The VHS track and field team has enjoyed mild weather, focused workouts and the fruits of their hard labor as they measure their success with a multitude of personal records (PRs) set in competition over the past two weeks.
The team participated in two league meets held in April at Charles Wright Academy and the Eighth Annual BCS Invite, held at Interlake High School in Bellevue last Saturday.
Track meets can offer a fresh egalitarian perspective for high school sport spectators, where the spirited celebration of those who come in last place often surpasses that of the winners. Those athletes who achieve the top spots are honored and decorated, but the good sportsmanship, team efforts and personal achievements demonstrated by all the participants are really the name of the game. This ethic was captured at the BCS Invite, when the last runner to cross the line in the girls’ 3200 meter race did so a full six minutes after the first-place finisher. The infield crowd of 20 schools and the families in the stands all cheered her on to her last-place finish.
Last Saturday’s meet in Bellevue incorporated hundreds of competitors from a variety of regional schools and offered a challenge for the Pirates in the “waiting game,” as the athletes spent nearly seven hours at the site, prepping for their events. The wait for junior Kat Andrus paid off as she stole first place and was awarded the gold baton in the girls’ triple jump with her lovely leap of 35 feet, 7.75 inches. An added bonus was the announcement that Andrus’ jump set a new BCS Invite meet record. Senior Arthur Moore also put the long wait to his advantage, as he flew past his own long jump record by over a foot to 17 feet, 1.5 inches. Moore also had a PR in the triple jump.
Senior Natalie VanDevanter launched the discus to a new PR of 89 feet, 8 inches, which earned her an eighth-place ribbon.
After weeks of pushing himself training, freshman Paolo Peani found his stride and his place on the track as he stacked up a couple of big PRs on Saturday — his first in the boys’ long jump at 16 feet, 11.25 inches; followed by a sprint of 26.51 seconds in the boys’ 200 meter. Senior Annika Hille found success in the same two events, as she steamed her way to the finish in 26.82 seconds in the 200 meters and leapt just a hair over 16 feet in the long jump to earn the second-place spot in both events.
With the post-spring break focus on accelerated improvement and better training conditions on the track, the team reaped the rewards of their hard work at last Thursday’s league meet at Charles Wright. Twenty participating Pirates racked up 16 PRs for the day. After lopping off an impressive eight seconds, junior Lauren Jenks grabbed a PR and second place in the 800 meter race with 2:30.70. In the sprints, Marie Kier, Analeah Olson and Colbi Kubo each had a PR in the 100 meters, as well as Ava Bostock in the 200 meters. Further achievements included a mighty javelin throw by Andrus of 96 feet, 4 inches for third place, as well as javelin improvements for Jordan Bezoenik and track meet newcomer Maria Gilmour.
On the boys’ side, Italian exchange student Gabriel Oillaro improved his time in the 1600 meter race, earning him his best finish this season in third place and a PR of 5:32:99.
The VHS team will look for more competition and more improvements today, Wednesday, as they participate in a meet hosted by Emerald City League at West Seattle Stadium. The Nisqually League championship meet will be held Saturday, May 14.
— Carrie Van Buren is the mother of a track and
field athlete.
