Prep track: 5 things to watch during the 2024 season in Snohomish County

With the high school track and field season underway, many local athletes have emerged in their respective events.

Here’s a look into some of Snohomish County’s top contenders and storylines to watch as the 2024 spring sports season moves along:

Note: All recorded event times, state rankings and placements are from Athletic.net.

Snohomish County boys high jumpers some of state’s best

Local boys high jumpers are faring well in the early stages of the track and field season, and some of the state’s top marks so far have come out of Wesco.

Everett senior Shukurani Ndayiraglje was the runner-up at the 3A state championship meet last spring with a mark of 6 feet, 4 inches. Ndayiraglje currently owns the top mark in the state for all classifications, tying a school record of 6-08 in a tri-meet on Mar. 21. Kamiak senior Myson Jackson is right on his tail, ranking second after clearing 6-06 on Mar. 22 at the Twilight in the ‘Ham meet.

When Ndayiraglje finished as the state runner-up last spring, he was right behind Stanwood’s Elias Caniglia, who set personal bests in each postseason meet on his way to clearing 6-06 for a state championship. Caniglia returns for his junior season with the Spartans this year.

Juniors Teagan Lawson (Lake Stevens), Jo Lee (Glacier Peak) and Kaid Hunter (Arlington) all hold top-4 state marks this spring as well. Lawson ranks third with a mark of 6-05, with Lee and Hunter each clearing 6-04 in a four-way tie for the state’s fourth-best rank at the Chuck Randall Invitational on Mar. 16.

Who can break through in area’s girls throwing events?

Local girls throwers Gianna Frank of Marysville Pilchuck, Kimberly Beard (King’s) and Grace Crain (Stanwood) are some of the state’s top contenders in each other their respective events.

Frank, a senior, placed seventh at the 3A state meet a season ago with a throw of 35 feet, 8.25 inches. She’s currently tied for the third-best state mark at 39-11. Frank set a personal-best mark of 40 feet, 8.25 inches at the Spokane High School Invitational in January, setting a meet record.

Beard, a sophomore, holds the top discus rank across all classifications with a mark of 136 feet, 11 inches. She’s the only underclassmen ranked in the top 10.

Crain is the fourth state-ranked girls javelin thrower. The senior set a mark of 120 feet, 10 inches at the Chuck Randall Invitational.

A look at area’s top boys sprinters

A handful of local boys sprinters have a chance to make some noise in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash events.

Kamiak junior T’Andre Waverly, a four-star football recruit according to 247sports.com, set the Snohomish County record in 100 at 10.60 seconds during the 4A state prelims last year. He’s coming off second- and third-place state finishes in the 100 and 200, respectively.

Glacier Peak junior Mateo Ganje holds top-five state ranks in both the 100 and 200, racing the 100 in 10.76 seconds and finishing the 200 in 21.95 seconds.

Monroe junior Mason Davis boasts a time of 10.93 seconds in the 100, which ranks ninth in the state in all classifications. Davis also took home a sixth-place finish in the long jump at the 3A state championships last spring with a jump of 21-05.5.

Arlington senior Dallas Miller also holds a top-10 state placement this season in the 200-meter dash, completing the race in 22.26 seconds at the Chuck Randall Invitational on Mar. 16.

How will Wesco 4A girls relay teams fare?

Lake Stevens and Glacier Peak both have at least one relay squad primed for success as the season moves along.

The Vikings rank sixth in the state in both the 4×100 and 4×200 meter relay events so far this season, with the 4×100 crew of Brianna Tilghman, Kaysa Banks, Camryn Peterson and Jada Sarrys putting up a time of 50.47 seconds Wednesday in dual-meet against Kamiak. Tilghman, Banks and Sarrys were joined by Amayah Pennon for the 4×200, racing it in 1 minute, 46.95 seconds at the same meet.

Glacier Peak also has one of the state’s top-10 ranks in the 4×100, as Grizzlies’ runners Dylan Carman, Alexa Brown, Ella Seelhoff and Keira Fleenor clocked in at 50.62 seconds in a dual-meet against Monroe on Mar. 21.

Will Lake Stevens boys hurdlers keep moving up the ranks?

Lake Stevens seniors David Brown and Steven Lee Jr. hold some of the best times in the state in the boys hurdling events in the initial portions of the 2024 season.

Brown is a threat in both the 110 and 300 hurdles, racing the 110 in 14.46 seconds, which ranks third in the state across all classes. In the 300, he ranks fifth at 39.72 seconds. He set both times in a dual-meet against Kamiak on Mar. 28. However, the senior had some competition from fellow Wesco 4A member in the 300, as Kamiak freshman Miller Warme finished with a time of 39.2 seconds, which ranks third in the state.

Vikings senior Steven Lee Jr. is also one of the area and state’s top contenders in the 110 hurdles, ranking sixth in the state at 14.77 seconds.