Four South Sound programs win titles at 4A/3A/2A track and field state championships

Lauren Smith
·8 min read

Federal Way High School senior Roman Hutchinson wouldn’t let the sweep slip away.

On the final jump of his high school career Saturday afternoon at the Class 4A state meet at Mount Tahoma Stadium in Tacoma, Hutchinson soared through the air and hit the sand with a winning distance of 23 feet, nine inches on his sixth and final attempt.

Spectators standing along the fence cheered when Hutchinson landed. They roared louder still moments later, when Hutchinson’s mark was announced, giving him what turned out to be the decisive lead.

“I was just sitting back there on the runway trying to visualize what I had to do,” Hutchinson said. “You know, big block, really push through. I’m just like, ‘It’s my last year, this is my last jump in high school, just give it everything you’ve got.’ And it was enough.”

Federal Way’s Roman Hutchinson leaps to a state title in the 4A boys triple jump competition during the second day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023.
Federal Way’s Roman Hutchinson leaps to a state title in the 4A boys triple jump competition during the second day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023.

The win gave Hutchinson, who also won Friday’s 4A boys triple jump (personal-best 47-7 1/4), his second title of the meet. It also gave the Eagles boys team a sweep of the three jumping events, following senior Jaylon Jenkins victory in the high jump (6-10) on Thursday afternoon.

“It’s very cool. Very special,” Jenkins said of the sweep. “We all worked hard for it — competing in practice and in meets — so it was really satisfying to win all three.”

Federal Way’s Jaylon Jenkins jumps en route to the 3A boys high jump state title by clearing 6’ 8” during the opening day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Thursday, May 25, 2023.
Federal Way’s Jaylon Jenkins jumps en route to the 3A boys high jump state title by clearing 6’ 8” during the opening day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Thursday, May 25, 2023.

That final field event late Saturday afternoon — in which senior Andre Jordan (third, 23-2) and Jenkins (fourth, 22-5 1/2) also reached the podium — also gave the Eagles the needed points to clinch the 4A boys team title.

The championship is Federal Way’s first at the meet since 2016, and fourth in program history.

It was also one year after the Eagles narrowly finished second to defending 4A boys champion Lake Stevens, which won the 2022 title on the final race of the meet with a win in the 4x400 relay.

“Last year we came in second, and we took that pretty hard — me especially — because we were so close,” Hutchinson said. “So this whole year we were like, we’re coming back to make history. We’re coming back to do what we do, we know what we can do — and to have it come true is great.”

Federal Way teammates Jaylon Jenkins (from left), Julian Gene Fortin and Roman Hutchinson leave the field after sweeping the top three spots in the 4A boys triple jump competition during the second day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023. Hutchinson won the event, with Jenkins second and Fortin third.

Federal Way won the title with 79.5 points, well ahead of Lake Stevens (63), Kamiak (52) and 4A North Puget Sound League rival Kentridge (43), which rounded out the top four.

Jordan also reached the podium for the Eagles in the 100 (third, 11.05) and 200 (fifth, 22.43), while Alex Thach medaled in the 800 (seventh, 2:05.02) and Sam Wah in the 110 hurdles (eighth, 15.46).

Jenkins also added a second-place finish in the triple jump (47-2), while Julian Gene Fortin reached the podium in both the high jump (third, 6-2) and triple jump (third, 45-10 1/2) as well.

Federal Way’s 4x100 relay of Austin May, Jordan, Xavier Garms-Huricks and Hutchinson placed third at 42.33.

Emerald Ridge’s JaiCieonna Gero-Holt runs to a state title in the 4A girls 100-meter hurdles during the second day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023. Just minutes earlier, Gero-Holt won the high jump state title, giving her three state championships in two days.

EMERALD RIDGE MAKES HISTORY

Emerald Ridge entered the final day of competition with the lead in the 4A girls team race, and kept tallying points to leave Mount Tahoma Stadium with the first track and field championship in school history.

The Jaguars posted a winning total of 67 points — which included three individual titles from sophomore JaiCieonna Gero-Holt — to earn the team trophy ahead of defending champion and 4A South Puget Sound League rival Curtis (50), Federal Way (46) and Skyline (44.5).

As points continued to pile up, the Jaguars started realizing Friday they had the chance to top the podium in the team race.

“We were a pretty good amount ahead of second place, and we have really good people on our team that were likely to get top-three,” Gero-Holt said of how the Jaguars approached Saturday’s final day. “We just came out here and had fun, really, because it’s the last day of state.”

Emerald Ridge’s JaiCieonna Gero-Holt clears the bar en route to a state title in the 4A girls high jump during the second day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023. Gero-Holt followed up the high jump victory with a state championship in the 4A girls 100-meter hurdles, her third state title of the weekend so far.

Gero-Holt won repeat titles in both the 100 hurdles (14.45) and high jump (5-10), also won the javelin (personal-best 139-3) and reached the podium in the long jump (second, personal-best 18-11 1/4).

She has now reached the podium in each of the eight events she’s competed in at the state meet her first two high school seasons, including six total championships.

Emerald Ridge’s JaiCieonna Gero-Holt jumps to a second-place finish in the 4A girls long jump - the only event she didn’t win over the weekend - during the final day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023.
Emerald Ridge’s JaiCieonna Gero-Holt jumps to a second-place finish in the 4A girls long jump - the only event she didn’t win over the weekend - during the final day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023.

Five more competitors also reached the podium to lift the Jaguars to their team title.

Senior Emme Bates placed second in the 800 (personal-best 2:12.6) and fourth in the 1,600 (personal-best 4:57.36), while junior Mikayla Gardley took second in the 300 hurdles (personal-best 44.18).

Junior Emma Morrison reached the podium in the shot put (eighth, 36-0 1/4), junior Addison Ogden (seventh, personal-best 124-10) in the discus and junior Grace Wesenberg in the high jump (fourth, personal-best 5-2).

Yelm’s Brayden Platt throws for a state title in the 3A body shot put during the final day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023.
Yelm’s Brayden Platt throws for a state title in the 3A body shot put during the final day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023.

FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS LIFT YELM TO TITLE

Four championships in four field events paced the Tornados to their first team title since 2002 — and second in program history — in the 3A boys competition.

Senior Trevontay Smith paced Yelm’s early scoring with a win in the triple jump Thursday, posting a personal-best 50-4 1/2 to set a new 3A state meet record.

Junior Isaiah Patterson tossed a personal-best 177-4 in the discus on Friday morning to win a second title for the Tornados, and junior Jordan Lasher added a third not long after in the pole vault (15-6).

Yelm’s Trevontay Smith leaps into the pit en route to a state title in the 3A boys triple jump competition with a new meet record of 50’ 4 1/2” during the opening day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Thursday, May 25, 2023.
Yelm’s Trevontay Smith leaps into the pit en route to a state title in the 3A boys triple jump competition with a new meet record of 50’ 4 1/2” during the opening day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Thursday, May 25, 2023.

Junior Brayden Platt’s repeat championship in the shot put (61-10) late Saturday was enough to keep Yelm’s lead out of reach as the final events played out on the track.

“It’s great,” Platt said. “We really just had to come out here and give our best performances. The other guys, they gave their best performances. It felt good.”

Yelm’s Brayden Platt competes in the 3A boys javelin competition during the opening day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Thursday, May 25, 2023.
Yelm’s Brayden Platt competes in the 3A boys javelin competition during the opening day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Thursday, May 25, 2023.

Platt also placed second in the javelin (216-0), Smith second in the long jump (22-4) and Lasher sixth in the 110 hurdles (personal-best 15.04).

Mount Spokane (51.5 points), defending champion Walla Walla (42) and Bishop Blanchet (40) rounded out the top four in the 3A boys team race.

This is also the second team title for Yelm’s four track and field champions this school year — all four also played on the Tornados’ state championship football team in the fall.

“Yelm is definitely rolling,” Platt said.

Tumwater’s Annabelle Clapp, Reese Heryford, Cassidy Henin and Ava Jones celebrate following their state title in the 2A girls 4x200 relay during the final day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023.
Tumwater’s Annabelle Clapp, Reese Heryford, Cassidy Henin and Ava Jones celebrate following their state title in the 2A girls 4x200 relay during the final day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023.

TUMWATER REPEATS ON FINAL RACE

Defending 2A girls team champion Tumwater trailed by three points entering the final race of the meet Saturday evening — and the T-Birds knew it.

Sehome was leading the team standings with 44 points, while Tumwater was in second with 41, and both programs had entries in the final 4x400 relay.

“We knew what was at stake,” sophomore Ava Jones said. “We knew we were going to win this. We know we have the strength and the power to do it.”

The T-Birds’ relay team of freshman Cassidy Hedin, Jones, sophomore Reese Heryford and junior Annabelle Clapp, needing to create enough of a gap to make up for that three-point deficit, ran a season-best 4:02.4 to win the race by more than three seconds.

Tumwater tallied 10 points with the victory, while Sehome finished fifth to score four, and the T-Birds repeated as state champions, winning the second team title in program history.

Tumwater’s Ava Jones erupts in joy as she crosses the finish line to give the T-Birds the state title in the 2A girls 4x200 relay during the final day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023.
Tumwater’s Ava Jones erupts in joy as she crosses the finish line to give the T-Birds the state title in the 2A girls 4x200 relay during the final day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023.

The T-Birds opened the final day of the meet by winning the first race on the track Saturday morning in the 4x200 relay, the team of Hedin, Clapp, Heryford and Jones running a season-best 1:43.55.

“It made us confident,” Heryford said.

The T-Birds scored all 51 of their winning points on the track Saturday.

Clapp added a championship in the 400 (59.1), while Heryford finished fifth (1:00.74). Clapp also collected a third-place finish in the 800 (personal-best 2:17.88).

Jones also reached the podium twice more in the 100 (sixth, 12.8) and 200 (second, 25.63) add to the team points total.

Tumwater’s Annabelle Clapp runs to a state title in the 2A girls 400 meters during the final day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023.
Tumwater’s Annabelle Clapp runs to a state title in the 2A girls 400 meters during the final day of the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, May 26, 2023.

Then, in the final moments of the meet, Clapp secured the repeat for the T-Birds, anchoring the 4x400.

“I had a lot of jitters, but I was just like, ‘This is your last race of the day, last race of the season, so just give it everything,’ ” she said.

Sehome (48 points), Bellingham (35) and Orting (35) also reached the podium as a team.

Elsewhere in the team results, Kelso (53 points) won the first title in program history in the 3A girls team competition, finishing ahead of Bellevue (46), Garfield (41) and Mead (39).

Bellevue junior Alex Buck also repeated as state champion in the 3A girls 100 and 200 on Saturday’s final day, while Auburn Riverside sophomore Julia Couch won a second consecutive championship in the 800.

Sehome repeated in the 2A boys team race, earning the sixth title in program history with 73 points. Lynden (53), Ellensburg (45.83) and Ephrata (43) were also in the top four.

Sehome senior Jacob Andrews won repeat titles in both the 200 and 400 in the 2A boys competition, while senior Zack Munson won the 3,200 for the second consecutive season.

Tahoma senior Brooke Lyons earned a repeat title in the 4A girls 200, and Platt went back-to-back in the 3A boys shot put.