The Vashon High School track and field team came flying out of the starting blocks and bolted down the track like a flash of lighting in their first meet of the season held at Charles Wright Academy.

Both the boys’ team and girls’ teams put on an impressive performance. The girls placed second as a team, and the boys placed third in the team scoring out of five other Nisqually league schools on March 15.

The girls’ 4×100 meter relay consisting of Annabelle Moeckel, Amelia Medeiros, Lena Puz, and Alana Bass picked up where they had left off from their fifth-place finish at the state meet last year by winning handily in a time of 54.31. The Vashon girls’ 4×400 meter relay also cruised to victory in a time of 4:30 minutes. The relay consisted of Alana Bass, Hannah Coicaud, Emily Harrington, and Lena Puz.

Medeiros also placed second in the girls’ discus with a throw of 100 feet and 7 inches. Puz took second in the girls 100-meter hurdles with a time of 18.56. Kiara Bartell placed second in the high jump with a mark of 4 feet 4 inches. Madeline Yarkin cruised to a victory in the girls’ 1600-meter race in 5:57 minutes, and lana Bass took first in the girls’ 400 meters in 1:02.18 minutes — and also took first in the girls’ long jump at 15 feet 3 inches.

It was a Pirate sweep in the girls’ 800 meters as the first three places were occupied by Emily Harrington, Madeline Yarkin, and Cecelia Guenther.

Bodie Thomas hit the accelerator for a full eight laps and stopped the clock at 9 minutes 58 seconds, and getting the victory in the boys’ 3200-meter race. Thomas then kept his foot on the gas and outlasted the competition in the boys’ 1600 with a time of 4:35 minutes.

Alec Pottinger took second in the boys’ shot put contest, with a mark of 40 feet 8 inches, and also took third place in the boys’ discus, with a throw of 105 feet and 8 inches.

On Saturday, March 18, the pirates traveled to Rainier High School to compete in the Icebreaker Invitational. The girls took second overall as a team, out of 25 other schools, and the boys placed 16th overall out of 27 other schools.

Highlights from this invitational meet included Bodie Thomas winning the boys’ 1600-meter race in 4:33 minutes and Alana Bass winning the girls’ 200-meter race in 26:87 minutes, as well as the long jump with a mark of 16 feet and 4 inches.

Emily Harrington took the victory in the girls’ 800-meters in 2:24 minutes. On Tuesday, March 28 (after press time), the Pirates hosted three other schools on the VHS track. VHS will also host the Nisqually League Championship meet at the end of the season.

Kevin Ross is the head coach of Vashon High School Track and Field.