The Rivals track-and-field team traveled to Klahowya Secondary School on March 25 to compete in the first Nisqually League meet of the season. This included teams from Clallam Bay, Cascade Christian, Crescent, Neah Bay, Life Christian, East Jefferson and the host school, Klahowya. The meet featured superb early season weather with no wind,  plus sunshine and temperatures around 70 degrees.

Highlights from the meet included senior Nikolas Erickson coming off an injury to take third place in the 100-meter dash (12.27 seconds), with freshman Travis Davis taking fifth overall in 12.55. Erickson also had a strong performance in the 200-meter, running 25.17 for a second-place finish. In the 400-meter long sprint, senior Traycen Brown placed fourth (58.21), just ahead of junior Dillon Page Castillo (fifth, 58.3) and freshman Zeke Banks, (sixth), setting their personal record (59.23). The boys also fielded a second placing (48.52) 4x 100-meter relay team, including seniors John Mercado, Mason Iverson, Brown and Page Castillo.

East Jefferson girls won all three of the sprints with sophomore Arden Moore taking first place in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. She set a new PR of 13.33 in the 100-meter and in the 200-meter ran a 27.94, a quarter of a second margin over second place. Fellow sophomore Abby O’Keefe dominated in the 400-meter, running a PR of 1 minute, 6.19 seconds, over 3 seconds faster than the runner up.

In the longer distances, Rivals boys swept the 800-meter with sophomores Josh Yearian placing first (2:14.35), Noah Isenberg second (PR 2:117.140) and senior Soare Johnston third (2:21.38). Isenberg also took second place in the 1600-meter run in 4:59.36 with sophomore Nico Errichetti third in a PR of 5:01.47. In the 3200-meter run, Yearian again won (PR 10:23.43), and Johnston was second (10:42.14).

The field events had Iverson as the top EJ placer in both the shot put and discus throw. He was 10th in shot with a throw of 31 feet, 5.5 inches and 15th in the disc with a 60-06. Sophomore Trevor Barry took 10th place in the javelin with an 87-07 throw. Senior Morgan Hanson was the highest placing Rival in the high and long jumps taking fifth with 5-00.00 and ninth in 16-01.00, respectively. Errichetti won the triple jump with a leap of 32-05.50.

Girls throws had team mates O’Keefe and sophomore Emma Joy taking fourth and sixth places in the shot put with efforts of 22-03.50 and 21-00.00. Freshman Isla Emerson threw a discus PR of 68-00 to place fifth in the event. Senior Sienna Emerson placed third in the javelin with a throw of 87-01 and Isla was sixth with a 70-10. Sophomore Makenna Johnson placed third in the high jump with a leap of 4-00.00 despite injuring an ankle, which sidelined her for the remainder of the competition.

The East Jefferson girls team placed second behind Klahowya at the meet and the boys team won, edging the Klahowya team by four points.

The next competition for the Rivals is Friday, April 4, in Bellingham where the team will compete in the limited-entry Trojan Invitational competition at Civic Stadium.

Alice Fraser is the head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach for the East Jefferson Rivals.