Track & Field | Brooks a fast act at LW Invitational Sandy Ringer May 01, 2007

By Sandy Ringer

Seattle Times staff reporter

KIRKLAND — Devin Brooks walks achingly slow. But she runs amazingly fast.

Brooks took her time strolling to the middle of Mac Field Saturday to accept her award for winning the 100-meter hurdles at the Lake Washington Invitational.

"I hate to walk," the Holy Names senior explained.

Brooks, the three-time defending Class 3A state champion in the 100 hurdles, doesn't care for waiting, either. But she had to do that, too, before the announcement finally came that she had broken the meet record with her state-leading time of 14.10 seconds in the preliminaries. In a way, it was fitting.

Chinchar no run-of-the-mill athlete Sandy Ringer Sep 12, 2006

Little matter whether he is the chaser or the chasee. Just give him a race, and the Kentwood High School senior thrives. \"It\'s the thrill of the race,\" he said. \"I don\'t really enjoy practice and all of the running by myself, but I love to race. It\'s awesome.\" And Chinchar can be amazing in close races. \"The better the competition, the better I run,\" he said. Chinchar enjoyed some epic cross-country races with Joe Churchill of Auburn Riverside last season, including one where he dove at the finish line and still had to settle for second. At state, he used a late surge to shoot into second place behind Jeff Helmer of Jackson. At the Class 4A state track-and-field championships last spring, he finished second behind Churchill in the 1,600 meters and took third in the 3,200, where Lake Stevens sophomore Joey Bywater was the upset winner.

Track and Field: K-M\'s Duran finishes four-event sweep Sandy Ringer May 14, 2006

Jessica Duran is driven by an inner desire. Duran, a Kent-Meridian senior who was a little-known track-and-field athlete last year, is making a name for herself with her versatility. She made her mark at the South Puget Sound League sub-district meet Friday at Sunset Chev Stadium, completing a four-event sweep she began Wednesday. \"I just want to prove to myself I can do what I set out to do,\" Duran said. Her goal is to place in the top five at the Class 4A state meet in four events

The stars come out for Pasco Sandy Ringer Apr 14, 2006

By Sandy Ringer Seattle Times staff reporter Jessica Pixler of Eastlake is part of a sizzling field in the girls 1,600 meters, which looks to be the premier event in the 45th annual Pasco Invitational track-and-field meet Saturday at Edgar Brown Stadium. The event features the top five girls in the state, according to season-best times thus far. Pixler, a senior who placed third at the Class 4A state meet behind two Bellarmine Prep standouts, is seeded second behind senior Megan O\'Reilly of Mount Spokane. O\'Reilly, fifth at state last year, has run a state-best 4 minutes, 49.42 seconds to Pixler\'s 4:57.83.

Jeff Helmer Makes His Move Sandy Ringer Apr 05, 2006

JACKIE JOHNSTON
Jeff Helmer won Class 4A state championships for Jackson High School in cross country and the 3,200 meters.

HELMER MAKES HIS MOVE
By Sandy Ringer Seattle Times staff reporter

Jeff Helmer is off and running again, this time for Everett High School. Helmer, the defending Class 4A state champion in the 3,200 meters and reigning cross-country champ, has transferred from Jackson of Mill Creek to finish his senior year, and is eligible to compete for the Seagulls.