The WIAA State Track & Field Championships kicked off this week across the state, with several Twin Harbors athletes piling up state titles as we head into the final day of competition on Saturday.

Raymond girls in contention for team title

After the first two days of competition at the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association 2B State Track & Field Championships at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, one local team is in serious competition for a state title.

Raymond’s girls team has 23 points heading into Saturday, just one point behind Okanogan for the top spot.

The Seagulls were bolstered by a state-championship performance by senior Kyra Gardner, who won the triple jump with a personal-best mark of 36 feet, 4.5 inches.

Raymond freshman Karsyn Freeman placed third in the girls pole vault with a mark of 9-00 while teammate Lisa Finne placed seventh at 8-06.

Gardner also qualfied first in the 100-meter hurdles prelims and is the clear favorite to win state titles in the long jump and high jump heading into the final day of competition.

In the boys 2B state competition, Raymond senior Tre’ Seydel placed third in the high jump with a leap of 6-01 — a personal best — and qualified for both the 110-meter hurdles (16.73, 4th) and 300 hurdles (41.62, 2nd).

Raymond junior Morgan Anderson also qualfied for the finals in the 110 hurdles, running a 16.26 to qualify third and will compete in the boys triple jump and pole vault on Saturday.

Ocosta’s boys team should make some noise on Saturday when standout twin seniors Matthew and William Idso take the track for the final time as Wildcats.

William placed sixth in the high jump (5-10) and was the top qualifier in the 100 meter sprint (11.25) and second qualifier in the 200 (23.03) while Matthew was the top qualifier in the in the 400 (50.01 PR) and qualified fifth in the 800 (2:04.73).

The Idso twins joined Michael Reynolds and Dylan Todd on the Ocosta 4×400 relay team that qualified second (3:33.21) in the preliminary round.

Other locals to place over the first two days of the meet were Todd (4:18.78, 9th) and North Beach’s Asher Baggaley (5:10.19, 12th) in the boys 1600.

Ocosta’s Mataya Straka (123-09 PR) and Raymond’s Freeman (121-10) placed third and fourth, respectively, with South Bend’s Dayna Estle (79-10) coming in 14th in the girls discus.

South Bend’s Hannah Jewell took fifth in the girls javelin with a mark of 107-01.

North Beach senior Skyler Langston placed 13th in the girls 1600 (6:15.58).

Aberdeen’s Bates wins state discus title

Aberdeen sophomore Tyler Bates established himself as the premiere discus thrower in the 2A classification by winning the 2A State Championship on Friday at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.

Bates’ personal-best throw of 162-05 was more than 10 feet better than his next closes competitor, Ephrata’s Weslee Kriete (152-04), and placed him fifth overall in the state this season.

Bates also placed ninth in the shot put (46-10), two spots behind teammate JaBron Brooks (48-02, 7th).

Bobcats seniors Julian Campos (1600, 4:16.49 PR, 4th), Collin Babineau (110 hurdles, 15.58, 3rd) and Andrew Troeh (triple jump, 41-01.50, 3rd) all placed in the top five in their respective events.

Other Aberdeen athletes to compete in the finals over the first two days of the meet were Liam Heikkila (shot put, 46-02, 10th) and Will Boling (1600, 4:32.82, 16th).

Hoquiam’s Straka repeats as shot put champion

Hoquiam senior Tyara Straka defended the shot put title she originally won as a freshman, throwing the four-kilogram ball 42-08.50 to repeat as the 1A State champion in the event.

Straka, who will be throwing for the University of Oklahoma in the fall, won by more than six feet over Columbia-White Salmon’s Jessica Polkinghorn (36-02.75 PR).

Other notables at the 1A girls meet, which is taking place through Saturday in Cheney, where Hoquiam’s Katrina Jones, who finished 11th in the pole vault (7-06) and Elma’s Meara Baxter, who took 14th in the high jump (4-08).

In the boys competition, Elma junior Elijah Flores made the podium with a mark of 40-04.25 to place seventh in the triple jump.

Montesano’s Aric Jacklin (1600, 4:45.68 PR, 14th) and Gabe Bodwell (javelin, 133-09, 15th) also competed in event finals over the first two days of competition.

McGough sets meet record as Willapa Valley girls in lead for state title

With a leap of 10-06 in the girls pole vault, Willapa Valley junior Lauryn McGough won the 1B State Track & Field Championship and set a new 1B meet record in the process.

The Vikings junior’s mark was three inches better than the previous 1B state-meet record set by Mount Vernon Christian’s Melyssa Whitener (10-03) back in 2015.

“McGough vaulted well,” Vikings head coach Dave Ege said. “The weather wasn’t great with squalls rolling through, but she got the win and a record.”

McGough’s mark highlighted a strong first two days of competition for the Vikings girls team, which leads the overall standings with 24 points, one point better than DeSales and three better than Pope John Paul 2.

McGough’s teammate, senior Hannah Hamilton, placed second in the event with a personal-record 8-09 and also placed fifth in the shot put (32-08.75).

Willapa Valley’s Lanissa Amacher (shot put, 32-05.75, 7th) and Sam Sheary (shot put, 30-08.25 PR, 9th) also competed in event finals over the first two days of competition.

Pe Ell’s Charlie Carper placed ninth in the girls long jump (15-01.50).

On the boys side, Willapa Valley senior Chris Western took ninth in the discus (115-01 PR) while Pe Ell’s Owen Little took 11th in the javelin (109-10).

Results and full information for all WIAA State Track & Field Championships can be viewed at WIAA track and field tournament website.