Maddie Meyers of the Northwest School in Seattle began her 2011 outdoor Track & Field campaign with a bang, when she overwhelmed the field in the Steeplechase (2K) with a brilliant time of 6:44.11. Record comparisons this early in the season are scant but Maddie won her race by almost a minute and a half. If one wishes a truer comparison then a glance at the Oregon Preview Meet that same day is where to look. Bridget Franek, now running professionally for the Oregon Track Club, won her race against collegians with a time of 6:25.1. Bridget, of course, is the current NCAA Champion in the steeple at the 3K distance. Second place in the event went to Kimber Mattox of Willamette University, who ran 6:46, while third place was secured by Oregon State’s Olivia Poblacion, who ran 7:12. Shelby Greany of Providence College is the current high school record holder with a time of 6:33.7 and Marie Lawrence (now running for UW) is the former record-holder with 6:35. That should give us a better indication of the time that Maddie ran on Saturday.
Maddie also ran in the 1600 Meters and won that with a time of 5:04.79. Allie Nichols of Redmond placed second in the event with a time of 5:38. Nate Brennand of Olympia won the guys’ 1600M with a time of 4:33.7 to defeat Dylan Brown & Jeff Miles of auburn Riverside, who ran 4:38. Oddly enough there was also a race at a mile, which was claimed by Jesse Stevick of Bishop Blanchet, who ran 4:29. Gig Harbor’s Casey Peloquin was the only runner to give Jesse a battle & he finished with 4:43. Keefe Hanson of AR won the steeple with 9:56.22 & was the only runner to break ten minutes.
The 100 Meter Dash was garnered by David Jarvis of Kent Meridian, who ran 11.01 and barely edged Davonte Green of Foster & was credited with the same time. Haley Jacobson won the girls’ version of the sprint with her time of 12.32. The Issaquah runner topped Brandi Williams of Auburn Riverside, who ran 12.56.
In the field events the girls especially impressed, as Kate Bolger won the javelin easily with 102-08 and she is but a freshman. Brandi Williams won the long jump with 16-06 & Maddie Magee of Bear Creek took the high jump with 5-08. Eva Perry of Issaquah vaulted 11-00 – her pole vault is second, I believe, in the state only to Katrina Oswisi of Prairie, who vaulted 12-6 indoors at UW. Justin Browne scored in the Triple Jump with 44-10.0 to top Brandon Harris who went 43-05.5. Browne also won the Long Jump with 21-07. Gig Harbor’s Tyler Ambrose annexed the shot put title with a heave of 44-09.5 to edge Brandon Kroon of Bishop Blanchet, who went 43-08.5. The discus went to Sam Hacker of Gig Harbor with a toss of 119-01, while the pole vault victory went to Jason Holloway os Issaquah with 13-00.
The team results saw Kent Meridian win the boys title with a total of 327 points. They were followed by Gig Harbor (304), Issaquah (236) & Auburn Riverside (222). The girls’ championship was taken by Olympia with 290 points & they were followed in turn by Kent Meridian (257.5), Issaquah (233.5) & Gig Harbor (183).