The Class 4A District 4 track and field meet is the last step before the state meet.
The best athletes Tuesday at McKenzie Stadium will be doing the Tacoma two-step, having qualified in multiple events.
And Camas hurdlers Ryan Gunther and Jordan Davis three-stepped their way toward the sunset of successful high school careers.
The seniors went out in style at their last district meet. They swept the hurdle events, in which the fastest runners take just three steps between leaps in the shorter races.
Gunther won the 110 hurdles in 14.71 seconds to repeat as district champion.
About 30 minutes later, he won his third district title in the 300 hurdles, in which he finished second in state last year.
“It’s a great feeling to be able to come out here and see all the hard work pay off,” Gunther said. “It gives me a lot of confidence heading into state.”
Davis also has state in her sights. She won her third consecutive district title in the 100 hurdles.
She then repeated as district champ in the 300 hurdles, winning by nearly two seconds in 44.54. Davis, who placed fourth at state last year, owns the third-fastest 300 hurdles time in Class 4A this year.
“Today, I ran the fastest time I could so I could get a good lane for state,” she said. “It’s going to be hard up there. I used this meet to prepare for it, for sure.”
Before moving on to the state meet May 28-30 in Tacoma, Gunther paused to reflect on a district meet in which he’s had so much success.
“Track has always been a big part of my life,” Gunther said. “Being able to close the sixth-through-twelfth grade chapter like this is a really good feeling.”
Battle Ground’s Jossilyn Blackman is another athlete closing her high school career with a bang.
Tuesday, she became the meet’s only winner of three individual events. One day after winning the shot put and javelin, the senior won the discus.
On her last of six throws, Blackman reached 124 feet, 8 inches to move past Nicole Corbett of Camas, who finished second in 122-6.
“My dad and coaches said ‘just give it your all,” Blackman said. “I just relaxed. I had been thinking too much on the other throws. I said ‘I’m my best friend, I can do this.’ That’s a quote my grandma gave me.”
Blackman suffered a broken bone in her foot in March. She spent part of the track season throwing in a protective walking boot.
“I didn’t think I’d win all three, honestly,” Blackman said. “I was hoping to qualify in all three, but I didn’t imagine winning all of them.”
Alissa Pudlitzke of Camas and Kaden Harbertson on Skyview completed district distance doubles.
One day after winning the 3,200 meters, Pudlitzke pulled away from Union’s Alexis Fuller and Emma Jenkins of Camas to win the 1,600 meters.
“I really wanted to come out here and finish strong,” the Boise State-bound senior said. “I’ve been working on picking up my legs in the last 400 (meters). If I’m going to win, that’s where I’m going to win it from.”
Harbertson also used a strong kick on the final lap to add the 3,200 to the 1,600 title he won Monday. He said having a strong kick is a must to place high at state.
“There will be a lot of fast guys in that race, so it’s going to come down to that kick,” he said. “We’ll see who has the best one.”
Evergreen sprinter Kobey Eaton ruled the boys sprinting events. He won the 100, 200 and ran a blistering anchor leg in the 400 relay to help the Plainsmen pass Camas right before the finish.
Eaton said his key is to focus his adrenaline.
“You can either relax or get as mad as you can,” the senior said. “But you have to focus it all into that one race.”
Camas won the girls team title with 193.5 points, 41.5 ahead of Union.
Skyview won the boys title with 199.5 points. Camas finished second with 137.
The top two athletes in each event qualified for state.
