FORKS — The Forks girls track and field team took first in a Pacific 2B League meet held in Forks this week while the boys came in a close second to Willapa Valley.
The meet featured several Pacific 2B League teams as well as North Olympic League teams from Neah Bay, Crescent and Clallam Bay. Several athletes from these schools also won events.
The Forks girls took first as a team with 120 points, while North Beach was second at 102 and Neah Bay third at 78.5. Crescent was fourth at 71 and Clallam Bay seventh at 35.
While the Forks girls had the most points, Crescent girls won the most events. Naomii Sprague and Katelyn Dunavant were both double winners. Sprague took first in the 200 meters with a time of 28.85 seconds and won the long jump with a distance of 14 feet, 4¾ inches.
Dunavant won the shot put with a distance of 27-5 and took first in the discus with a throw of 73-8.
The Forks and Neah Bay girls relay teams had quite the duel. The Forks 4×100 team of Leslie Hernandez Beltran, Erika Williams, Emery Damron and Miley Blanton won in a time of 58.75, beating a Neah Bay foursome by 0.94 seconds. Meanwhile, the Neah Bay 4×200 team of Brianna McGimpsey, Cerise Moss, Ryana Moss and Angel Halttunen took first in a time of 2:03.34, beating a Forks foursome by 1.47 seconds.
Neah Bay’s Ryana Moss also won the 1,600 meters in a time of 6:17.70.
For the boys, Forks had 125 points, just behind first-place Willapa’s 129. Crescent was fourth with 67 points, while Neah Bay was seventh at 31 and Clallam Bay eighth with 15.
The Forks 4×100 team — Ryan Anderson, Noah Foster, Klaton Helvey and Grady Earls — took first in a time of 49.55. Foster added a first-place finish in the 400 meters in a time of 59.22.
Sloan Tumaua, who placed at state in the discus last year, took first with a throw of 128-1, winning this event by nearly 44 feet.
Julian Carrick of Neah Bay won the long jump with a leap of 16-4 and Crescent’s Dominiq Sprague won the triple jump with a distance of 35-8.
Clallam Bay’s top finish was by Kyleigh Richardson in the 300-meter hurdles. She finished third in a time of 1:03.91.
East Jefferson at Twilight in the ‘Ham
BELLINGHAM — Going up against mostly 2A and 3A competitors, East Jefferson track athletes, especially the distance runners, had some impressive results at the Twilight at the ‘Ham meet held on Friday.
Winning the varsity javelin was Reid Martin with a distance of 147 feet, 2 inches.
Taking first in the freshman-sophomore 1,600-meter run was Soare Johnston with a time of 4 minutes, 46.46 seconds, a personal-best. Running in the varsity 1,600, Sebastian Manza finished third at 4:38.43.
Aliyah Yearian made her return to running events, finishing second in the 800 with a time of 2:25.21, a personal best. Camryn Hines was right behind in third at 2:30.65. Hines and Yearian were part of East Jefferson’s cross country team that finished fifth in the state, though Yearian didn’t get a chance to run at state because of an injury.
Yearian picked up another second place in the 1,600, running a 5:15.13 personal-best time. In both races, Yearian was only beaten by a runner from 2A Anacortes.
Boys Golf
Bainbridge 159, Sequim 160
SEQUIM — The Sequim boys golf team got a great round from Carter Cronin, but was nipped by one stroke by 3A Bainbridge 159-160 on Friday.
Every golfer on the course for both teams shot 47 or lower.
“To play our best match of the year against a great opponent and have all scores in the 30s and 40s is a huge accomplishment. Sometimes, you just have to tip your cap to a team who beat you. We certainly didn’t beat ourselves today,” said coach Sean O’Mera.
“The Wolves have been hungry for improvement. And improve they did,” O’Mera said. “Coming off their season low as a team last match of 161, the Wolves did one stroke better, shooting their best score of the young season — 160. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, as Bainbridge shot 159. Some losses are better than others, and I can promise you this qualifies as a good loss.”
Cronin birdied three out of his last four holes to shoot a 2-under-par 34.
“This was the best round of the day by four strokes. Really, really impressive. Perhaps most impressively was the fact that Carter shot this round without his best stuff. He struggled with driver all day, but found a way to compete, especially with putter,” O’Mera said.
Bainbridge was able to win with two golfers shooting 38. The Spartans’ highest score was 44.
Cole Smithson also had a solid day, firing a 4-over-par 40. “Cole was five over after his first four holes. Instead of folding, he kept the Wolves in the match by playing his tail off, shooting one under par from there,” O’Mera said.
Zack Thompson carded a 42. Freshman Cody Dunscomb shot 5-over 44 and sixth man Kyle Sharpe carded a 45 for a personal record. Lars Wiker finished with a 47.
