TRACK: SPSL title streaks continue for Federal Way boys, TJ girls

Another year, another championship for the Federal Way boys track and field team. The Eagles secured their fifth-straight South Puget Sound League divisional title Wednesday night with a 120-33 thrashing of Thomas Jefferson at Federal Way Memorial Stadium. Federal Way is a combined 30-0 over those five seasons.

By Casey Olson • May 3, 2012 11:52 am

Another year, another championship for the Federal Way boys track and field team. The Eagles secured their fifth-straight South Puget Sound League divisional title Wednesday night with a 120-33 thrashing of Thomas Jefferson at Federal Way Memorial Stadium. Federal Way is a combined 30-0 over those five seasons.

The dominating win over TJ came after the Eagles rolled to the title at the prestigious 38th annual Shoreline Invitational Saturday. Federal Way easily outdistanced second-place Bellevue in the 57-team invite. The Eagles finished with 92 total team points and Bellevue ended up with 51. Liberty followed in third place with 34 points.

“The 92 points is the most points many could remember by a team and the greatest winning margin,” said Federal Way head coach Sam Beesley.

The Eagles were led by junior Michael Tate, who was named the field athlete of the meet. Tate brought home a pair of individual titles in the 200 meters and long jump and also ran the second leg in the Eagles’ winning 4×400 relay team.

Tate soared in the long jump with a leap of 23 feet, 3.5 inches and ran a blazing 22.03 to win the 200. He teamed with D.J. May, Ezekiel McNeal and Jeremiah McNeal to win the relay in a state-leading time of 3:20.01.

Junior Albert Havili also had a huge day in Shoreline. Havili, who will be a Division I linebacking recruit in the fall, set a Federal Way High School record in the discus. Havili won the event with a throw of 166-3, which broke a school record that has stood since 1975. He also finished seventh in the shot put with a throw of 50-0.

The Eagles also got a victory from Aaron Persinger in the 300 hurdles in a time of 38.82. Persinger, also a junior, was also second in the 110 hurdles (14.99).

Federal Way got second-place finishes from Ezekiel McNeal in the 100 (10.9) and 400 (49.45) and Keenan Curran in the triple jump (44-6). The Eagles’ 4×100 relay team of May, Tate, Ezekiel McNeal and Kerson Lubin was also second in 42.62.

 

Girls Track

For the second year in a row, the Thomas Jefferson girls finished 5-0 in the SPSL Central Division. The Raiders secured the league title with a 79-71 win over Federal Way Wednesday.

Senior Lindsey Dahl won a trio of individual events during the dual meet. Dahl, who will compete on the University of Montana track team in the fall, won the long jump (17-3), triple jump (35-9.5) and javelin (110-2). She was also second in the 300 hurdles (45.68).

Jefferson also got wins from Cheryl Hong in the 400 (1:00.41), Leah Kiyohara in the 1,600 (5:23.88), Vanessa Church in the 3,200 (11:5.33), Kaya Warrior in the shot put (35-2) and Montana Pellegrini in the pole vault (11-0).

The Raiders also finished up in eighth place overall at the 36th Annual Lake Washington Invitational Saturday in Kirkland.

Jefferson was led by the first-place finish by Pellegrini in the pole vault. Pellegrini cleared 10-6.