The IssaquahPress
Sports
B4
Wednesday May 29, 2013
Local athletes win at state track championships By Christina Corrales-Toy newcastle@isspress.com Immediately after Liberty High School track stars Alex Olobia and Hiron Redman competed in the last race of their high school careers, the seniors embraced as they shook off the disappointment of a second-place finish in the 4×400-meter relay at the state track and field championship. “Bellevue had just that much more, just a little bit more,” Redman said. “He just got me by a 30th of a second. That’s it.” The Liberty relay team of Olobia, Redman, Romney Noel and Ashby Brown took second with a time of 3 minutes, 20.42 seconds, good enough to break the school record, but just short of conference foe Bellevue. That’s quite an accomplishment considering that there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the 1,600 relay team at the start of the season, Redman said. “We came into the beginning of the season just scared. We didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “I mean we had a sophomore on the relay team, and we all just dug really deep and we did it.” That sophomore is promising underclassmen Noel, who, like his teammates, sported an impressive mohawk during the May 23-25 championship at Mount Tahoma. The Liberty boys track and field team placed fifth in overall scoring at the state meet, thanks to impressive performances from both Olobia and Redman. Olobia took home three medals, including the one he secured with the Liberty relay team. He earned second place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.85, just short of Bellevue’s Budda Baker, who won with a mark of 10.77. He also took third in the 200 meter, finishing that race in 22.29. “I’ve had to go through a lot of adversity with injuries, but I think overall, even though I didn’t come in first, I enjoyed the journey, and that’s what it’s mainly about,” Olobia said. “I’m just really proud that I got here.” Redman, a standout on the school’s cross country team, reached the podium for the third consecutive year in the 800-meter event, placing sixth with a time of 1:55.02. Aaron Bowe broke the school record in the 3,200 with a time of 9:21.87, good for seventh place. Senior Sean Campbell captured Liberty’s first medal of the meet with his sixth-place toss in the javelin, at 165 feet, 10 inches. Campbell took up the sport for the first time this season, along with his twin brother Matt.
Skyline golf team comes in third in state
The Skyline High School boys golf team placed third at the 4A state golf championships May 21 and 22. The team came in third 65.5 team points. Its leader, Brian Mogg, also took third, shooting 149. Finishing the first round with a pair of birdies and coming back to birdie three of the four final holes on the second day, Skyline’s Kelley Sullivan ended in a six-way tie for 12th place with 154 strokes. Zack Overstreet, of Issaquah High School, took 18th with a score of 155.
The Liberty girls did not fare quite as well, narrowly missing the podium in several events. Megan Chucka took ninth in the 1,600-meter, Sarah Bliesner placed 11th in the 3,200-meter and Anna Frodsham finished ninth in the javelin. Issaquah girls take ninth The Issaquah High School girls track and field team is a bit of a quirky bunch. Last year, the relay teams joked that they should run like a tiger was chasing them, going so far as to bring a plastic tiger to the meet as motivation. This year, they stuck with the animal theme, but threw in a bit of a twist. “Last year, we were known for our little tiger. This year, we made many animal noises, especially seal noises,” Issaquah junior Juliana da Cruz said. As much fun as the group has off the field, it is all business for the Eagles when they step on to the track, as evidenced by the team’s top 10 finish at state this year. Catapulted by strong relay performances, the Issaquah girls track and field team finished tied for ninth. The 4×400-meter relay team of da Cruz, Grace Englund, Amanda Chalfant and Gabrielle Gevers had the highest finish for the Eagles, taking second in their race. “It’s a 400, so it’s a hard race,” da Cruz said. “I think a lot of people underestimate the difficulty of it, but we were running for each other and we have so much love on this team that it makes it all worthwhile.” Issaquah held off a lastleg surge from conference rival Skyline to take second in 3:53.85, behind state champion Ballard. “I have so much respect for Skyline,” da Cruz said. “They’re just a great bunch of girls and it’s a lot of fun to be able to compete like that. I think that’s really when track becomes a game, almost.” Issaquah’s 4×200-meter relay team featuring Englund, Gevers, da Cruz and Alia Sugarman finished fourth. For Englund, the lone senior on both relay teams, it was a perfect end to her high school track career. “It was really fun,” she said. “When I was a freshman, I was nowhere near where I am now, and running with these girls and having them push me is just such an accomplishment. I couldn’t have asked for a better team and a better year.” In addition to her two relay event medals, Gevers also took home an individual one for her sixth-place finish in the 100. Senior Mckenna Hogan earned two sixth-place medals for her performance in the long jump Playing at Club Green Meadows, Issaquah’s Mersadie Tallman hit 170 to tie for 19th place.
Skyline’s Aman Manji places third in tennis Skyline High School senior Aman Manji finished third in the state boys singles tennis tournament May 25 after defeating Oscar Burney, of Garfield, 7-6, 7-6. Manji started his run with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Aaron Park, of Stadium. He then defeated Derek Welch, of Kentlake, 6-2, 6-2. Manji then lost to eventual
and triple jump. Hogan established a new school record with her jump of 17-7 1/2 in the long jump at the state meet. Sophomore Cayla Seligman just missed the podium with a ninth-place finish in the 1,600. Skyline sends 21 athletes to state As the Skyline High School 4×400-meter relay team of Dorie Dalzell, Maria Volodkevich, Alex Daugherty and Kaylie Greninger huddled before the last race of the meet, the message was clear — the girls were more than teammates; they were family. “We’re such a tight-knit team, so we said, ‘Do it for the family,’ before the race,” Daugherty said. “We are so fortunate to have each other.” After qualifying for the final event in seventh place, the Spartans finished third, breaking the school record with a time of 3:54.33. “Last year, we broke this record as a team, so it’s just really nice to be able to put our name on the screen and feel that we’ve left a legacy,” Dalzell said. Skyline finished just behind rival Issaquah in the relay. “It’s really great to have someone of that caliber in the same league and to be able to compete with them throughout the season,” Daugherty said. “Our whole team gave it their all, though.” The Skyline girls track and field team finished the weekend ranked 24th. Dalzell and Daugherty each took home individual medals. Dalzell placed fourth in the 400 with a time of 56.77. Daugherty ran the 800 in 2:15.71, good for seventh. Junior Samantha Krahling just missed the podium in the 3,200, taking 11th place. Seniors Ashley Richardson and Marissa Fortier made the high jump finals, while sophomore Geneva Ecola competed in the long jump. None of the athletes qualified for a medal, though. The Skyline boys team placed 12th overall, led by Skyline’s top finisher Keegan Symmes, who took third in the 1,600 with a time of 4:17.13. The senior just missed securing his second medal of the meet when he placed ninth in the 3,200. Senior Trevon Clark ran the 400 in 49.46, on his way to a sixth-place medal, while Garrett Corliss ended his high school career throwing the javelin 16810, good for sixth in the state. The 4×400-meter relay team of Lorenzo Agogliati, Blake Young, Andrew Millett and Clark captured fourth place, with a time of 3:21.84. second-place finisher Alex Marcinkowski, of Gonzaga Prep, 6-1, 6-1. The Skyline boys doubles team of Alex Wu and Brayden Hansen finished fifth after defeating Chase Hassig and Henry Wurst, of Bellarmine Prep, 6-2, 1-6, 7-5.
Issaquah, Liberty doubles tennis teams take second in state Issaquah and Liberty high schools each sent doubles’ tennis teams to the state tournament this year, and each returned home with hardware.
By Greg Farrar
Liberty High School teammates (from left) Ashby Brown, Hiron Redman, Romney Noel and Alex Olobia link arms and display their 4x400-meter relay medals after winning second place with a time of 3 minutes, 20.42 seconds during the 3A state track and field championships May 25 in Tacoma.
By Greg Farrar
Amanda Chalfant (left), Issaquah High School junior, receives the baton from senior Grace Englund for the second leg of their 4x400-meter relay race. With Gabrielle Gevers and Juliana da Cruz, the team won second place with a time of 3 minutes, 53.85 seconds in the last event of the day at the 3A state track and field championships May 25 in Tacoma.
By Greg Farrar
Keegan Symmes, Skyline High School senior, starts with the pack in the 3,200-meter run May 25 during the 3A state track and field championships. Symmes finished ninth in the race to add to his third-place finish in the 1,600-meter run May 23. The Liberty High School duo of Kristy Braunston and Jenny Adams took second place at the 3A state tournament in Kennewick. They are the first Patriots in school history to make state. Braunston and Adams won three straight matches to reach the state finals in a rematch of the KingCo and District championships. The pair ultimately fell to Mercer Island in straight sets May 25. The Issaquah High School doubles team of Sam Garrard and Kelsey Wilson improved upon last year’s sixth-place finish,
taking second at this year’s 3A state championship in Richland. Garrard and Wilson fell to the KingCo champions from Garfield in straight sets May 25.
Issaquah triathlon is set for June 1 The 13th annual Issaquah Triathlon, Duathlon, 10K, 5K and Kids’ Triathlon, sponsored by Arbor Schools, is June 1. The Sprint Distance Triathlon begins at 7 a.m. The Spring Duathlon runs concurrently with the triathlon. The Issaquah 5K and 10K
Run/Walk begins at 7 a.m. The Kids Triathlon begins at 9:30 a.m. and is recommended for children ages 6-12. Expect traffic delays in and around Lake Sammamish State Park the morning of June 1. The race begins and ends in Lake Sammamish State Park and includes a barbecue courtesy of Fischer Meats and chocolate milk courtesy of Darigold, as well as sports drinks at the finish line. About 1,000 people participate in the event each year. Learn more and register at www.issaquahtri.com.