Glacier Peak and Columbia River tied with 49 points in very close team competition that saw the top six teams finish within eight points of each other (Mt Si – 41, West Valley Yakima – 42, Auburn Mountainside – 43, and Camas 43.) Going into the final event, the 4x400, GP was trailing C-R by three points (56 – 59) and C-R didn’t have a relay team. If The Grizzlies placed fifth or higher they would win the title out-right, placed sixth they would tie, placed seventh or eighth C-R would win. GP maintained eighth place on first three exchanges then the baton went to their anchor leg, where she proceeded to make up the distance and pass Highline and Union finishing in sixth place, securing a tie for the championship.
Katie Bianchini
GP picked up all of their points on the track with wins from frosh sensation Amy-Eloise Neale in the 3200 and 1600. In the 1600, she was joined at the front of the pack by her 3200 comrades and classmates Katie Knight and Kendra Wetiz, and 800 champion from earlier in the day Madeline Rathburn from Lakeside and Junanita’s Tansey Lystad. The pace was somewhat slow until Knight took the lead in the third lap to string out the pack. The five girls went into the last lap as one group then at the 250 mark Rathburn took off but couldn’t shake the group. Neale with her strength and speed was able to inch away from the others to win in 4:54.82. Knight slipped ahead of Rathburn and Lystad for second in 4:55.77 (4:55.78 for Rathburn, 4:56.52 for Lystad.) Weitz couldn’t quite match the speed of the others and finished in fifth with a 4:57.60. After the race Weitz was disappointed, not with her place but she thought that fifth place was surely above her goal of 5:00. The disappointment didn’t last for long, she found out her time was indeed sub 5:00 and also a new Shadle school record breaking Andrea Nelson’s 4:58.73. Neale’s teammate and fellow freshman Katie Bianchini finished seventh.
Stephanie Cummings gave Grizzlies another ten points winning the 400 in 56.17 just out-leaning WV’s Lindsey Burns (56.32) and Michelle Fero from Holly Names (56.86.) Cummings followed-up her 400 victory with a third place in the 200 with a 25.96.
Columbia River’s Anna Adamko led the Chieftans with 25 points with her wins in the discus and javelin, and her fourth place in the shot put. They also picked up a good chunk of distance points with Jessica Bottelberghe’s second place in the 800, Allison Clark’s fifth and sixth place in the 16 and 32, and Sarah Bobbe’s sixth place in the 3200. Vaulter Jennifer DeBellis added six points with her third place finish.
Allison Clark and Sarah Bobbe