State track and field championships: Returning champions and the best athletes to watch this weekend

Thursday-Saturday

Class 4A, 3A and 2A championships at Mount Tahoma Stadium, Tacoma

SCHEDULE

Thursday — 3:30-7:30 p.m.

Friday — 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Saturday — 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

DEFENDING TEAM CHAMPIONS

4A boys — Federal Way

3A boys — Lincoln

2A boys — Black Hills

4A girls — Issaquah

3A girls — Lynnwood

2A girls — Shorecrest

RETURNING INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS

4A boys — Nolan Van Amen (South Kitsap, Discus); Mitchell Jacobsen (Walla Walla, High jump); Jake Ulrich (Eastmont, 400M)

3A boys — Devan Kirk (Shorewood, 800M); Evan Mafilas (O’Ddea, 400); Jakobe’ Ford (Shadle Park, High jump)

2A boys — Brigham Cardon (Selah, 1600M, 800); Ben Malquist (Sehome, Shot put); Josh Braverman (River Ridge, 300 hurdles);

4A girls — Taylor Roe (Lake Stevens, 1600M, 3200); Jelani Heath (Rogers – Puyallup, Long jump); Sami Corman (Issaquah, 800); Jai’Lyn Merriweather (Union, 400); Dai’Lyn Merriweather (Union, 100); Amanda Chan (Mead, High jump)

3A girls — Jordan Oakes (Holy Names Academy, 1600M, 800); Hadassah Ward (Gig Harbor, then in 4A, Shot put); Yukino Parle (Edmonds-Woodway, 32oo); Dreakeanna Adair (Bonney Lake, Discus)

2A girls — Abby Johnson (Sehome, 1600M); Jaden Shadle (Burlington-Edison, Discus); Madeline Liberg (West Valley – Spokane, 400);

ATHLETES TO WATCH

Josh Braverman, River Ridge, sr. – Braverman own the hurdles. He has consistently finished first all season (except at the Oregon Relays where he came in second in the 110), and broke the 14 second mark with a time of 13.99 at the 2A West Central District meet.

Rodrick Fisher, East Valley of Spokane, sr. – After 20 years, might Washington’s fastest sprinter Ja’Warren Hooker lose his title? The Ellensburg graduate ran a 10.27 100-meter in 1997 and Fisher hit 10.46 seconds two weeks ago. And Fisher ran a 21.26 200, chasing Warren’s state record of 21.02.

Jakobe’ Ford, Shadle Park, sr. – Nobody can out hop Ford as he has dominated his competition in his senior season. He has consistently set high marks in the high, long and triple jump; hoping to get a title in all three — the Triple Crown — this year.

David Njeri, Wilson, jr. – Njeri has a wider scope of events that he has ran throughout the year. He stands out in the 300 hurdles (coming in second at districts) and will push Ford for the triple jump crown after leaping a state-best 48-2 for a district title (he started the season with a 32-9).

Nolan Van Amen, South Kitsap, sr. – Van Amen has finished first in every event he’s thrown the shot put and discus in except for two — which includes last week’s district loss to Skyview’s Connor Jensen. Van Amen threw a state-best distance on 179 feet and 11 inches for the discus on April 8 and is hoping to become the first in state history to win four consecutive state discus titles.

Lexi Ellis, Curtis, jr. – No triple jumper with a better combination of length and explosion than Ellis. She set the state sophomore record last year (41-9.25) and has the fifth-best triple jump in the nation this year (42-7.25), which is a quarter of an inch off the 1994 junior record and is not too far off the overall state record held by Curtis graduate, USA track and field Olympian and current Wilson jumps coach Andrea Guebelle (42-10.25). But can Ellis win her first state title after not qualifying for state last year because she scratched at 4A SPSL league championships?

Dai’lyn Merriweather, Union, sr. – Merriweather and her twin sister Jai’lyn will both run at the University of Maryland next year. But first, Dai’lyn hopes to become a three-time 200-meter champion (and is chasing the state record set in 1982 by Clover Park’s Donna Dennis, 23.39). Her and her sister are also part of Union’s blistering 4x200 relay team, which ran a 1:39.22 at the Oregon Relays (.10 off the 1983 Garfield relay team’s state record). And Union’s 4x400 time of 3:50.30 isn’t too far off the state record, either (Sammamish’s 1978 relay).

Ginny Mehl, Tahoma, sr. – What else is there to say about Mehl? A University of Washington commit, Mehl has been building to the finals all season in dominating fashion. She hopes to earn the title in the disc, shot put and javelin as she came in the top three of each last year — being the only thrower in the state to place in the top three at state last year.

Taylor Roe, Lake Stevens, soph. – If it involves distance, then Roe will probably dominate there. Roe owns the top time in the state in two events — as a sophomore — in the 1,600 (set May 17, time: 4:50.56) and in the 3200 (set May 19, time: 10:27.03).

Karlee Stueckle, Emerald Ridge, jr. – Is this Stueckle’s year? She’s one of the top hurdlers in the state as she has finished at the top in almost all of her meets through the year. She’s also getting faster at the right time — setting a personal record for a district championship in the 100 hurdles with a time of 14.69, and has a state-best 300 hurdles time of 43.42 (the next-fastest runner is almost a second slower).

Tickets

Single day is $10 for adults, $7 for students/senior citizens. Meet pass is $19 for adults, $14 for students/senior citizens.

This story was originally published May 25, 2017 at 12:17 PM with the headline "State track and field championships: Returning champions and the best athletes to watch this weekend."