4A track: Marshall patience pays off; Skyline sweeps team titles

May 21, 2006

By Michael Ko

Seattle Times staff reporter

Stay patient and don\'t panic.

Victor Marshall repeated that mantra over and over after winning the 100 and 200 meters at the Sea-King District track and field championships Friday at the Southwest Athletic Complex.

The Juanita High School senior\'s long, lean body — almost 6 feet 4 tall and 195 pounds — prevents him from exploding out of the starting blocks as quickly as his shorter competitors.

Which means he needs a bit longer to reach full speed and falls behind. If he panics before then, he could jeopardize his form.

\"I just have to stay calm and catch them,\" Marshall said.

The plan played out perfectly in Friday\'s 100, as Marshall waited out a great initial burst by Ballard\'s Tyler Stinde — they ran hip-to-hip halfway through the race — before accelerating in the last 40 meters for the win in 11.26 seconds.

Marshall, who will play football and run track at a junior college in Mesa, Ariz., entered the week with the second-best times in the state this year in the 200, and the fourth-best in the 100.

Marshall is coached by his father Crickett Marshall, who held the Washington record in the 200 for almost two decades and would have been an alternate in the 1980 Olympics until the U.S. boycott.

Skyline won both the boys and girls team titles.

For the Spartans boys, senior Brandon Graef won both the 110 and 300 meter hurdles, Lem Brown won the long jump, Tyler Krueger the 400, Matt Frerker the 3,200 in 9:19.12, and Skyline took the 1,600 relay.

For the Skyline girls, sophomore Tiffany Tibbot won the 100, and the Spartans swept both relays.

Inglemoor finished second in both boys and girls team scoring. In boys, Bothell was third and Woodinville fourth. In girls, Eastlake was third, with Woodinville and Garfield tied for fourth.

Notes

• Bothell senior Josh Winters won the pole vault with an effort of 15 feet. He entered the week with this year\'s best vault at 15-9.

• Eastlake senior Jessica Pixler, who owns the state-best time in the 800, won the 800 and 1,600.

• Woodinville junior Jill Erickson won the girls 100 and 300 hurdles.

• Garfield sophomore Bianca Greene, who owns the state best in the girls 200, won that event in 25.03.

Michael Ko: 206-515-5653 or mko@seattletimes.com