PASCO – It was a highly anticipated tradeoff.
In exchange for his squad winning the Class 3A team title Saturday at the state track and field championships, Everett High School coach Doug Hall turned back the clock and donned a flashy outfit.
After plenty of pleading from his athletes, Hall jogged a victory lap at Edgar Brown Stadium after the Seagulls scored 35 points and edged North Central of Spokane (32 points). It is Everett’s first team state title in any sport since 1981, when its girls cross country unit placed first.
Everett was considered a contender entering the meet but its chances were hazy after a mediocre showing Friday.
“We dug ourselves a big hole and we definitely took the hard way to get here,” said Hall, who donned a skin-tight Everett running singlet and cargo shorts for his celebratory lap. “But with what they’ve done all season, I am not surprised they came back.”
J Hopkins (first in 300-meter hurdles, seventh in 110 hurdles) was the only individual champion for Everett. Its other top contributors were Andrew Stiger (second, javelin), Logan Ordona (second, 800), Rendel Jones (fourth, triple jump) and Axel Stanovsky (seventh, 1,600).
“It came down to the fact that these guys wanted it more than any group I’ve ever coached,” Hall said.
That wasn’t all the Seagulls wanted. Several of them chanted “Speed suit! Speed suit!” to get Hall to follow through on his preseason promise of a championship-capping victory lap. Many of them ran alongside Hall during his leisurely jog.
Everett also won the first-ever 3A boys combined team title, which was based on points scored by able-bodied athletes and wheelchair athletes. Junior Forest Cardenas competed in four events (800, 1,600, discus, javelin) for the Seagulls to help lead them to the historic combo title.
In the past, wheelchair athletes have competed in exhibition races at state. Thanks to a state rule change this is the first year that they’ve been able to score points for their school teams.
“I was feelin’ good, except the heat kind of got to me,” said Cardenas.
Stevie Jonak competed in the wheelchair 100 and helped the Snohomish girls win the 4A girls combo title.
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