Lincoln's Mwaura wins second leg of triple crown, posting No. 7 time in nation in 1,600
When the bell rang signaling he had one lap to run, James Mwaura left the rest of the field behind him.
The Lincoln High senior bolted through the final lap of the 3A boys 1,600-meter run Thursday afternoon at Mount Tahoma, passing his previous best mark, and finishing in four minutes, 8.52 seconds.
That is currently the seventh-best time in the nation, and Mwaura owes it to his kick.
“That last lap I just took off,” he said.
Mwaura spent the first three of Thursday’s race boxed in with Kennewick’s Johan Correa and Gig Harbor’s Peter Smith.
“I was trying to make my move with 800 to go, but Johan was right there with me,” he said.
“He wouldn’t give up the spot from the curve, so I stayed there and kept on pressing until he gave in.”
When Mwaura got out in front, just before beginning the final lap, it was clear he would stay there.
He continually put distance between himself and runner-up Correa (4:12.48) and Smith (4:13.02), who finished third, winning by about 30 meters.
Mwaura becomes the first runner in Lincoln history to win a state title in the event.
“Winning it with a 4:08 is an awesome accomplishment,” he said.
His will continue his his running career at Gonzaga next fall, but he’s not quite done chasing high school titles yet.
Mwaura will attempt to complete the distance triple crown state titles the 1,600, 3,200 and cross country Saturday afternoon.
He became the first runner from Tacoma proper to win back-to-back cross country state titles in November in Pasco.
And his win in the 1,600 on Thursday gives him the second leg of three.
He enters the 3,200 as the fourth-ranked runner in the nation, with his personal best time of 8:51.62 coming at the Arcadia Invitational in Los Angeles in April.
That will be the final race of his high school career.
“It’s the most unbelievable thing for me,” Mwaura said. “Running here in my hometown, its just surreal.”
Lauren Smith: 360-754-5473, @smithlm12
This story was originally published May 24, 2018 at 11:20 PM with the headline "Lincoln's Mwaura wins second leg of triple crown, posting No. 7 time in nation in 1,600."