Top boys track and field teams and athletes in the Olympia-area in 2019
TRACK AND FIELD PREVIEW
Top athletes
Sir Carter, Black Hills – Ranked eighth across all classifications in the 300-meter hurdles (40.52) after finishing third in the event at Class 2A state last season (39.83). Carter was second in the 2A 110 hurdles a year ago and ranks second this season (15.33), just seven hundredths of a second behind Woodland’s Tyler Flanagan.
Tyler Gilliland, Tumwater – Has PRed in both the shot put (53-6.5) and discus (164-5) already this season to rank fifth in each event statewide and third in each at the 2A level. He also paces the 2A EvCo with a 171-11 mark in the javelin.
Connor Griffith, Olympia – His PR in the 3200 meters (9:32.16) is good for eighth among all Washington high school boys and fifth in 4A. Got a taste of state meet action last year when his 1600 PR at the West Central/Southwest bi-district meet (4:20.08) qualified him. Finished 12th in the 4A cross country championships in November.
Cody Vollan, Elma – Ranked sixth across all classifications in the 400 meters with a PR of 50.84, which leaves Vollan two-tenths of a second behind leader Danny Conlisk of Coupeville in 1A. Undefeated in both the 400 and 200 (23.30) thus far in 2019. Reached state in the 400 as a freshman two years ago.
Colby White, W.F. West – Second statewide in the high jump (6-6), the defending state 2A champion (6-7), leads the classification and trails Lincoln’s Mykel Campbell by just two inches for the overall lead. White also has season bests of 21-3 in the long jump and 43-4.5 in the triple jump.
Top teams
W.F. West – Coming off a sixth place team finish at 2A state in 2018, the Bearcats top competitors include Colby White (jumps), Gerardo Sanchez-Carpio (sprints), Carver Brennan (middle distance), Sonny Holub (middle distance), Francisco Lima (distance), Connor Russell (hurdles), Colin Slattery (hurdles), Zachary Sloan (throws), William Lienhard (throws), Ashton Lannoye (throws), Cooper McCoy (throws), Lafe Johnson (pole vault), Thomas Keonig (pole vault).
Black Hills – The Wolves finished seventh at 2A state and have strength this season in Nolan Reynolds (sprints), Sir Carter (sprints & hurdles), Pearse Popchock (middle distance), Truman Affeldt (distance), Jordan Claridge (throws) and Jaden Whitfield (jumps).
Tumwater – Led by triple-threat shot put, discus and javein thrower Tyler Gilliland, the T-Birds also rely on Tyler Woods (sprints), Rod Blackburn (middle distance), Joshua Newman (distance), Bryan Lowe (hurdles), Trent Kibler (jumps), Patrick Williams (jumps) and Austin St. Louis (pole vault).
Capital – The Cougars had the highest finish at state of any Thurston County-area 3A school a year ago and rely on Colby Wilson (hurdles, jumps & throws), Clayton Grady (sprints), Oliver Salmon (middle distance), Heikki Haatanen (hurdles) and Zachariah Frazee (jumps).
Northwest Christian — The Navigators were fifth at 2B state in 2018. Leading the way this season are David Hwang (sprints & jumps), Josiah Salazar-Fox (sprints & middle distance), Garrett McSheffrey (middle distance), Noah Phillips (distance), Cameron Nielson (distance), Jude Phillips (throws), Tyler Fox (jumps).