On Thursday, May 15, senior Mason Iverson, the sole Quilcene High School athlete on the East Jefferson  Rivals track and field team, traveled to Franklin Pierce High School to compete in the SeaTac League Championship meet. Iverson has been practicing and competing with the Rivals all season since Quilcene does not have a track team. However, in postseason competition he must compete in the league and district in which Quilcene is a member. The meet included competition between 14 1B schools in cool, rainy conditions.

Iverson competed in four different events and moved on to the District Championships in one of them. In the 100 meter dash he placed 13th with a time of 12.70. In the throws, he placed 8th in the shot put with a 31 ‘10 “ and 12th in the discus with a 71’ 3” toss.

In order to move on to the District Championships, an athlete had to finish in the top six and in the javelin Iverson threw a personal record (PR) of over sixteen feet to place 5th with a 117 ‘10”. He will compete in the Quad-District Championships at Franklin Pierce High School on Thursday,
May 22.

On Saturday May 17,  the remainder of the team competed in the first of three days of the Nisqually League District Championships at Klahowya Secondary School. Conditions at the meet were miserable with chilly temperatures and persistent rain ranging from a light drizzle to heavy downpour. 

The first and only State Championship qualifier of the day for the Rivals was sophomore Kaida Rodrigues, who finished a drenched and happy 2nd in the triple jump with a 33’ 04.75”.

In order to move on from the District Championships to the State Championships, athletes must finish in the top two of their event or achieve the auto qualification standard in the finals of their event. On day one of competition there were finals in the boys shot put, girls discus, girls triple jump, boys long jump, girls and boys high jump, and girls and boys 1600 meter run. 

Other EJ athletes who competed in finals today included senior Morgan Hanson in the high jump (4th, 5’02”) and long jump (14th, 16’05.50”); in the discus, freshman Isla Emerson (7th, 74’09”) and sophomore Abby O’Keefe (12th, 62’09”); and in the triple jump, sophomores Kaydence Plotner (3rd, 32’01”) and Charlotte Terada (7th, 25’08.75”). In the only track final of the day, the 1600m run, junior Hilina Taylor-Lenz was the top female EJ finisher with a personal record (PR) of 5:44.79 which placed her 12th. On the boys side, sophomore Joshua Yearian placed 4th in a PR of 4:29.32, a heartbreaking mere .52 off the auto qualifying standard. He was followed by sophomore Noah Isenberg (9th, 4:43.48), senior Soare Johnston (13th, seasonal best 4:44.58), junior Dustin Hines (14th, PR 4:44.84), and sophomore Nico Errichetti (16th, PR 4:45.96).

Moving on to finals on Thursday are Plotner in the 100m and 300m hurdles, sophomore Arden Moore in the 300m hurdles, sophomore Clara Camp in the 200m dash, O’Keefe in the 400m, senior Nikolas Erickson in the 100m, and in the 800m run, Yearian and freshmen Zeke Banks and Biorn Brostrom.

On Monday, May 19, the javelin finals are being held at Bellevue Christian High School and on Thursday, May 22, the District Championship meet will wrap up at Klahowya Secondary School. Those who qualify for the State Championships will compete at Eisenhower High School in Yakima May 29-31.

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