Haleigh Sudbeck of Camas took first place in the girls competition at the Washington State High School Hammer Championships.
Sudbeck, a Camas High School junior, threw the hammer 154 feet, 7 inches. Her mark was almost nine feet farther than runner up Riley Scocco of Shorewood Christian.
That throw was not quite her personal best. But a week later she extended her PR with a throw of 164 feet at a meet in McMinnville.
“My coaches, and lots and lots of support from my family” are the keys to success, she said.
Among her summer meets will be the USA Track and Field Hershey Youth Nationals, June 30 to July 5 at Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill.
The high school hammer throw state meet was held the day after the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association state track and field championships. It was contested at Spokane Valley.
Morgan Kielty of Camas (100-9) placed seventh in the girls competition. Annabellie Jiganie of Hockinson (84-1) finished 10th and Sophie Eagle of Camas (83-8) placed 11th.
Camas freshman Grant Jones finished 19th in the boys competition.
Dragon boat teams place in Rose Festival
Two boats with visually impaired rowers placed fourth in their division during the Rose Festival dragon boat races, which took place June 6-7 on the Willamette River in Portland.
Lethally Blind medaled in Division C, and WASABI VIP placed in Division B.
More than 30 people with vision loss participated in the dragon boat races, according to team captain Char Cook. The teams included rowers of all ages from around the metro area who train three times a week on the Willamette River. There are no special accommodations made for rowers with sight limitations, Cook said.
The dragon boat teams are part of the team sports program of the Vancouver-based Northwest Association for Blind Athletes. The program provides opportunities for people with visual impairments to participate in sports and physical fitness.
“Opportunities like these are essential to building confidence, self esteem, and physical fitness, all of which improve quality of life for individuals who are blind or visually impaired in our community,” said Billy Henry, founder and executive director of the NWABA.
Run, run, run this weekend
The fifth Vancouver USA Marathon and Half Marathon take place Sunday. On Saturday, the Freedom 5K will give runners and walkers a taste of the course for Sunday’s endurance runs.
The 5-kilometer run and walk starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver. Cost to register on Friday or Saturday at the VUM Active Expo is $45. This run is open to all ages.
The Vancouver USA Marathon starts at 7 a.m. on Sunday. The half marathon starts at 9 a.m.
The VUM Active Expo will be held in Esther Short Park from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Solstice fun run Saturday — The Summer Solstice Urban Obstacle Course Race will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday in downtown Vancouver.
The race will involve running or walking 3 to 6 miles with 15 stations where participants will complete a physical or mental challenge then receive a clue to help them find the next station. Costumes are encouraged, and participants can enter as teams of four, pairs or as individuals.
The event will start at Northwest Personal Training, 1011 Broadway, and end at Esther Short Park.
Cost is $45 in advance, $50 on the day of the race. The Clark County Food Bank will benefit from this event.
To register or to learn more, visit http://whyracingevents.com or call 360-574-7292.
Locals to pitch, hit, run at Safeco
Three children from Clark County will participate on Sunday in the Seattle Mariners competition in the Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit and Run contest. The team competition takes place at Safeco Field following the Mariners game against the Houston Astros.
Madeline Mihorn of Vancouver will compete in the age group for girls age 7-8. Elyssa Castro of Vancouver will compete in the division for girls age 11-12. Kaden Emerson of Woodland will compete in the division for boys age 7-8.
Participants in Sunday’s team championship qualified by winning local and sectional competitions this spring.
Winners on Sunday who score among the top three in their division nationally during this phase of the competition will qualify for the July 13 national championships, which will be held before the All-Star Game Home Run Derby in Cincinnati.
CCRC summer run series continues
Kaden Harbertson of Vancouver won the Clark County Running Club’s Wednesday 5-kilometer run on June 10. Harbertson, 18, completed the 3.1-mile course at an near Heritage High School in 15 minutes and 29 seconds.
Jenny Teppo of Vancouver was the first female to finish. Her time was 20:24.
A total of 124 runners finished the race. Complete results are in the Community Sports Scoreboard.
The weekly series will run on the same course this Wednesday. The run starts at 7 p.m. at Heritage High School. Participants should arrive by 6:30 to register. Cost is $2, free for members of the Clark County Running Club.
COMMUNITY SPORTS NEWS is published each Tuesday. Submit items by calling 360-735-4521 or by sending email to paul.danzer@columbian.com..
