Moses Lake field athletes at the forefront

MOSES LAKE — For the past few seasons, Moses Lake track and field — especially the girls team — was highlighted by the sprinters.

Known affectionately as “The Four Horsemen,” Alysha Overland, Stephanie Overland, Arlena Hannan and Casci Carpenter led Moses Lake to three straight District 6 Championships and top 20 finishes at the state meet.

With that quartet graduated, the focal point of Moses Lake has shifted from the flash and pizazz of the track to the grit and grind of the field.

Currently, four field athletes are ranked in the top 15 of their respective events in Class 4A: Jacob Duvall (discus), Draven Nevarez (javelin), Elly Johnson (discus) and Heather Carbon (pole vault).

Improved numbers have contributed to the resurgence.

“My freshman year I think we had a total of nine throwers completely,” Johnson said. “This year is probably the most throwers we’ve had in a long time so just a lot of athletes out and working hard every day.”

Johnson burst onto the Columbia Basin Big Nine track and field scene as freshman in 2014, winning a district championship in the discus with a mark of 133’ 10.00. However, the nerves of the state meet caused Johnson to foul on all her attempts.

“I used to get really nervous and I wouldn’t do so well if I was really nervous,” she said.

Although Johnson was unable to defend her district title as a sophomore, she took seventh at state with a throw of 121’ 7.00. Ranked fourth in Class 4A right now, Johnson says her footwork is the only thing preventing her from eclipsing the 130-foot mark again.

“My footwork speed and strength,” she said. “That’s really it. I’ve been working hard every day and just really trying to get it down to PR (personal record) again hopefully at districts then I hope to PR again at state.”

Also in the discus, Duvall — ranked 14th in Class 4A — has improved his personal record by over 40 feet from freshman to senior year.

Nevarez shot up the state leaderboard after a mammoth throw at the Kiwanis Invitational. Nevarez’s mark of 177’ 6.00 was good for second at the Kiwanis Invitational, put him ranked second in the CBBN and tied for 10th in Class 4A.

“My plan was working for me that day, I guess,” he said.

Something about flying through the air suits Carbon, who made the state diving finals in the fall. As a pole vaulter, Carbon’s mark of 11’ 6.00 has her ranked fourth in Class 4A and second in the CBBN.

“I guess I’m just an adrenaline junkie,” she said. “I did gymnastics for a long time growing up and I just love defying gravity, I guess. It’s always been fun for me.”

Last year, Carbon finished 11th at state, clearing 10 feet. Extra work in Wenatchee in the offseason, Carbon explained, helped improve her personal record by a foot this season.

“I drove up to Wenatchee every week and practiced with the team over there indoors and that really helped a lot,” she said. “Just getting a different type of coaching and more practice over the winter and did a lot of strength training so that really helped too.”

The first day of the District 6 Championships begin Thursday at Eastmont, concluding with Day 2 on Saturday.

For Moses Lake’s athletes the goal is simple: “Make state.”