TACOMA — Of the three events Mountlake Terrace’s Chinne Okoronkwo competes in at the state meet, a pole vault championship was the one title that eluded her in her first two years of high school.
The junior took care of that on Saturday by not only winning the state championship, but tying the state-meet record with a vault of 13 feet, 3 inches.
And as if that wasn’t good enough, she broke her own meet record in the triple jump later in the afternoon with a career-best jump of 41-101/2.
“I was so happy,” Okoronkwo said. “It just left me speechless. I was just really happy I was finally able to place first in all the events. It was just the icing on top to get the record in the triple jump.”
That Okoronkwo won the pole vault isn’t as much of a surprise as the way she won it. She had placed second in each of her first two years of high school and jumped 12 feet in last year’s finals. On Saturday, she broke 13 feet for the first time and 13-3 tied the state meet record set on Thursday by Squalicum’s Kirsten Webber.
Making Okoronkwo’s accomplishment all the more amazing, she’s been battling an ankle injury all season that has left her practice time limited. Mountlake Terrace pole vault coach John Winters said she had practiced just eight times this season prior to the state meet.
“I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen,” Winters said. “Going into the season she talked about this being the last real big hurdle that she wanted to accomplish and she wanted to put more effort into it, but she got hurt early in the year.”
Okoronkwo said the injury is getting better. It certainly didn’t bother her on Saturday. After tying the meet record, she decided to take a shot at the state record with an attempt of 13-8. She had three attempts, but came up short each time.
“I think I came pretty close, just a couple of technical things that didn’t end up working out,” she said.
Okoronkwo set her own personal record three times during the competition.
“She’s just a great athlete and she just put it together today,” Winters said.
Even with two meet records and two more state championships, Okoronkwo still wasn’t completely pleased.
“I really wanted 42 in the triple (jump),” Okoronkwo said. “I was very close, but I’ll have another meet in two weeks. I’ll get it there.”
Okoronkwo, who is ranked nationally in the triple jump, will compete at the Caribbean Scholastic Invite in Cuba in two weeks.
Edwards wins 400-meter state title for Lynnwood
Lynnwood junior Jordyn Edwards was a part of the Royals’ basketball team that won a 3A state championship in March.
After Saturday’s victory in the 400 meters at the 3A state track meet, now she also knows what it feels like to be an individual state champion. Edwards, who came into the race with the best 3A time in the state this season, backed it up with a win in 55.34 seconds.
“I really wanted to get the 400 and I got it,” Edwards said.
Edwards tripped during the race in her freshman year and said she almost did again on Saturday, but she was able to maintain her balance.
“It feels really good to redeem myself from freshman year and actually falling. It’s just an amazing feeling,” Edwards said.
Edwards also competed in the 200 meter finals. She entered that event with the top 3A time in the state this season at 25.13, but finished fifth in 25.42.
Despite missing out on a second championship, Edwards was pleased with her performance.
“My legs were very tired after the 400,” Edwards said. “I don’t have any excuses, I just ran into some really fast people. I’m just proud of what I got. I’m good with anything after that 400.”
Snohomish’s Cavin wins 4A high jump championship
Snohomish junior Kellianne Cavin won the 4A state high jump championship on Saturday, edging Skyview’s Madison Lord.
Cavin’s jump of 5-5 was one inch away from her season and personal-best.
“It’s well-deserved on her part,” Snohomish jumps coach Paul Nicoletti said. “She did all the work. We just helped her along the way. She’s such a tough competitor. All the credit goes to her.”
It was a busy weekend for Cavin, who won her first state championship. She placed eighth in the triple jump and just missed the finals in the long jump. She also helped her team finish sixth in the 4×400 relay.
Cavin seemed to take the grueling weekend in stride.
“It was kind of hard and tough, but I got through it,” she said.
And most importantly, she won a championship.
“I had a lot of high goals for myself this season and I’m proud of myself to accomplish them and reach them,” Cavin said.
Class 4A Girls
Saturday’s Finals
At Mount Tahoma H.S.
Team scores (top five): Issaquah 59, Lewis and Clark 48, Camas 45, Union 41, Tahoma 40. Also: Snohomish 14, Jackson 3.
100—1. Anna Rodgers, Lewis and Clark 12.13. Local placers: none; 200—1. Dai’lyn Merriweather, Union 24.87. Local placers: none; 400—1. Jai’lyn Merriweather 54.73. Local placers: none; 800—1. Keagan Bolibol, Woodinville 2:12.03. Local placers: none; 3,200—1. Lindsey Bradley, Richland 10:30.66. Local placers: 6. Brooke Kingma, Jackson 10:58.91; 300 hurdles—1. Darhian Mills, Inglemoor 42.13. Local placers: none; 400 relay—1. Lewis and Clark 48.53. Local placers: none; 800 relay—1. Lewis and Clark 1:40.95. Local placers: none; 1,600 relay—1. Issaquah 3:48.95. Local placers: 6. Snohomish (Kellianne Cavin, Kyla Shade, Katie Brandvold, Julia Remlinger, Madelyn Prigmore, Lauren Wheatley) 3:58.36; Javelin—1. Madelyn Sirmon, Walla Walla 143-0. Local placers: none; High jump—1. Kellianne Cavin, Snohomish 5-5. Local placers: none; Pole vault—1. Caleigh Lofstead, Camas 12-7. Local placers: none.
Class 3A Girls
Saturday’s Finals
At Mount Tahoma H.S.
Team scores (top five): Kamiakin 92, Holy Names Academy 71, Lynnwood 54, Mountlake Terrace 46, Enumclaw 30. Also: Arlington 16, Stanwood 16, Glacier Peak 9, Edmonds-Woodway 5, Marysville-Pilchuck 4.5.
100—1. Ariell Garnett, Kennedy 12.29; 200—1. Ariell Garnett, Kennedy Catholic 25.27. Local placers: 5. Jordyn Edwards, Lynnwood 25.42; 400—1. Jordyn Edwards, Lynnwood 55.34. Local placers: 3. Madison Yerigan 56.47; 800—1. Erin Ripple, Holy Names Academy 2:10.45. Local placers: 4. Mikayla Pivec, Lynnwood 2:14.02; 6. Jessica Ong, Mountlake Terrace 2:15.65; 8. Heidi Smith, Glacier Peak 2:16.23; 3,200—1. Jordan Oakes, Holy Names Academy 10:34.51. Local placers: 2. Malia Pivec, Lynnwood 10:40.03; 5. Katherine Dittman, Glacier Peak 11:09.35; 6. Yukino Parle, Edmonds-Woodway 11:09.52; 300 hurdles—1. Heather Donais, Kamiakin 43.94. Local placers: 3. Rita Sakharov 45.05; 400 relay—Kamiakin 48.57, 7. Local placers: Edmonds-Woodway (Molly Carden, Fatou Jatta, Ella Spillane, Selina Ballard, Hannah Hicks, Savanna Girouard) 50.61; 8. Oak Harbor (Alana Austin, Alora Callier, Jenna Cooley, Matti Misele, Janae Payne, Amaya Rittierodt) 50.75; 800 relay—1. Kamiakin 1:41.20. Local placers: 8. Mountlake Terrace (Tayler McCulloch, Sophia Parsons, Julia Hart, Isabel Kembel, Alisha Clingan, Tiana Pennington-Obispo) 1:46.78; 1,600 relay—1. Lynnwood (Mikayla Pivec, Cassidy O’Dell, Rita Sakharov, Jordyn Edwards, Malia Pivec, Saron Almaw) 3:56.40. Other local placers: none; Shot put—1. KC Moulden, Enumclaw 45-5. Local placers: none; Pole vault—1. Chinne Okoronkwo, Mountlake Terrace 13-3. Local placers: 7. Annika Dayton, Glacier Peak 11-0; Triple jump—1. Chinne Okoronkwo, Mountlake Terrace 41-10¼.
Class 2A Girls
Saturday’s Finals
At Mount Tahoma H.S.
Saturday’s Finals
Team scores (top five): Shorecrest 57, Sehome 55, Pullman 44, Liberty-Issaquah 42, Bellingham 41. Also: Lakewood 22, Cedarcrest 2.
100—1. Wurrie Njadoe, Shorecrest 12.06; 200—1. Wurrie Njadoe, Shorecrest 25.00. Local placers: none; 400—1. Mia Hodges, Bellingham 58.01. Local placers: 6. Bethany Fisher 1:00.08; 7. Briana Devereaux, Cedarcrest 1:00.25. Local placers: none; 800—1. Heather Hanson, Anacortes 2:18.14. Local placers: 6. Britney Albro, Lakewood 2:21.34; 3,200—Emily Pittis, Sehome 10:57.09. Local placers: none; 300 hurdles—1. KD Skillingstad, Cheney 44.40. Local placers: none; 400 relay—1. Squalicum. Local placers: none; 800 relay—1. Bellingham 1:43.72. Local placers: 6. Shorecrest (Kayla Holland, Sophia Viviano, Gabby Lacson, Lauren Brown, Ami Njadoe, Ronna Iverson) 1:46.25; 1,600 relay—1. Sehome 3:57.45. Local placers: none; Discus—1. Caroline Tupa, Evergreen-Seattle 129-7. Local placers: 2. Megan Fenton, Lakewood 113-4; Long jump—1. Wurrie Njadoe, Shorecrest 18-9
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