On to state! Boys are district champions!

For a program that has never had a league champion, we were thrilled to achieve that for the first time. We had taked as a team about how cool it would be to put up a banner in the gym under, Track and Field, League Champs, and it was very cool to achieve that. Lost somewhere in the mix was the thought that the boys team could add another banner under the district championship banner. Well, that thought definitely isn't lost anymore.

West Central District is the largest and perhaps the most competitive district track meet in the state. To advance to state from this district usually puts you in the top teir at the state meet, so it's an incredible honor for any athlete to get to state. That being said...we have a lot of people going to the state meet.

I guess it would make sense to begin with the obvious candidate to qualify for the state meet, Michael Chinchar. Michael came into the meet with the fastest time in the district in the 1600 and the 3200, and Friday night he won the 3200 easily with his season best time of 9:14.13. Saturday though, saw a competitor with a time much closer to his own and a stiff headwind coming into the homestretch. Michael went out fast in the first 800, but that stiff wind caught up with him and with 200m to go, Charlie Williams of Gig Harbor had caught and passed Michael. Michael refused to quit though, and kicked past Williams to win with a time of 4:18.33. It was not Michael's best time by far but he had perservered through an excruciating final lap to beat a worthy opponent. Williams doubled his misery when he was also outkicked in the 800 by our Chris Selvar, giving Kentwood district champions in all three running events.

Joining Michael at state next weekend will be his partner in crime, Eric Bril. Eric set a huge PR in the 3200 (9:27.61) to take fourth and qualify for his first state track meet. Another big win came from Chris Selvar in the 800, where he also out-kicked Charlie Williams to win in the time of 1:55.67. These three guys scored half of our 70 team points in just these three events. I guess this goes to show how important a cross country team is to a track program. (These guys placed 7th at state cross country last fall).

Others that will be making the trip trip to Pasco are first time state competitors (and Sophomores) Steven Warner in the 110 and 300 Hurdles and Cody Fishel in the High Jump. It is an extraordinary feat for a Sophomore to advance to the state meet, so to have two achieve that is a sign that bodes very well for the future of this program. Both Steven and Cody are capable of standing on the awards podium this year. Also going are both of our boys relays (4x100: Nikiel Taylor, Devin St. Clar, Chris Selvar and Demetrius Bronson; 4x400: Demetrius Bronson, Steven Warner, Devin St. Clair and Chris Selvar), who, according to the times coming in, both have a great shot to come home as medalists. This promises to be a great meet for this program.

Also qualifying for the state meet and winning at districts were Lindsey Moore... no, not in the High Jump, but in the Javelin. Lindsey threw an 18 foot PR and won the district meet! Not bad considering it's only the fourth meet she's ever thrown in! Lindsey did qualify in the High Jump too, jumping 5'4" and placed 2nd. Also qualifying for the state meet was Dana Wareham in the 400. Dana pulled off a very impressive feat of qualifying for the state meet as a Freshman with her finals time of 59.91.

The amazing season coninues! On to state!

Coach Roche

Boys are SPSL Champs!

Kentwood High School has had numerous league, district and even state championships in its 26 year history, but never has there been any of those in Boys or Girls Track and Field. Until now. For the first time in team history, a Kentwood Track and Field team will put up a banner on the gymnasium wall under Boys Track and Field: League Champions. This has been something that has been a great source of pride and motivation for our kids this season, and now they will have something they can always hang their hat (not worn at school, of course :), that they put up that banner, that they were the first ones. For the Girls team it may seem that this season was not a good one, but that would be a very inaccurate assessment considering the team's lack of depth and youth. As I told the team last week, the boys team was at the same place the girls team was four years ago, and I truly do believe that the Girls team will be outstanding in the seasons to come.

The clinching meet for the boys came in the last dual meet of the season at home against Kentridge. The Boys team finished the meet with 11 first place finishes, along with several season-best marks. First places were brought home by Devin St. Clair in the 200m (22.96) and the Long Jump (21'8"), Michael Chinchar in the 800m (1:55.89), Chris Selvar in the 1600m (4:29.05 in his first time ever running it), Eric Brill in the 3200 (10:09.21), Steven Warner in the 110 Hurdles (15.17, a season best) and 300 Hurdles (40.38), Adam Smith in the Shot Put (42'2"), Cody Fishel in the High Jump (5'10") and Junior Gauldin in the Triple Jump (42'3"). The Boys 4x100 relay of Nikiel Taylor (pictured to the right), Devin St. Clair, Damion Ricks an Demetrius Bronson also took home a first place finish (44.33). Perhaps the highlight of the meet was the dual between Chris Selvar and Eric Brill in the 1600. Chris had never run the race before, although his 800 time is one of the best in the state and Eric's best event this season has been the 3200 and had yet to have a "break out" time in the race. Eric pushed the pace the whole race and as they came down the homestretch, Chris' kick was better than Eric's and Chris ran his time of 4:29.05, and put him in the #4 spot all-time at Kentwood. In the process, Eric ran a season best time 4:30.29, his fastest time since the district meet last year. The boys won the meet by a score of 95-41 and finished the season with an amazing 7-0 record.

The girls team, although losing 42-92 to Kentridge, had several season-best marks also. Event winners for this meet were Dana Wareham in the 400m where she continued her amazing run of success with her time of 60.85, Erin Bradfield in the Discus (95'4"- a season best mark), Lindsey Moore in the High Jump (5'6"- the 5th time this season she has reached that mark), and Jillian Jainga in the Pole Vault (6'6"). One of the bigger performances in this meet that did not win was by Fresman Sarah Belter (pictured to the right) in the 800m. Sarah turned out her best time of the season and re-broke her own Freshman Record with her time of 2:35.81. As I mentioned before, this season could be looked at negatively based upon the 1-6 record, but on a team with only four senior girls, there is much to look forward to in the coming years with many more performances by Lindsey Moore, Dana Wareham, Ashley Luther, Kyra Gaines and so many other talented young athletes.

This past week was the first of two qualifying meets for the state meet in Pasco. The SPSL meet always has an abundance of quality marks, and this year was no exception. This year's meet was not scored, so there are no team places to write about but there were many memorable performances by Kentwood Track and Field Athletes.

The Girls tam qualified several athletes through to the district meet this coming week at Mt. Tahoma High School. Leading the way, as she has many times this year, was Freshman Dana Wareham. Dana has had a very impressive streak of PR's in the 400m, and this week she took it up to a new level. Dana not only won her heat, but ran an amazing time of 59.78, putting her into a great position to move on to the state meet in two weeks. Dana also qualified for the district meet in the Long Jump with a new PR of 16'2". Other individuals qualifying for districts are Lindsey Moore in the High Jump (5'4") and Javelin (99'6"), Erin Bradfield in the High Jump (4'10") and Ashley Luther in the Long Jump (15' 11.5"). Another exciting thing for the girls team was the fact that all three relays qualified for the district meet. The Girls 4x100 relay of Ashley Luther, Kyra Gaines (pictured to the left), Kristen Olenick and Rachel Gilstad qualified with their time of 51.93; the 4x200 team of Ashley Luther, Kyra Gaines, Abby Brauer and Dana Wareham qualified with a season-best time of 1:46.99; the 4x400 team of Ashley Luther, Abby Brauer, Vanessa Parker and Dana Wareham also qualified a huge PR of 4:07.85. I have mentioned this before, but I truly believe the 4x4 is the backbone of every track team (and, I believe, the most exciting race), and it gives me a great sense of pride to see that relay along with all the others do so well and move on to the next level.

As they have all year long, the boys team had some amazing performances and a very large number of athletes will be moving on to the district track meet this upcoming week. Michael Chichar turned in his second fastest 1600 time of the season, and narrowly missed breaking the SPSL meet record in the event with his time of 4:10.98 with the second place finisher running over ten seconds behind him. Michael is also moving on in the 3200m with his time of 9.28.45. Other athletes moving on are Eric Brill in the 1600m (4:27.90) and 3200m (9:39.66), Danny Smith in the 3200m (10:01.31), Chris Selvar in the 800 (1:55.64), Devin St. Clair in the Long Jump (20' 11.75") and 200m (22.60), Demetrius Bronson in the 200m (22.98), Andrew Fung in the 110 Hurdles (15.10-pictured to the left), Steven Warner in the 110 Hurdles (15.33) and 300 Hurdles (39.78), Ricardo Tucker in the 300 Hurdles (41.07) and Cody Fishel in the High Jump (6'0"). Just like the girls team, both boys relay teams advanced to the district meet. The 4x100 relay of Nikiel Taylor, Devin St. Clair, Chris Selvar and Demetrius Bronson won their heat with a time of 43.45. Th 4x400 team of Steven Warner, Devin St. Clair, Michael Chinchar and Chris Selvar not only won their heat, but re-broke their own school record (with two different members) and re-established themselves as the fastest 4x4 in the state. You could say they had a good day. :)

This week upcoming brings the district track meet at Mount Tahoma High School. As I have written before, I believe this is the premier high school Track and Field facility in the state. The top 6 competitors from this meet will advance to the state meet May 25th and 26th in Pasco. Information on the meet can be found here.

There are many good time left in the season, so please stay tuned! Go Conks!

Coach Roche