Meadowdale track star Love looks to add to trophy case

LYNNWOOD — A season ago, Meadowdale senior Tresley Love dominated the high school track & field scene, etching herself in as one of the quickest short distance sprinters in the area and state.

In 2023, she is focused on replicating her postseason performance that saw her take home a Class 3A state championship in the 400-meter dash as a junior, along with a bevy of other accolades.

Love smoked the competition in 2022, clocking in over a second and a half faster than anyone else in the field for the 400, as well as earning the top time for any division in the state for that day at 57.00 seconds.

“Tresley is a phenomenal athlete and really an inspiration for the rest of the team,” Mavericks head coach Matt Vanni said. “It’s a once in a lifetime chance to have the caliber of athlete Tresley is. In addition, she works her tail off. Every single practice, every single meet, she just personifies hard work.”

Including her state title in 2022, Love also earned seventh place in the 200, eighth place in the 100 and ran the lead leg for Meadowdale’s 4×400 relay team, which placed sixth. In addition, she took first in 400 at the annual Eason Invitational, matching that feat in the current season.

Love’s numbers rank highly in both the North and South Wesco divisions as well. For 2023, she ranks first in the 100, 200 and 400.

When it comes to the school record books, she’s also at the top of the list, too. Her all-time personal-best of 56.56 seconds ranks first in school history, which is nearly 3 seconds faster than any other former Maverick who competed in the 400, with the second-best time recorded in 1996.

“I think she really came into last year wanting to go for that championship and the other events at state,” Vanni said. “Seeing her work harder and harder, seeing her times come down, we knew we had something special going in there. This year, we’re gonna try to go back and do the same thing, and we’ll see how she can cap off her high school career.”

Love started off just how she envisioned at the Wesco South Championships last week, collecting first place finishes in the 100, 200 and 400 finals. She shaved nearly 2 and a half seconds off her time in the 400 after placing second in the prelims.

After racing in eight events over two days at state in 2022, Love knows what it takes to perform at a highest level and has prepared for the opportunity to defend her title. Last summer, she competed with the USATF junior olympics squad.

The state track and field championships are set to begin on May 25 and run through May 27, and after battling an injury back in March that cost her a few regular season meets, Love said she’s in full form as the season comes to close.

“I think the summer and winter were some of the best training sessions I’ve had,” Love said. “Now, I’m coming into the postseason with faster times than I had last year at this point, my goal is to break my PR and defend my title.”