2A/3A/4A State Track: RAL vaulter's big day caps plenty of local placers

No worries for the young pole vaulter, though, who cleared 10 feet, 9 inches on her second attempt — topping her previous best of 10-6 — and then doing it again just moments later when she cleared 11-3, to finish fourth in the Class 2A pole vault Friday at the 2A/3A/4A State Championships at Mount Tahoma High School.

“I was just trying to keep my mind in a good spot and keep telling myself ‘I can do this,’” Yates said. “It’s really kind of a shock. I’m just so happy.”

She was just one of several local placers on Friday, the second day of the three-day event. Woodland’s Julia Stepper finished third in the 2A long jump, Kelso’s Colton Johnson placed third in 3A shot put and Kelso’s Kirstin Mury was a runner-up in the 3A javelin.

Woodland’s Jacob Davis finished second in the 110 hurdles with a 14.70, trailing only River Ridge’s Josh Braverman, who ran a 14.07. Davis also qualified out of the 300 hurdles prelims Friday

While the others were expected to finish high in their respective events and put up strong, though not personal-best, marks, it was the giddy Yates who stood out.

After topping 10-9, the sophomore hopped back to her pole. An 11-3 mark seemed inevitable. On her second attempt at 11-6, she almost cleared that too, but she just hit the bar slightly too firm.

“After I PR’d once I was so excited, I wanted to do it again,” Yates said. “It was a lot of fun.”

Only a sophomore, Yates has big aspirations. She always wanted to try pole vault growing up and now is eyeing more than a foot of improvement by next spring.

“I’m hoping maybe 12-6 next year, maybe 12-9,” Yates said. “But I just want to keep going, keep working hard. Wherever that takes me, I’ll be content with because that’s just improvement.”

Compared to Yates, Kelso’s senior javelin thrower was subdued. An Azusa Pacific signee, Mury’s throw of 129 feet, 10 inches on the third attempt of preliminaries wasn’t enough to earn a second state title, as Mount Spokane’s Olivia Prewitt won the event with a 131-4.

“It feels alright. I don’t feel like accomplished,” Mury said. “I feel like I have more to do. … I was going in trying to get first, but fell short.”

Mury will try to complete that unfinished business in college, but this time, she’ll be without a coach that knows her pretty well — her mother, Michelle.

“It’s been pretty great,” Mury said of spending time with her mom as coach the past four years. “She brought me into javelin so I would have never done it if she wasn’t my coach. There’s been struggles also. She’s my mom also so I see her 24/7 but I think it’s brought us closer”

Her Hilander teammate was plenty pleased with his 54-11.25 in the shot put, as he took third in his first state appearance in the event. Mount Spokane’s Dillon Lionello won the event with a 59-11.25.

It gives Johnson plenty of momentum heading into Saturday’s discus, typically his better event.

“It feels really good. I’ve never made it past districts before so any opportunity past districts was a blessing,” Johnson said. “I feel good because I’m coming off a big win, in my opinion.”

And back at the 2A ranks, Stepper’s quest for a first state title — she’s qualified in four events — fell just short. The senior and Seattle Pacific University signee leapt 17-2.5 on her second jump of the day and could do no better. She finished third, as East Valley’s JojeAnn won the 2A long jump with a 17-4.75.

“I’m not that disappointed. I knew going in that it just wasn’t my day in the long jump,” Stepper said. “I’ve been kind of inconsistent this year. I’ve had some really good jumps throughout the year. There’s nothing to be ashamed about. I’ve already PR’d this year and that’s what counts. I could have done better, but it’s OK. I still have three other events and I have high hopes for that.”

While it might not have been her day in the long jump, she was certainly well-prepared for the 100 preliminaries. The senior sprinted over to the 100 immediately after her final jump in her morning event. She didn’t even have time to look at the mark.

“It’s very difficult. It plays mind games with you,” Stepper said of the overlapping events. “You have to be paying attention to two different things. As much as you want to focus on one event, you have to semi-focus on the other so you’re not fully concentrated. I constantly get nervous because I don’t want to miss it. That would be really bad. They don’t give second chances.”

The stress must make Stepper run quicker, though, because she clocked a 12-second flat in the 100 — just a hair behind her 11.95 at last week’s district championships. She also qualified for finals in the 200 on Friday.

She joined Kelso’s Carlee Sams with blistering 100 times, as the Lassie sprinter matched her school-record mark of 12.24 to finish second in her heat and easily qualify for the finals Saturday. She also qualified in the 200 with a 25.60.

“I think my start was good and I held my form,” Sams said of what worked well Friday. “My goal is just to place at state, because last year I didn’t, make it past prelims and I did.”

R.A. Long’s Evan Davidson cleared 12 feet and Mark Morris’ Brian Naillon topped 11-6 in the pole vault. Their finishes were not posted at press time. Sedro Woolley’s Thomas Janicki won the event with a 15-0.