Trio shines at 4A/3A District track & field championships

SHORELINE — Daniel Arias, Trina Davis and Yukino Parle all have two things in common.

First, all three finished second in their premier events at last year’s high school state track and field meet.

Second, they’re all determined to step up one spot on the podium this year.

Arias, Davis and Parle were among the standouts at the 4A/3A District 1 Track and Field Championships, which concluded Friday at Shoreline Stadium.

Arias, a senior at Jackson, was the Friday’s biggest individual winner. He pulled off a rare trifecta by winning the 100, 200 and 400 meters in the 4A boys meet. He also anchored Jackson’s 1,600 relay to victory.

Arias, who will play football at Colorado University in the fall as a receiver, was a narrow winner in the 100 in a time of 11.06 seconds. But his smooth running style, which he makes look effortless, shined through in the 400 (49.61) and 200 (22.34) as he eased himself past the rest of the competition.

Arias plans on competing in all three events at state, which takes place next weekend at Mount Tahoma High School. He’s particularly motivated to perform well in the 400, the event in which he finished second at state last year. He came into the weekend with the top mark in the 400 among 4A runners.

“That’s why I did track again this year,” Arias said. “I came in second last year, and my mom always taught me that if I’m going to start something I have to finish it. I want to finish this year getting first at state in the 400, so that’s my goal and I just have to stay focused, stay humble, keep working hard and keep pushing myself so I can get to where I want to be.”

Davis, a junior at Marysville Pilchuck, doubled up in the 100 and 200 in the 3A girls meet.

Davis’ strength was on full display as she powered past the competition in both events, winning the 100 in 12.41 and the 200 in 25.79.

Her time in the 200 bested the school record by more than a second.

And Davis pulled it off despite still recovering form a calf injury she suffered two weeks earlier — she estimated she was only at about 70 percent. Based on Friday’s results she’s confident heading into state, despite the injury.

“I felt good,” said Davis, who was second by just two one-hundredths of a second in the 100 last year at state. “I’ve come back from an injury and I’ve been getting (physical therapy) every day before the meet. I just felt good when I was running.

“I’m super motivated (to win a state title),” Davis added. “I keep looking at the times every week, every day, to see how people are doing. That’s my goal this year, to get first at state. I didn’t think I was going to do the 200 this year, I wanted to drop it, but my coach made me run it, and now I’m out here getting first and setting a school record while still injured, so who knows?”

Parle, a senior at Edmonds-Woodway, not only finished second in the 3,200 at last year’s 3A girls state meet, she also settled for second at the 3A girls cross country meet in the fall. But she outclassed the field in the 3,200 Friday, leading from gun to tape and pulling away from the field in winning in 10:43.15.

Friday’s victory in the 3,200 added to her win in the 1,600 Wednesday in the first day of the meet.

“I’m pretty motivated,” said Parle, the 3A state leader in the 3,200 coming into the weekend, who was barely breathing hard two minutes after crossing the finish line. “Unfortunately, I never get to race the girl who always beats me (Erinn Hill from Spokane’s North Central High School, who beat Parle for the state cross country crown). We hardly ever race her and I don’t really know what to do when I’m with her. But I’m a lot more motivated, and I think I’m better shape than I’ve ever been.”

Friday’s other star performer was Hannah Ganashamoorthy. The freshman phenom from Monroe shattered a pair of meet records, winning the 3A girls 100 hurdles in 14.63 and the 300 hurdles in 44.17. She broke the 100 hurdles record by more than a half-second and the 300 hurdles record by more than a second.

Friday’s two individual wins meant Ganashamoorthy joined Arias as a triple individual district champion, as she also won the long jump Wednesday.

Other athletes who claimed two individual championships over the meet’s two days include: Lake Stevens senior Hannah Aaenson in the 4A girls shot put (40-3) and javelin (Wednesday); Lake Stevens junior Taylor Roe in the 4A girls 3,200 (10:36.19) and 1,600 (Wednesday); Everett senior Elijah Ross-Rutter in the 3A boys triple jump (45-4.75) and long jump (Wednesday); Arlington sophomore Julia Parra in the 3A girls shot put (38-11) and discus (Wednesday); and Shorecrest senior Ami Njadoe in the 3A girls 100 hurdles (15.49) and 300 hurdles (44.55).