You’d never know by watching him race, but Steven McCombs hated the 300-meter hurdles at the start of the track and field season.
“Too long, too hard,” the King’s Way Christian senior said. “But once I starting pulling some good point times, I started to enjoy it more.”
Well then McCombs must have been having a grand time Friday at the Class 1A district meet when he posted a personal-best by winning the 300 hurdles in 41.03 seconds. King’s Way teammate Austin Benton was more than a second behind in second place in 42.30.
McCombs’ time Friday ranks him third in the state among Class 1A hurdles. He leads the state at 1A in the 110 hurdles.
“My goal is to win a state title in the 110,” he said. “Then I want to go out, run the 300, have some fun and put up a good time.”
McCombs’ won the 110 hurdles Friday in 16.45 seconds ahead of La Center’s Jeremy Scott (16.71).
For Stevenson’s Madison McCrum, Friday’s track and field at McKenzie Stadium felt a little bit like cross country race. McCrum competed in the long jump and triple jump, which are held at the top of the stadium berm. She also took part in the pole vault and 400 relay down on the track.
“I don’t know how many times I went up and down that hill,” she said. “Too many. I was up there for the triple jump, had to go down for the pole vault, then back up for (triple jump) finals, down for the relays, up for the long jump.”
But the trips were worthwhile as she repeated as district pole vault champion, clearing 8 feet, 9 inches, and won the long jump (16-4½). She also placed second in the triple jump.
“But I set a school record in the triple jump,” she said. “I had gone 35-8, but went 36-0 today, so that was nice.”
Other highlights
• Stevenson’s Brandon Campbell won his fourth consecutive district title in the boys pole vault at 13-7.
• La Center’s Philipp Tistov took advantage of a false start by top-seeded Tanner Birdsall of Montesano in the 100 meters. Tistov won in 11.34 seconds. He was also second in the 400 and third in the 200.
• La Center’s Nate Beed won the 800 (2:04.12) and Mathew Sheldon won the high jump (6-2).
• La Center qualified three athletes for state in the 100 hurdles. Jenna Melanson won in 16.38 with teammates Grace Nelson finishing third (17.41) and Shelby Vermeulen was fourth (17.50). Melanson swept the hurdle events, taking the 300 hurdles in 47.30.
• Kari Staples of King’s Way Christian placed second in the 100 (12.95) and 200 (26.65).
