be going to Pasco this year.
Not because he didn’t qualify for state, though. It was because he liked the idea of traveling to Pasco for the meet.
Regardless, Creamer had the best throw (159-2) going into the final round, until Renton Senior Armin Basic heaved the circular object 166-5 to win the event.
Creamer uncorked the third-best throw in the state this year with a toss of 168-5 at a double dual on April 30.
“I’m pretty happy,” Creamer said about his performance. “My main goal was to make it to state. I’m just glad I’m going back.
“There’s going to be a lot of good competition. I’ll be throwing with the best.”
Peninsula junior Keegan Hall grabbed the sixth spot to state in the 800, crossing the line in 1:59.66. Hall was near the back of the pack during the first lap, but he turned it on and finished strong.
“Normally I start out toward the back and move up on the second lap,” Hall said. “I wanted to do better, but I’m just happy I got through.”
It will be Hall’s first trip to the state meet.
Following a disqualification in the 400 relay, the Gig Harbor girls bounced back to advance to state in the 800 relay.
The team of Caitlyn Rowland, Brittany Werner, Josie Graybeal and Sofia Pasarow felt a great relief knowing they qualified because of their previous mishap. They also were disqualified the previous two years during the Narrows League meet.
“It was definitely a team effort, with Caitlyn holding on,” Graybeal said.
Rowland edged out Todd Beamer’s relay team by one-thousandth of a second for the sixth and final spot to state in the 800 relay.
Werner, who also competed in the triple jump, forfeited her final jump and iced her knee in preparation for the race.
“I laid it out for my teammates,” Werner said.
Although the 400 relay team won’t compete this weekend because of its DQ, Gig Harbor senior sprinter Brittany Schroeder ran to a third-place finish in the 400 in 58.16.
“I wanted to do a lot better,” Schroeder said. “Hopefully I can bring it when the time comes.”
In the throwing events, Gig Harbor junior Anna Guenther was close to not clinching a state spot. But she heaved the javelin 109-3 on her final toss to qualify for state in sixth place.
“It was a rough day, but I guess I did what I needed to do,” Guenther said. “I knew I had to step it up. This could’ve been the end, and I knew I didn’t want it to be.”
Guenther said that, in order to reach the state podium, she’ll need to be more aggressive.
Gig Harbor junior Erin Hull was the only girl to qualify for state in the distance events. She placed third in the 3,200 in 11:24.49.
“I just wanted to go to state, because I’ve never been to state for track,” she said. “(Coach) Patty (Ley) tells us to believe in ourselves, in what we can do, and that helps us. You just have to believe in your training.”
Peninsula boys
Junior Keegan Hall — 800 (sixth, 1:59.66)
Junior Chris Borg — 3,200 (fifth, 9:39.13)
1,600 relay — Junior Alex Benzegala, Borg, Hall and junior Grosshans (sixth, 3:31.57)
Junior Darrian Creamer — Discus (second, 159-2); long jump (sixth, 20-9 1/4)
Grosshans — Javelin (seventh, 172-9)
Peninsula girls
Senior Deven Wilson — 100 (second, 12.64); 200 (second, 12.37)
Freshman Addi Johnson — 3,200 (sixth, 11:38.10)
Senior Kelsie Williams — 300 intermediate hurdles (seventh, 48.79)
400 relay — Junior Kayla Erickson, freshman Nicole Holcomb, senior Hannah Gilman and Wilson (first, 49.85)
800 relay — Erickson, Gilman, sophomore Hannah Lekson and Wilson (fifth, 1:47.50)
Senior Carly Crane — Javelin (seventh, 11-5)
Junior Rachel Cox — High jump (sixth, 5-0)
Freshman Jayne Wright — Long jump (seventh, 15-7)
Erickson — Triple jump (seventh, 33-8 3/4)
Gig Harbor boys
Junior Conner Peloquin — 1,600 (fourth, 4:18.78); 3,200 (fourth, 9:33.41)
Senior Eric Murrell — Discus (first, 153-5)
Sophomore Nick Laketa — Javelin (third, 176-8)
Gig Harbor girls
Senior Brittany Schroeder — 400 (third, 58.16)
Junior Erin Hull — 3,200 (third, 11:24.49)
800 relay — Juniors Caitlyn Rowland, Brittany Werner, Josie Graybeal and Sofia Pasarow (sixth, 1:46.55) 1,600 relay — Junior Maureen Tremblay, Schroeder, junior Noelle Marchesini and Pasarow (third, 4:01.80)
Junior Anna Guenther — javelin (sixth, 109-3)
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