LAKE STEVENS — Amia Nash’s future may be as a middle-distance runner. However, for now she’s still a sprinter, and she’s making the most of it.
The Edmonds-Woodway High School senior sprinted her way to three victories and one second place during the second day of the Wesco 4A girls track an
d field championships Friday evening at Lake Stevens High School.
Nash won both the 100 and 200 meters, and also anchored Edmonds-Woodway’s victorious 800 relay team. She took second in the 400 on what was a busy sprinting day.
“Today turned out well,” said Nash, who won the 100 in 12.
68 seconds and the 200 in 26.07. “Today we didn’t have school, so the whole day I was just mentally preparing for the district championships.”
Nash was one of two triple winners in the meet as Lake Stevens’ Brooke Pahukoa added victories in the 300 hurdles and high jump Friday to her long jump victory during Wednesday’s first day.
Arlington used its depth to win the team championship, holding off a hard-charging Lake Stevens.
Nash had a big day in the sprints, but she won’t be sprinting for much longer. Nash will be running for Santa Clara University next season, where she’ll be groomed as an 800 and 1,500 runner. She got a bit of a jump start on that during the prep season, running the 800 in a pair of invitational meets and recording one of the state’s top times. She was tempted to run the 800 in the postseason, but instead decided to stick with the sprints one last time.
“That was the main reason I tried out the 800 a the invitationals, knowing that I’d have the competition and people to pull me along,” Nash explained. “I don’t have much background in the 800, so I don’t have a strategy. Hopefully next year that’s something I can learn, how to run that race smart.”
The only athlete able to prevent Nash from a clean sweep of the sprints was Snohomish’s Leiran Cornish. Nash and Cornish battled neck-and-neck throughout the 400. Nash tried to catch Cornish at the finish line, but Cornish held on to win by one-tenth of a second in 56.78.
“The 400 was the race I was focusing on the most and I didn’t get first, but I did PR and broke my school record, so it’s been a really great day overall,” Nash said. “I can’t complain.”
While Nash garnered the individual accolades, Arlington used a strong team performance to take home the team title. Led by the quartet of Melissa Webb, Jazmine Redix, McKenzie Corpron and Diamond Martin, who set a school record in winning the 400 relay in 51.21, the Eagles finished with 141.5 points. That just edged Lake Stevens, which finished second with 130.5.
Arlington won despite having just one individual champion, that being Alexis Sarver’s win in the discus Wednesday.
The Eagles had a comfortable lead midway through Friday’s meet, but Lake Stevens made it close with a late surge, Pahukoa being at the center. The sophomore showed off her leaping skills by winning the 300 hurdles in 45.93 and the high jump with a leap of 5 feet.
Pahukoa was also involved in the closest race of the meet. In the 300 hurdles Pahukoa and Cascade’s Kiana Hood were together coming down the stretch, with Hood having a slight lead going over the final hurdle. Pahukoa made up the ground in the final few strides and both athletes lunged into a photo finish. The photo showed Pahukoa winning by three one-hundredths of a second.
“I haven’t run that race much this year because I’ve been hurt,” said Pahukoa, who’s now healthy after battling nagging injuries throughout the season. “Kiana always gets me in it, but I was ready to come out and battle. I didn’t know if I won or not, I was standing on the sidelines staring at the scoreboard.
“It was hard (to catch her Hood), but I feel that’s where I get people, at the very end,” Pahukoa added. “I don’t like to lose. It’s not like I have to dig down deep to find it, it’s always there.”
Lake Stevens’ other winner was Lacey Wagner, who used a final-lap kick to win the 1,600 in 5:14.88.
Snohomish, Monroe and Stanwood each had two individual champions Friday.
For Snohomish, Lauren Johnson joined Cornish atop the victory stand. Johnson won the triple jump with a distance of 34-7 1/4.
Monroe had its champions come early and late in the day. Kristin Goff dominated the 100 hurdles, winning in 15.76 in the first running event of the meet. Then Alecia Longsine won the meet’s final event, winning the late-running pole vault with a height of 11-0.
For Stanwood, Kaci Jones won the shot put with a throw of 39-5 1/4, while Madison Davis won the 800 with a time of 2.21.87.
At Lake Stevens H.S.
Team scores–Arlington 141.5, Lake Stevens 130.5, Stanwood 126.33, Edmonds-Woodway 121, Marysville Pilchuck 70.33, Cascade 62, Snohomish 52, Jackson 49.33, Monroe 42, Kamiak 26, Mariner 5.
100 hurdles–Kristin Goff (Mon) 15.76; 100–Amia Nash (EW) 12.68; 1,600–Lacey Wagner (LS) 5:14.88; 400 relay–Arlington 49.87; 400–Leiran Cornish (Sno) 56.78; 300 hurdles–Brooke Pahukoa (LS) 45.93; 800–Madison Davis (Stan) 2:21.87; 200–Amia Nash (EW) 26.07; 3,200–Minna Fields (Stan) 11:15.75; 800 relay–Edmonds-Woodway 1:44.76; 1,600 relay–Marysville Pi,lchuck 4:02.23; High jump–Brooke Pahukoa (LS) 5-0; Long jump–Booke Pahukoa (LS) 16-5.75; Triple jump–Lauren Johnson (Sno) 34-7.25; Shot put–Kaci Jones (Stan) 39-5.25; Discus–Alexis Sarver (A) 129-8; Javelin–Natasha Caldwell (C) 117-0; Pole vault–Alecia Longsine (Mon) 11-0.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
