4A District 1 Track & Field: State tournament next stop for several athletes

Published 11:31 pm Wednesday, May 19, 2010

SNOHOMISH — After getting agonizingly close before, high jumper Josh Kiehl triumphantly soared over the barrier that ended his previous two track and field seasons.

“I’m finally going!” Kiehl, a Mariner High School senior, said to a friend who congratulated him on Wednesday after he placed second in the high jump during the Class 4A District 1 Track and Field Championships.

The top three finishers in each event at the district meet qualify for next week’s 4A state meet in Tacoma. On a rainy, windy Day 1 of the two-day meet, Kiehl finished second in the high jump by clearing 6 feet, 2 inches. Snohomish’s Kevin Yates (6-3) won it and Arlington’s Maxim Bryson (6-0) was third.

That event was one of six field finals (three boys events, three girls events), two track finals (boys 1,600, girls 3,200) held on Wednesday, along with dozens of preliminary track heats. The rest of the finals are on Friday.

In the boys high jump, Mariner’s Kiehl earned a trip to state after serving as state alternate (fourth place at district) in 2008 and 2009. Last year, he was seeded No. 2 going into district and not advancing was a big disappointment, he said.

“It is a big deal for me to go to state,” Kiehl said, relaxing in the bleachers after his competition ended.

It’s a big deal for many reasons. Kiehl thought his final chance to qualify for state was wiped out in late February when he tore two ligaments and chipped his right tibia bone during a gym-class basketball game.

Kiehl was on crutches for four weeks and had to wear a protective boot. He didn’t compete in a track meet until April 15, when he cleared 5-6, well below his usual standards.

But gradually Kiehl’s health improved. He increased his high-jump run approach from three steps to a full 10 steps. Last week at the Western Conference South Division meet he won the high jump by clearing 6 feet, his season best at the time. That set the stage for Kiehl’s long-awaited breakthrough on Wednesday.

“He earned it,” Mariner coach Dave McFadden said. “He is excited, but I think there’s a lot of relief there too.”

Going into Friday’s finals, the leader in the boys team standings is Jackson. The Timberwolves scored 32 points, giving them a small lead over Stanwood (24.5 points) and Snohomish (24 points). Jackson teammates Grant Grosvenor and Mitchell Briggs led the way, placing 1-2 in the 1,600-meter run.

In the girls team standings, Stanwood (41 points) surged to a 20-point lead over Arlington (21 points). Unquestionably, the highlight for Stanwood was the 3,200, in which Stanwood teammates Natasha Verma, Jordin Stephenson and Minna Fields completed a 1-2-3 sweep. All three girls qualified for state, an achievement that left Verma beaming with pride.

“It’s huge!” Verma, a University of Portland recruit, said of the distance-event sweep. “It’s just progressed and progressed. We have such good girls and it’s so much better than it was two years ago. It’s just awesome.”

Asked what helped Stanwood distance runners improve so much, Verma said: “It’s girls that want to come out and train hard. We all work really hard together and push each other in practice.”

Verma won the 3,200 (eight laps around the 400-meter track) in 11 minutes, 3.51 seconds — more than 18 seconds faster than her season-best time going into the meet, according to Athletic.net. She was in fourth place — on the brink of not qualifying for state — with two laps to go. But Verma used an impressive kick in the final 300 meters to win it. Stephenson (11:04.23) and Fields (11:04.30) were close behind.

Verma’s 2009 season ended early because of a stress fracture so she could only watch teammates compete at the state meet. Now she gets to compete there.

“Amazing,” Verma said. “When I was a freshman and sophomore I used to look up to the girls that won this (district race) like: ‘Wow! I just can’t even believe that.’ Now it’s weird to feel like I’m one of those girls that just won a huge race.”

Wednesday’s other able-bodied event winners were Arlington’s Stephanie Van Slageren (girls javelin), Snohomish’s Carolyn Gravelle (girls discus), Oak Harbor’s Shantae Young (girls long jump), Edmonds-Woodway’s Alec Fellows (boys long jump) and Cascade’s Timothy St. Marie (boys shot put).

Snohomish’s Yates, who won the boys high jump, also placed third in the long jump.

The boys pole vault scheduled for Wednesday was postponed until Friday because of windy and wet conditions.

Marysville-Pilchuck’s Truman Walker won three wheelchair events (shot put, javelin, discus).

At Snohomish Veterans Memorial Stadium

Through Day 1, meet concludes Friday. For complete results go to Athletic.net.

1. Jackson 32 points; 2. Stanwood 24.5; 3. Snohomish 24; 4. Cascade 20; 5. Edmonds-Woodway 12; 6. Mariner 11; 7. Arlington 9; 8. Monroe 6.5; 9. Oak Harbor 5; 10. (tie) Marysville-Pilchuck and Shorewood 4; 12. Mountlake Terrace 2; 13. (tie) Lake Stevens and Kamiak 1.

Boys state qualifiers

(Top three in each event)

1,600—1. Grosvenor (Jackson) 4:19.11, 2. Briggs (Jackson) 4:19.83, 3. Hopper (Cascade) 4:24.32.

High jump—1. Yates (Snohomish) 6-3, 2. Kiehl (Mariner) 6-2, 3. Bryson (Arlington) 6-0.

Shot put—1. St. Marie (Cascade) 51-6.25, 2. Hatley (Stanwood) 48-4.5, 3. Ingersoll (Monroe) 47-9.

Long jump—1. Fellows (Edmonds-Woodway) 22-1, 2. Schmidt (Stanwood) 21-11.25, 3. Yates (Snohomish) 21-1.75.

Wheelchair shot put—Walker (Marysville-Pilchuck) 18-0.5

Wheelchair javelin—Walker (Marysville-Pilchuck) 47-8.

Wheelchair discus—Walker (Marysville-Pilchuck) 55-4.

Girls team scores

1. Stanwood 41 points; 2. Arlington 21; 3. Cascade 18; 4. (tie) Oak Harbor and Jackson 16; 6. Snohomish 13; 7. Edmonds-Woodway 10; 8. Marysville-Pilchuck 7; 9. (tie) Monroe and Mountlake Terrace 4; 11. Shorewood 3; 12. Lake Stevens 2; 13. Mariner 1.

Girls state qualifiers

(Top three in each event)

3,200—1. Verma (Stanwood) 11:03.51, 2. Stephenson (Stanwood) 11:04.23, 3. Fields (Stanwood) 11:04.30.

Discus—1. Gravelle (Snohomish) 109-11, 2. Eaton (Jackson) 106-1, 3. Wayland (Stanwood) 105-5.5.

Javelin—1. Van Slageren (Arlington) 123-11, 2. Caldwell (Cascade) 114-4, 3. Nelson (Cascade) 104-7.

Long jump—1. Young (Oak Harbor) 17-0.5, 2. Tougas (Edmonds-Woodway) 16-11.25, 3. Cull (Marysville-Pilchuck) 16-8.25.

Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.