Everett’s Helmer helps Lake Stevens’ Bywater set record

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, May 17, 2006

STANWOOD – To most people, Jeff Helmer looks like an unusually gifted distance runner.

But to Joey Bywater, Helmer was a fast, furry critter with big, droopy ears.

Helmer, an Everett High senior and the state’s 2005 Class 4A cross country and defending 3,200-meter champion, set a demanding pace and led the entire way to win the 1,600 Wednesday during the first day of the Class 4A District 1 track and field championships at Stanwood High.

Helmer finished in a season-best time of 4:15.18 to win his third straight district title in the event. He also helped Bywater, an up-and-coming Lake Stevens sophomore, make school history.

”He was kind of like a rabbit,” said Bywater, who finished second and set a school record (4:16.58). Bywater set the Lake Stevens 3,200 record earlier this season.

”I needed Helmer to help lead me to it,” Bywater said of his latest all-time school mark.

Of Bywater’s Helmer-as-a-rabbit comment, Helmer said with a laugh, ”Whatever I can do (to help), I guess.”

”He’s a stud. He’s tough, for sure,” Helmer said of Bywater.

Helmer, who battled a tough headwind but won thanks to a blistering final 600 meters, will face off against Bywater again Friday in the 3,200. Meanwhile, their respective teams are primed to fight it out for the district title. Everett (48 points) and Lake Stevens (47) distanced themselves from the competition. Marysville-Pilchuck is third (25).

The district meet concludes Friday. The top three individuals in each event and the top three relay teams qualify for state (May 26-27 in Pasco). Six of 17 boys finals and three of 18 girls finals were completed Wednesday.

Other Lake Stevens boys standouts were Logan Harding (first in javelin, 174 feet, 7 inches; fourth in shot put, 48-9.5) and Ben Elder, who took second in the shot put (52-10.5). Everett’s Spencer Warfield won the shot put on his final throw (53-5.75).

On the girls side, Hannah Vietmeier won the 3,200 in 11:09.92 for Shorewood and Stanwood’s Rachele Kloke won the long jump (17-5). Shorewood (20 points, fourth) and Stanwood (third, 21) trail Snohomish (27, first) and Cascade (25, second) in the team race.

Seniors Whitney Hooks and Janel Alyea gave Cascade a 1-2 finish in the girls discus. Hooks, a four-time state champion, won her fourth straight district discus crown with a top heave of 139-2. Cassy Osborn of Lake Stevens was third (126-7).

Alyea was in fourth entering the finals and in danger of not making state. But she came up a solid effort (130-7) to take second behind her teammate and friend, Hooks.

”It finally feels good to get back to where I was and prepare for a better throw at state and defend my state title,” said Hooks, a University of Washington recruit who grabbed her first state discus title last June but had recently struggled in the event, at least by her standards.

Hooks finished second behind Alyea at last week’s divisional meet. Hooks, whose best and most beloved event is the shot put, said the runner-up discus result helped push her to victory Wednesday. ”I guess today she stepped it up,” Alyea said.

Asked if Alyea could upend Hooks at state, Hooks, whose career-best discus throw is about 151, said, ”Mmm … Not gonna happen!,” and then she gave Alyea a friendly-but-meaningful chest bump. ”She knows I step up in the big meets.”

At Stanwood H.S.

The top three individuals in each event and the top three relay teams qualify for state.

BOYS

Team scores: 1. Everett 48, 2. Lake Stevens 47, 3. Marysville-Pilchuck 25, 4. Kamiak 21, 5. (tie) Mariner, Cascade, Oak Harbor, Edmonds-Woodway, 9. Mount Vernon 13, 10. (tie) Snohomish, Arlington 12, 12. Stanwood 11, 13. Jackson 10, 14. Monroe 8, 15. Mountlake Terrace 3, 16. Shorewood 2, 17. Meadowdale 0.

Finals

High jump-1. Greenwood (E-W) 6-4, 2. Stalder (M-P) 6-4, 3. Rumble (OH) 6-4; Shot put-1. Warfield (Ev) 53-5.75, 2. Elder (LS) 52-10.5, 3. Hunter (OH) 49-11.75; Javelin-1. Harding (LS) 174-7, 2. Butsch (Mar) 173-3, 3. Stiger (Ev) 172-1; Long jump-1. Webb (Arl) 22-0.25, 2. Jordan (MV) 21-11.5, 3. Pierre (C) 21-10.5; Pole vault-1. Beighton (K) 14-0, 2. Iverson (J) 14-0, 3. Keyes (M-P) 13-6; 1,600-1. Helmer (Ev) 4:15.18, 2. Bywater (LS) 4:16.58, 3. Stanovsky (Ev) 4:19.12.

GIRLS

Team scores: 1. Snohomish 27, 2. Cascade 25, 3. Stanwood 21, 4. Shorewood 20, 5. Lake Stevens 17, 6. Marysville-Pilchuck 10, 7. Arlington 8, 8. (tie) Edmonds-Woodway, Mountlake Terrace, 10. (tie) Monroe, Everett, 12. (tie) Jackson, Kamiak, Mariner, Meadowdale, Mount Vernon, Oak Harbor.

Finals

Long jump-1. Kloke (St) 17-5, 2. Ware (M-P) 17-2.5, 3. Holton (Arl) 16-9.5; Discus-1. Hooks (C) 139-2, 2. Alyea (C) 130-7, 3. Osborn (LS) 126-7; 3,200-1. Vietmeier (Shw) 11:09.92, 2. Stopa (Sn) 11:11.62, 3. Thees (St) 11:12.95.