The 2024 Track season came to a close from May 23rd through the 25th with the State Track and Field Championships in Yakima at Eisenhower High School. The Tigers had 9 athletes qualify for the State Meet: the girls 4x100m relay team made up of freshman Jaxin Prather, sophomore Maddie Dickinson, juniors Emily Kang and Jessie McCoy and senior Keira O'Neill. Individual qualifiers were O'Neill for the high jump and triple jump. Junior, Haley Gallagher for the pole vault. Dickinson for the 100m and 200m dash to round out the girls side. On the boys side were juniors Colin Shields for the shot put and javelin, Austin Lyons for the 110m hurdles, 300m hurdles and triple jump. Rounding out the boys was sophomore Case Van Kooten for the 110m hurdles and 100m dash.
At the Championship meet, Field events are completed in one day, with events spread out from Thursday through Saturday. Running events consist of preliminary heats being ran on Thursday and Friday, with the exception of the 1600m and 3200m, which are only ran once. In order to qualify for a top 8 finish, during prelims an athlete must either win their heat, or have one of the next 6 fastest times.
At the championships, O'Neill earned 3rd place in the high jump and 4th place in the triple jump.
Shields earned 3rd place in the javelin and 8th place in the shot put on Friday.
Lyons earned 6th place in the triple jump and 8th place in the 300m hurdles.
(Above photos taken by Kody Kristen and Ridley Hudson of the Chronicle)
Congratulations to those athletes that brought home a state medal, and to all the other qualifiers for representing Napavine High School well!