4 performances you should not have missed from Washington (WIAA) state track 2023, Day 1

TACOMA, Wash. - It's pretty obvious Central Kitsap's Roderick Schenk and Yelm's Brayden Platt have a working friendship going in the track-and-field circles.

For starters, they compete in the same 3A South Sound Conference. And they came into the first day of the WIAA Class 4A/3A/2A track and field meet at Mount Tahoma Stadium as the top two javelin throwers in Washington.

But as many gentle-giant qualities Platt - arguably the state's top football player in the class of 2024 - displays, he knows when it's time to deliver a lick.

* WIAA CLASS 4A/3A/2A TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS, DAY 1 LIVE THREAD

When he did, Schenk was ready - and gave one back in an action-packed, record-setting Class 3A javelin competition.

Five of Platt's six attempts were 200 feet or longer, including a 209-0 right off the bat - and later a personal-best 216-0.

But after Platt planted that initial throw, Schenk came right back with his own career-best - a meet-record 219-1 to win the event.

"I just knew I could do it," Schenk said. "There is obviously no way to know for sure. But I didn’t have any doubt stepping on the runway."

In fact, after Platt started off with 209-0, Schenk stared off to where the meet official marked the throw - and visualized something greater.

"I could see the marker and I was it like, 'I can throw over that,'" Schenk said.

Indeed, the state leader did.

"After my first throw, and then after his first throw, it encouraged me to throw further," Platt said.

A year ago, it was Walla Walla's Dash Sirmon who upended Platt's bid to win this event. Sirmon set the 3A meet record with his 216-3; Platt was the runner-up at 191-9.

Where was Schenk? He placed 11th at 158-0.

"Last year, I was just kind of not locked in," said Schenk, who battled various back ailments, too.

Healthy, he was this spring, becoming the West Sound's all-time javelin leader - and setting the school record by 9 feet.

"I've started to see the results," Schenk said.

SQUALICUM'S ANDRE KORBMACHER NETS 2A HURDLES MARK

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."

FINALLY! YELM'S TREVONTAY SMITH CLEARS 50 FEET IN TRIPLE JUMP

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'S JAICIEONNA GERO-HOLT SHOWS OFF VERSATILITY

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."