4A Boys State Meet Day 1: Federal Way 3:15.26 WA All-Time Best, Moskowits 8:59.27 Gardner 9:01.40

The Federal Way 4x400 relay team of Ezekiel McNeal, Trenton Pinson,  Robert Shelby,  Maurice McNeal set a Washington All-Time Best in prelims yesterday at State with a time of 3:15.26. It had been a long time coming, the previous best was a 3:17.0 mile relay (converts to 3:16.04) set by Lincoln set in 1977 and Wilson’s 3:16.09 set in 1982 with the great Darrell Robinson as anchor.

 

The 4A boys didn’t lollygag during the first mile of the 3200 as did the 3A boys, thanks to Central Kitsap’s Shane Moskowitz who lead from wire to wire. “My goal was to run around 8:50” said Moskowitz “but I wasn’t expecting to lead the whole way. I thought Thorne would take the lead.” Ferris’s Adam Thorne did run on his should for most of the race then was replaced by GSL rival, freshman Andrew Gardner from Mead. Moskowitz would start to gap the freshman, but Gardner would inch back before the elastic snapped. Going into the last lap Moskowitz had maybe a few meters lead and that’s the way it finished, Moskowitz 8:59.27 and Gardner with a new freshman record of 9:01.40 (breaking his own 9:06.) Kamiakin’s Anthony Armstrong ripped off an amazing last lap moving from sixth to third with a 9:07.25, just nipping Gig Harbor’s Connor Peloquin at 9:08.14. Peloquin’s race maybe the most amazing of all…He had been out with an injury all season until three weeks ago. Thorne slipped to fifth in the final few meters with a 9:08.31.

Mead’s Sam Wright fresh off his “big PR” and victory from last week in the shot put was hoping for another big weekend to hold off Tahoma’s Derek Eager. He was second to Ferris’s Kjelby Oiland (55-6.5 to 55-1) going into finals then launched his 56-10.75. Eager’s put of 56-1.75 fell just short of Wright’s to finish in second. Wright said "we are off to a good start" speaking to Mead's march to repeat as State Champions.