Washington (WIAA) state track 2023: High school 2A/3A/4A championship meet live updates, top storylines, winners (Day 1)

Editor's note: SBLive is providing live updates from the 2A/3A/4A state track meet in Tacoma as well as the state softball and state baseball championships.

Editor's note: SBLive is providing live updates from the 2A/3A/4A state track meet in Tacoma as well as the state softball and state baseball championships.TACOMA, Wash. — The WIAA Class 4A/3A/2A track and field championships are underway Thursday at Mount Tahoma Stadium.

We will have updates throughout the day on emerging storylines:

SECOND-YEAR YELM TRACK ATHLETE HITS MAGICAL 50 FEET

If you need a teenager to do a public-service announcement to how fun the triple jump is - Yelm's Trevontay Smith is your guy.

When Smith came to track and field for the first time last spring, a bunch of events were introduced to him.

The demanding triple jump stuck - and he set the WIAA Class 3A meet record Thursday with his mark of 50 feet, 41/2 inches.

"It never felt too bad on my legs," Smith said. "I’ve been doing sports my whole life, like basketball and football. I’ve been grinding, so my legs are used to heavy mileage."

Smith said he was dragging is feet early in preliminaries. But after "being overdramatic with my steps," he launched to his career-best mark on the final attempt of qualifying.

It's the best mark in Washington since 2020 when Federal Way's James Akinlosotu went 50-5.

"It felt good, it felt good," Smith said.

EMERALD RIDGE SOPHOMORE CONTINUES TO SPARKLE

It was a productive first day of the WIAA track and field meet for talented Emerald Ridge sophomore JaiCieonna Gero-Holt.

As the defending Class 4A champion, she qualified first in the 100-meter hurdles, registering a time just short of her personal best - 14.46 seconds.

Then, she completed a big comeback in the girls javelin, winning the event on her final throw - 139 feet, 3 inches.

"One thing I’ve really been trying to do is not stress that even if all my events are at the same time, I know God will make it for me to do what I need to do," Gero-Holt said.

As far as the javelin being her "redemption" event - she placed seventh a year ago, and it was the only WIAA event she did not win at the state meet - she dismissed that talk.

"No," she said. "unless it is redeeming myself for PR'ing. I am not competing against anybody but myself. Whether I get second, third or last, if I am content with what I did, I am not mad. I am not mad."

CLASSIC HEAD-TO-HEAD DUEL IN BOYS JAVELIN PRODUCES TOP MARK

From the time Yelm's Brayden Platt stepped on the runway for his first throw in the Class 3A boys javelin preliminaries, it was obvious he meant business.

Platt ripped a 209-footer right away.

And Central Kitsap's Roderick Schenk didn't blink whatsoever right after him. He produced a meet-record mark of 219-1 to win the event.

"I connected with it pretty good," Schenk said.

Throughout the competition, Platt kept the pressure on. Five of his six throws were over 200-0 - with a career-best 216-0 on the first attempt of finals.

But Schenk - the state leader coming in - won out.

SQUALICUM STANDOUT SETS MEET HURDLES RECORD

It didn't take long for Squalicum's Andre Korbmacher to stoke some excitement in the infield Thursday.

Athletes stopped warming up to take in his preliminary heat in the Class 2A 110-meter hurdles.

He did not disappoint - he broke his own meet record with a time of 13.80 seconds, winning his heat easily.

Because of a nagging hamstring injury that sidelined him much of the first half of the season, Korbmacher elected to just run the high-hurdles race in Tacoma.

"Most of it was because I had to relearn a lot of stuff when I got back into it," Korbmacher said. "It was hard to do both the 300 and 110 (hurdles) ... so just being able to focus on the 110s, it feels nice."

Afterward, a host of athletes came up and marveled at his race.

"I do it for the sport - I love the sport," the Florida State University signee said. "Having people cheer for me makes me feel good."

QUICK HITS

* Say this for Federal Way's Jaylon Jenkins, he can pull greatness out of the fire. He wen to his final attempt to clear 6-4 in the Class 4A boys jump to stay alive for the even title - and did the same thing in winning it at 6-8.

"I like the pressure," Jenkins said. "It gives me a boost of energy to get over it and stay calm."

* Federal Way junior Cassandra Akins repeated as Class 4A girls triple jump champion, winning in 40-81/2.

Except this time, she felt like she did it alone. Longtime teammate Esther Akinlosotu graduated last spring and is now competing at the University of Arizona.

"I miss her so much," Atkins said. "I love my team, but without her, it’s not the same."

* University of Washington football signee Jacob Lane decided to try something new this spring at Emerald Ridge - track and field. He took up the throwing events.

And his debut season came with a magical ending - a Class 4A shot put title. He threw a personal-best 56-11 on his final throw of the meet to win.

"I could feel it coming the whole time," Lane said. "Before my last throw, I said a quick prayer, took a few deep breaths and tried to clear my mind. I focused only on getting my foot down in the right spot and exploding through my throw."

LIST OF 2023 WIAA CLASS 4A, 3A and 2A EVENT WINNERS

Class 4A girls 1,600-meter run: Anna Callahan, Skyline, 4:44.05

Class 3A girls 1,600-meter run: Julia Couch, Auburn Riverside, 4:52.04

Class 2A girls 1,600-meter run: Jessica Frydenlund, Anacortes, 4:59.87

Class 4A boys 1,600-meter run: Isaac Briggs, Rogers of Puyallup, 4:13.19

Class 3A boys 1,600-meter run: Owen Powell, Mercer Island, 4:07.75

Class 2A boys 1,600-meter run: Zack Munson, Sehome, 4:13.64

Class 4A girls javelin: JaiCieonna Gero-Holt, Emerald Ridge, 139-3

Class 3A girls shot put: Pray'Cesslily Kamuta, Lincoln of Tacoma, 41-111/4

Class 2A girls long jump: Chayse Flick-Williams, Bellingham, 17-7

Class 4A boys high jump: Jaylon Jenkins, Federal Way, 6-8

Class 3A boys triple jump: Trevontay Smith, Yelm, 50-41/2

Class 2A boys discus: Trey Webb, Prosser, 158-8

Class 4A girls triple jump: Cassandra Atkins, Federal Way, 40-81/2

Class 3A girls high jump: Atreonia Garner, Spanaway Lake, 5-3

Class 2A girls discus: Sara Leasiolagi, Olympic, 116-10

Class 4A boys shot put: Jacob Lane, Emerald Ridge, 56-11

Class 3A boys javelin: Roderick Schenk, Central Kitsap, 219-1

Class 2A boys long jump: Jayden Barta, West Valley of Spokane, 22-91/4

(Featured photo by Vince Miller)