Makana Stone placed among the top eight in two events at the tri-district track meet preliminaries at King’s Thursday, May 22, and earned spots in the finals.

The finals begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 24, at King’s.

Stone finished third in the 400 meters (59.48) and sixth in the 200 (27.06).

The first five in each event in the finals qualify for the state meet, which is May 30 and 31 at Eastern Washington University in Cheney.

The finals in the tri-district shot put where held Thursday, and Coupeville freshman Skyler Lawrence placed 13th (28-08).

The boys 4×100 relay team (Lathom Kelley, Brandon Kelley, Sebastian Davis, Jared Helmstadter; 46.42) and the girls 4×200 team (Sylvia Hurlburt, Stone, Laura Grove, Marisa Etzell; 1:49.36) each missed qualifying for the finals by one spot, placing ninth.

Hurlburt ran 11th in the 100 (13.54) and 12th in the 200 (28.03), and Etzell placed 11th in the 400 (1:04.35) preliminaries.

Sophomore Helmstadter was 12th in the boys 400 (55.61).

The girls 4×100 relay (Hurlburt, Grove, Ashlyn Miller and Etzell) was 10th (52.87), and the boys 4×400 (Lathom Kelley, Brandon Kelley, Davis and Helmstadter) finished 12th (3:47.24.)

The tri-district finals in the girls 400 should be a preamble to the state finals in the event.

Girls who hold the top five 1A times in the state this spring, as well as the eighth-best time, will compete in the tri-district final. In fact, the eight best times are from athletes at tri-district, but two are not competing in the event this week.

Stone is third on the state top-10 list with a school-record 59.35.

Maya Jackson of Northwest leads the pack with a 57.44, followed by King’s Anna Parker at 59.35.

This battle for supremacy in the 400 should continue for several years. Stone, Jackson and Parker are all sophomores. The fourth-best time of 60.04 is owned by freshman Rachelle Mayes of Seattle Christian.