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Elma’s Erick Atkins takes the lead in the 400-meter run with teammate Chance Bremer right behind him during a multi-school track & field meet at Sea Breeze Oval at Hoquiam on Wednesday. Elma came away with both the boys and the girls team meet wins.
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Wishkah’s Keigan Gardiner sprints to the finish to take first place in the 110-meter high hurdles during Wednesday’s meet at Hoquiam’s Sea Breeze Oval.
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Hoquiam’s Tiffani Dhooghe hands off to Lindsay Leonard during the 4x100-meter relay at Sea Breeze Oval at Hoquiam on Wednesday.
In the track and field version of “Survivor: Hoquiam,” Elma’s boys and girls won the final challenges.
The Eagles swept team honors in a four-school meet Wednesday at blustery Sea Breeze Oval.
Elma’s boys totaled 80 points to finish 10 in front of Hoquiam. The Eagle girls, with 104 points, outpointed the Grizzlies by 34.
A pair of 1B schools, Wishkah and Crescent, also competed respectably.
Frigid blasts off Grays Harbor threatened at times to turn Sea Breeze Oval into Gale Force Winds Oval in conditions ill-suited to the first day of spring. But rain fell only intermittently during the meet, as a heavier downpour passed before the first event.
The pole vault was scrapped and meet officials utilized an open pit in the jumps in an effort to speed along the proceedings.
Given the circumstances, the team scores took on even less weight than usual for a regular-season meet, as coaches limited some of their standouts to fewer events than usual.
Nevertheless, there was a surprising number of decent performances.
“We even had some PRs, which was amazing,” Elma coach Dave Beeler reflected.
Elma freshman Wesley Allen established personal bests of 5:04 and 11:04, respectively, in sweeping the boys 1,600 and 3,200.
Eagle senior Erick Atkins outdueled teammate Chance Bremer to take one of the better races of the day, in the boys 400.
Elma ace Ray Stark did not compete in either of the hurdles races after turning an ankle during the sprint relay. Beeler also cited Manny Torres for a three-foot PR in the shot.
While Hoquiam outdid the Elma girls in event wins (8-6), the Eagles used superior depth to prevail. Daphne Peek was a double winner in the girls distances.
With his reigning state 1A champion boys team already short-handed due to eligibility issues, Hoquiam coach Tim Pelan took a cautious approach in the deployment of his remaining troops.
“The strength of our team is our sprinters and jumpers and those are the kids who struggle in these conditions,” Pelan said.
Two-time state high jump champion Cole Smith, given the option to pass on his specialty, opted to compete and won the event anyway with a mark of 6-4.
Smith also had a good day in the throwing events, taking the javelin with a mark of 168-5 and the discus at 108-5.
Mikaila Johnson and Olivia Rose were three-time winners for Hoquiam’s girls. Johnson cleared 4-10 to take the high jump, took the long jump at 13-10 and anchored a victorious 4x200-meter relay team. Rose captured the 100 and triple jump and also participated on a winning relay team.
Pelan cited the performances of his relay units, plus Piper Sandstrom in running away with the girls 800, Devin Kelly in winning the boys 100 and Zach Phillips in taking the long hurdles.
Coming off its first boys meet win in 10 years, Wishkah also fared well against larger schools yesterday.
Keigan Gardiner was a double winner in the boys 200 and 110 high hurdles. Freshman Ryan Anderson nabbed the girls 400 and set a PR in the triple jump.
“I think we did very well today, considering the conditions,” Wishkah coach Bob Eager said. “We’re using it as a training situation. These kids, they’ve been working really hard this year.”
BOYS
Elma 80, Hoquiam 70, Crescent 45, Wishkah 44
100 — 11.25 — Kelly (H), Stark (E), Gardiner (W). 200 — 24.4 — Gardiner (W), Atkins (E), Larson (C). 400 — 54.23 — Atkins (E), Bremer (E), Arnold (E). 800 — 2:21.0 — Farr (E), L. Starks (E), Rodriguez (W). 1,600 — 5:04.0 — Allen (E), Waldrip (C), Starks (E). 3,200 — 11:04.0 — Allen (W), Waldrip (C), Burbidge (E). 110 H — 16.7 — Gardiner (W), Phillips (H), March (C). 300 H — 45.69 — Phillips (H), Richardson (W), Kirk (C). 4x100 R — 45.39 — Hoquiam, Elma, Crescent. 4x400 R — 3:44.0 — Elma, Hoquiam, Crescent.
HJ — 6-4 — Smith (H), Christie (C), Sandstrom (H). LJ — 17-3 — Larson (C), Stevens (E), Nelson (E). TJ — 36-11 — Stevens (E), Anderson (W), Malchart (W). Shot — 39-3 — Huffman (H), Espedal (H), Torres (E). Disc — 108-5 — Smith (H), Wolfer (C), Huffman (H). Jav — 168-5 — Smith (H), Wolfer (C), Berge (W).
GIRLS
Elma 104, Hoquiam 70, Crescent 38, Wishkah 18
100 — 13.22 — Rose (H), Leonard (H), Grant (E). 200 — 24.03 — Grant (E), Goodwin (E), Kershaw (E). 400 — 1:17.88 — R. Anderson (W), Goodwin (E). 800 — 2:52.0 — Sandstrom (H), Kershaw (E), Beeler (E). 1,600 — 6:31.0— Peek (E), Franklin (H), McGaughy (E). 3,200 — 13:55.0 — Peek (E), McGaughy (E). 100 H — 19:56 — Lester (C), Anderson (W), Christie (C). 300 H — 55.58 — Thompson (E), Belford (C), Lester (C). 4x100 R — 53.04 — Hoquiam, Elma, Crescent. 4x200 R — 1:55.59 — Hoquiam, Crescent. 4x400 R — 5:04 — Elma.
HJ — 4-10 — Johnson (H), Lipska (E), Cox (E). LJ — 13-10 — Johnson (H), Thompson (E), Chapin (H). TJ — 33-7 — Rose (H), Lipska (E), E. Anderson (W). Shot — 29-4 — Williams (C), Gibson (E), Doyle (E). Disc — 75-8 1/2 — Alvarenga (H), Sok (H), Pearson (E). Jav — 94-5 — Gibson (E), Christie (C), Kershaw (E).
