Decatur snares three district track and field titles

By CASEY OLSON

The Mirror

The Decatur Gators got pretty used to standing on top of the podium at Friday and Saturday’s West Central District Track and Field Meet at Mount Tahoma High School.

The Gators took home three individual championships last weekend in Tacoma. The Decatur girls got wins from Gena Woodke in the discus and Amanda Stewart in the high jump and Ezra John Griffey cruised to a victory in the 200 meters in a time of 22.48. Griffey outdistanced Wilson’s Nic Johnson, who finished second in 22.89. Griffey will also run the 100 at state after finishing fifth in 11.55.

Woodke, Stewart and Griffey will lead a large Federal Way school district contingent over the mountains for Friday and Saturday’s Class 4A State Track and Field Championships inside Edgar Brown Stadium in Pasco. A total of 18 individual district athletes qualified for state.

Stewart was more than impressive in the high jump. The senior cleared 5-feet-6 to win the event. The mark was one inch below Stewart’s personal-best this season and it looks like she will be dueling with Ferris’ Kelly McNamee at Friday and Saturday’s state championships. McNamee has cleared a state-best 5-9 this year. Stewart’s jump of 5-7 is the best mark in Western Washington this season.

Woodke was also impressive in winning the discus with a throw of 131-3. Woodke’s throw was just three inches better than Mount Tahoma’s Mari Bingham.

Jefferson senior distance runner Kenna Patrick also had a pretty impressive West Central District Meet. Patrick, the winner of the Class 4A cross country individual championship in the fall, finished second in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meters to Bellarmine Prep’s Nicole Cochran. Patrick’s finishes, coupled with a strong all-around meet from Jennifer Wamsley, helped the Raiders finish in fourth place in the team standings with 46 points. Gig Harbor won the meet with 95.5 points.

Wamsley qualified for the state meet in three individual events by finishing in the top-six places in the high jump (5-3), long jump (16-2 3/4) and triple jump (34-10).

The Raider girls also qualified Sofia Malamura in the shot put (third, 38-1) and discus (third, 119-9) and Kelsey Racicot in the javelin (fourth, 109-7).

Other Federal Way district qualifiers on the girls’ side include Federal Way’s Jacqie Evenson in the 300 hurdles (second, 45.25) and 100 hurdles (fourth, 16.30), Beamer’s Taylor Kartes (fourth, 2:20.59) and Mackenzie Hickel in the 300 hurdles (fifth, 47.33) and Decatur’s Jordyn Woodke in the triple jump (fourth, 34-7 1/4). Beamer also qualified all three relay teams.

On the boys’ side, the Federal Way Eagles got a second-place finish from Jeffrey Forbes in the 400 (50.31), a third-place finish from Greylin James in the high jump (6-1), a third from Jay Davis in the long jump (21-4 1/2) and a sixth in the triple jump (44-1 1/2), a fourth from Viktor Gruy in the pole vault (13-0) and a sixth place from Jeremiah Olivarez in the discus (132-2).

Beamer will be represented by Justin Drayer in the 200 (sixth, 23.35), Evan Cook in the discus (fourth, 145-7) and the 4x100 relay team (second, 43.18). Jefferson will send its 4x400 relay team (third, 3:26.48).

Federal Way native Kelly Jacka, a sophomore at Bellarmine Prep, finished second in both the 200 and 400 on Saturday.

Sports editor Casey Olson: 925-5565, sports@fedwaymirror.com

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