Cats close season at district
Published 5:00 pm Wednesday, May 26, 2004
STANWOOD—Any other year and Oak Harbor senior sprinter Jenny White would be going to state in three events.
Not this year, however, as the Northwest District 1 was forced to share one of its state berths with Southwest District 4.
White’s three third place finishes at Friday’s district finals left her just shy of a state-qualifying second place in the 100 meters, 200 and 4×200 relay.
“We, and the kids, knew this situation was coming for two years (16 teams and two state entries) and as one athlete was heard to exclaim after the boys 100 meters, ‘third place sucks,’” Oak Harbor head coach Seth Hodges said.
White’s time of 12.66 seconds in the 100 was the second fastest ever by an OHHS female and the fastest since automatic timing. Only Lake Stevens’ Jessica Hinton (12.49) and Shorewoods’ Akosua Fordjour (12.56) had faster times on Friday.
White finished behind the same two runners in the 200, with a time of 26.12. Hinton won the race at 25.33, while Fordjour took second at 25.90.
“Even though we all feel bad that she didn’t get a chance at Pasco, you couldn’t fault her for the effort,” Hodges said. “Jenny’s performance on Friday was one of the best one-day efforts ever seen by an Oak Harbor sprinter.”
White also anchored the Wildcats to a school record 4×200 relay time of 1 minute 48.19 seconds, which finished behind Lake Stevens (1:45.72) and Shorewood (1:46.72). To go along with the third place finishes, she also anchored the 4×100 team to fifth.
Others helping the relays to outstanding efforts were Gretyl Pruss and La’Paris Rush in both events; Tina Nicolas in the 4×100 and ChrisGanna Cooper in the 4×200.
“All the girls had great hand-offs, as they knew they had to be perfect in order to have a chance for Pasco,” Hodges said.
Oak Harbor’s remaining points in the district meet were earned by sophomore Jessica Gilbert in the discus.
“Jessica had a great day in the discus on Wednesday, as she topped 100 feet with the disc for the first time,” Hodges said.
She ended the day with four throws over 100 feet, set a new personal best by almost 10 feet, taking an unexpected sixth.
The girls finished ninth place overall with 31 points, a significant improvement over last year’s last place finish with one point.
Despite having small numbers, the Oak Harbor boys made the best of their situation Friday. Out of four entries in the finals, two boys came away with fifth places.
Senior Joe Carreras closed out his career with a gutty effort and a fifth in the 400.
“Joe went after that state berth and left it all on the track,” Hodges said. “He’s been a great competitor for us for four years and it will be hard to see him go.”
The 4×100 meter relay team finished their surprising season, also with a fifth.
“It was so improbable that these guys made the league finals (where they placed third) that for them to finish fifth in districts was next to impossible,” Hodges said.
The team of Dennis Mitchell, Olimar Hunt, Jason Bravo and Cameron Fuller ran 45.27, knocking two-hundreths of a second off their league time.
Although he didn’t place, senior Tom Clark took 11th in the javelin and set a personal best of 150 feet, five inches in the process.
Mitchell rounded out the field, with a 12th place finish and a leap of 39 feet, nine and one half inch, in the triple jump.
Girls Individual Results: 100m hurdles: 14. Amanda Gordon, 17.40; 18. Tina Nicolas, 17.75; 100m: 3. Jenny White 12.66; 1600m: 25. Leonila Celestino 5:46.57; 4x100m Relay: 5. Oak Harbor (Gretyl Pruss, La’Paris Rush, Nicolas, White), 51.31; 300m hurdles: 10. Amanda Gordon, 49.32; 800m: 16. Meghan Newsome, 2:34.11; 200m: 3. White, 26.17; 4x200m Relay: 3. Oak Harbor (Pruss, Rush, ChrisGanna Cooper, White), 1:48.19; 4x400m Relay: 13. Oak Harbor (Jessica Brundidge, Celestino, Keely Smollack, Challon Waldron), 4:32.88; Shot Put: 10. Jessica Gilbert, 31-10.50; Discus: 6. Gilbert, 108-06; Javelin: 10. Amy McElroy, 102-04; Triple Jump: 22. Smollack, 29-02.50.
Boys Individual Results: 1600m: 25. Chris Wichers, 4:40.62; 4x100m Relay: 5. Oak Harbor (Dennis Mitchell, Olimar Hunt, Jason Bravo, Cameron Fuller) 45.27; 400m: 5. Joe Carreras, 52.25; 800m: 25. Richard Carter, 2:07.45; 200m: 16. Fuller, 23.90; 4x400m Relay: 9. Oak Harbor (David Marriott, Fuller, Hunt, Carreras) 3:34.82; Javelin: 11. Tom Clark, 150-05; High Jump: t13. Hunt, 5-06; Long Jump: 22. Fuller, 18-01; Triple Jump: 12. Dennis Mitchell, 39-09.50.
