Numerous CWAC track athletes on to state meet

PROSSER - Othello's Christine Kirkwood continued her dominance in the javelin and the Quincy and Ephrata boys team made their marks at Friday's CWAC/Great Northern League Regional at Prosser's Art Fiker Stadium.

Kirkwood won the javelin, staying unbeaten in 2011, and her throw of 173-09, eclipsed her state record and moved her to number two in the national rankings, trailing only Avione Allgood of North Las Vegas, Nev.

Ephrata's boys finished second with 107.5 points behind Cheney (115), while Quincy ended up third with 79 points.

Othello's boys scored 17 points, good enough for 12th place.

In the girls' competition, Ephrata led the Columbia Basin contingent with a sixth-place finish (50 points), while Othello scored 34 points (12th place) and Quincy ended up with 20 points (15th place).

The top four finishers in each event qualified for the Class 2A state meet which takes place at Mt. Tahoma High School in Tacoma starting Thursday.

Ephrata qualified in seven individual events and two relays also stayed alive in this postseason.

Jacob Green won the 400-meter run (50.37) and Steven Monda took first in the 800-meter run (1:58.25) while both the 4x100-meter relay (Skyler Mann, Christian Nuckolls, Green and Micah Ohl, 43.02), 4x400-meter relay (Ohl, Green, Kyle Charles and Monda, 3:25.83) teams also captured top spots.

Ohl also qualified in the 200-meter run (second, 22.55) and 100-meter run (third place, 11.25), while Nuckolls (third place, long jump, 20-5.5) and Layton Lange (third place, triple jump, 41-05) also are headed to Tacoma in individual events.

Additionally, Charles added a qualifying score in the 800-meter run (second place, 1:58.85) to his state resume and Brad Christensen (fourth place, javelin, 164-05.5) did the same.

The Jacks of Quincy qualified six track members and their excellence was best on display in the pole vault as Luke Grigg took first (14-09) and he will be joined by Darren Hodges and Michael Veenendaal who tied for third place (13-06).

Grigg also heads to Tacoma via a second place finish in both the 110-meter hurdles (15.15) and 300-meter hurdles (40.48).

Ian Huxtable is another Quincy double qualifier as he finished second in the long jump (21.02.5) and tied for third in the high jump (6-00).

Armando Tafoya's third place in the shot put (49-11) and Adrian Diaz's 10:15.24 (fourth place) performance in the 3,200-meter run are also state worthy.

Two Othello Huskies are also wrapping their season up in the final meet of the year as Antonio Estrada (third place, 400-meter run, 50.94) and Alan Garza (third place, 3,200-meter run, 10:14.15) will represent their school at state.

Girls joining Kirkwood, who also won the discus (127-08), at state, are fellow Lady Huskies Tana O'Connell (tied for second, high jump, 5'), and Quincy's Jazmine Perez (fourth place, 400-meter run, 1:00.39).

Ephrata will send the largest contingent to Tacoma as Abby Smith (second place, shot put, 35-10.5), Erin Monda (third place, 300-meter hurdles, 48.18) and Hannah Gunderson (fourth place, 800-meter run, 2:23.78) are all Tacoma-bound.