A quintet of Twin Harbors athletes won gold at their respective WIAA State Track and Field Championship meets on Friday.
Willapa Valley’s Brooke Friese took the state title in the 1B girls pole vault after dominating the leaderboard the entire season. Friese cleared 11-00, easily outpacing the competition as Lind-Ritzville’s Sydney Kinch and Rainier’s Alia Garner, finished second and third, respectively with identical marks of 9-06.
Friese wasn’t the only Willapa Valley athlete to win a state title on Friday as thrower Hallee Layman won the 2B discus title. The Titans junior uncorked a throw of 128-03, easily besting the top throw of Wahkiakum’s Jansi Merz, who placed second with a toss of 117-03.
“They both did a hell of a job today,” Willapa Valley head coach Dave Ege said of his state champions. “The weather was not nice and those girls battled through weather and their competitors and came out on top. I’m real proud of them.”
Taholah sophomore JauVon James-Juneau earned a state title in the 1B boys javelin throw. The Chitwhins sophomore’s third throw of the meet sailed 176-03, winning the state title by nearly 20 feet.
Hoquiam’s Tyara Straka began her first state-title meet in grand fashion on Friday. The Grizzlies thrower, who holds the state’s shot-put record for freshman with a heave of 44-10.25 on March 28, took the gold medal with a throw of 41-10.
Finally, Mary M. Knight’s Kaylee Sowle added another state title to her ever-expanding trophy case, winning the 1B girls championship in the high jump with a mark of 5-08. Sowle tied her own 1B state-meet record mark with the leap.
Boys Results
1A
Javelin — 6, Conner Hollatz, Montesano, 158-08. 14, Matt Brown, Hoquiam, 134-03.
Discus — 5, Ben Bridge, Elma, 142-02.
Triple Jump — 4, Sam Winter, Montesano, 41-11.25. 8, Aydan Darst, Montesano, 40-10.50.
Pole Vault — 6, Lutra Felten, Hoquiam, 12-06.
2B
Shot Put — 4, James Robinett, Raymond, 46-07.25. 5, Jeremiah Yost, Pe Ell, 45-08.75.
High Jump — 11, Devin Wirkkala, South Bend, 5-06.
Long Jump — 5, Dana Isham, Pe Ell, 20-00.75. 12, Nick Stamos, South Bend, 18-11.00.
1B
Discus — 4, Isaiah Compton, Mary M. Knight, 128-06. 7, Malachi McCord, Taholah, 118-00. 16, JauVon James-Juneau, Taholah, 95-04.
Triple Jump — 4, Austin Fries, MMK, 40-10.25.
Javelin — 1, JauVon James-Juneau, Taholah, 176-03. 10, Michael Flores, Taholah, 130-09.
Girls Results
2A
Discus — 8, Patricia Bates, Aberdeen, 111-01.
1A
Long Jump — 14, Jillian Bieker, Elma, 15-06.50.
Shot Put — 1, Tyara Straka, Hoquiam, 41-10.00. 5, Sarah Bridge, Elma, 38-01.75. 8, Jalyn Sackrider, Elma, 36-07.00.
2B
Pole Vault — 1, Brooke Friese, Willapa Valley, 11-00
Javelin — 4, Jessica Sanchez, South Bend, 107-08.
Discus — 1, Hallee Layman, Willapa Valley, 128-03. 11, Kylee Poirier, Ocosta, 94-05.
1B
Shot Put — 3, Nettie Mail, Taholah, 34-02.75.
High Jump — 1, Kaylee Sowle, MMK, 5-08.
