By Chris Trujillo
Herald Writer
EVERETT – It’s wasn’t long ago when Derrick Bradley was the one watching from behind- seething in someone else’s dust.
That was two years ago, when he was an inexperienced freshman.
Today, the Kamiak sprinter is the one leading the pack, and that’s being polite. The fact is, Bradley, a junior, could’ve made a phone call or two before the rest of the field finished the 100- and 200-meter runs during Friday’s Western Conference South Division track and field championships held at Goddard Stadium.
“I had him until the gun went off,” a Shorewood opponent jokingly said to a relaxing Bradley following his victory in the 200.
Bradley’s most impressive showing came in the 200, where he finished with a time of 22.4 – a whole second faster and nearly 10 yards ahead of second-place finisher Anthony Miranda
“It hasn’t always been like this,” Bradley said. “When I was a freshman my coach took me to Pasco (Pasco Invitational) and I swear I got smoked. They all beat me pretty bad.”
Aside from leading Kamiak in the final leg of the 400-meter relay, which the Knights won easily, Bradley also won the 100. His time of 11.03 was a comfortable 7 or 8 yards ahead of second-place finisher Jason Phillpots of Everett.
The winner of each event earned an automatic place in the district finals to be held on Friday at Stanwood. The next 12 in each event compete in preliminaries to be held on Wednesday.
E-W’s Matt Heinle, who won the 110 hurdles (15.09) and the 300 hurdles (40.12), was the only other competitor to win multiple events. His dual victories also helped E-W capture the team championship with 145 points. Kamiak finished second with 119 points and Everett finished third with 111 points.
Heinle’s victory in the 300 hurdles, however, came after Lynnwood’s Anthony Porter, who was in first place, tripped on the final hurdle. The spill allowed Heinle, who moved up from third place, to win the event. Porter, who earned a No. 1 seed in the 3A district track championship after finishing in fifth place in the 300 hurdles, likely broke his wrist, according to Lynnwood coach Duane Lewis.
“No one wants to win like that,” Heinle said. “I feel bad for Anthony because he probably broke his wrist. I know what it feels like to lose like that because I pulled my groin in the same race last year. It’s not good.”
Everett’s Stu Pruden held off Kamiak’s David Eneberg to win the 400 dash with a time of 50.44. Nick Browsher of Everett finished behind Eneberg for third place. Jake Stevens of Everett won the javelin with a throw of 160 feet and 2 inches.
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