Marlyn Anderson
Sr. | Snohomish
Anderson has more than a state title on the line this spring, he has a family legacy to uphold. In the 1980s, both his father and uncle won the shot put at the state championships and Anderson has a good chance of adding to the family hardware. Last spring, he finished third at the Class 4A meet in the shot put and is the top returning athlete in the event this year. He also is first among returning discus throwers after finishing fourth last year.
“He is a great teammate and example for our younger athletes,” Snohomish coach Tuck Gionet said. “He will no doubt earn all that comes his way this season.”
Donavan Hunt
Jr. | Oak Harbor
Hunt finished second in the long jump at last year’s Class 4A state meet. He also ran the anchor leg on the Wildcats’ 400-meter relay team that placed sixth. This year, he’ll continue his quest for a state title in the long jump, but faces stiff competition because last year’s winner also returns. Hunt also participates in the 100 and 200.
“He has a lot of natural ability, but what separates Donavan from the rest is his work ethic,” Oak Harbor coach Jay Turner said. “He’s always the last one to leave the weight room and the first one to show up.”
Dylan Burnett-Lewis
Sr. | Lynnwood
Burnett-Lewis has a number of achievements to his name. He finished in second place at last year’s 3A state meet in the javelin with a throw just 8 inches behind the winner, who also returns this year. Last year, Burnett-Lewis won the Davis Invitational, Wesco South and Northwest District championships.
“One of his greatest strengths is his ability to deal with pressure in meets,” Lynnwood coach Duane Lewis. “Very frequently he has come from behind to win or post his personal best mark.”
Burnett-Lewis also earned a first-place victory — the only male athlete from Washington state to do so — at the Golden West Invitational in California.
Devon Smith
Sr. | Lakewood
Lakewood coach Jeff Sowards said that Smith’s work ethic and “willingness to prepare are peerless” and that’s a contributing factor to his success on the track. At last year’s 2A state championships, Smith finished the 400 meters in third place with a time of 48.80 seconds.
“He is committed to success as an individual and selfless in his leadership of his team,” Lakewood coach Monica Rooney said. “Devon’s tremendous work ethic has inspired his teammates to follow his example.”
Smith also was last year’s Cascade Conference champion in the 200, 400 and as a member of the 1,600 relay, which set a school record.
Josh Fuller
Sr. | King’s
Yale University-bound Fuller has a number of state championships to his credit. He placed first in the 400 and second in the 200 at last year’s 1A state championship. The year before, he finished first in the 100, 200 and 400. In 2008, he was ranked 12th out of all Washington track athletes in the 200 and 14th in the 400.
“Josh is meticulous in his preparation,” King’s coach Daunte Gouge said. “Whether it be yet another practice alone in the snow during the winter or his half hour warm-up before each of his four events at the state championships, Josh knows how to prepare and cuts no corners to take care of business.”
Brittany Jones
Sr. | Cascade
Jones, a returning shot put and discus thrower, hopes to improve on her 4A state finishes from last year. She placed third in the shot put with a toss of 38 feet, and fourth in the discus with a throw of 125 feet, but among returning athletes stands in second place in both events.
“Brittany is a very hardworking, humble individual who always strives to do her best, on and off the playing field,” Cascade coach Steve Bertrand said. “She leads by quiet example.”
As a junior, Jones placed second at the Lake Washington Invitational in the discus with a throw of 129 feet. She also is a two-time track and field captain at Cascade.
Jenna Welsh
Sr. | Marysville-Pilchuck
After moving to Marysville from Oregon a year ago, Welsh has made a name for herself in the Tomahawks track program. Despite being injured much of last season, she performed well enough at the Wesco North championship to earn a spot at districts, where she seized the last state-qualifying spot. She finished second in the 4A state championship last year in the javelin with a throw of 135-3 that broke the school record and is now the No. 1-ranked javelin thrower in the state.
“She is a top-notch student and volleyball player,” Marysville-Pilchuck coach Randy Davis said. “(She’s a) very motivated and self-directed athlete. She studies the javelin throw completely.”
Alisha Oden
Jr. | Marysville-Pilchuck
Oden, who finished in second place in the 400 at last year’s 4A state championship with a school record time of 56.67, returns ranked as the top 400 runner in state.
“Alisha has been a solid member of our relay teams … since the first day she stepped on our track,” Marysville-Pilchuck coach Randy Davis said.
Oden earned a district title in the 200 as a freshman. The junior also plays volleyball and basketball for the Tomahawks.
“The only problem with Alisha is holding her back,” Davis said. “She works so hard that building in enough rest and recovery for her is important.”
Sarah Schireman
Sr. | Archbishop Murphy
As the owner of four school records Schireman is a well-rounded track athlete. At last year’s 2A state championship, she finished in second place in the 300 hurdles, fifth in the 100 hurdles and second in the long jump. She is first among returners in the 300 hurdles and long jump this year. The senior will attend the University of Washington on a track and field scholarship next year. She’s also an honors student and a member of the 2006 state champion soccer team.
Olivia Thomas
Sr. | King’s
Thomas, who will attend Brown University in the fall, has a slew of achievements to her name as a runner on the King’s track and field team.
“Olivia is a fierce competitor who is constantly looking for someone to beat,” King’s coach Daunte Gouge said. “Sometimes I think that she doesn’t love to run, she just loves to race to win.”
Last year, she won three events at the 1A state championships, including the 800 and the 1,600. She also was a member of the 1,600 relay team that set the 1A state meet record. She ranks seventh in state, in all levels, in the 800.
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