TACOMA — Nicole Corbett wasn’t thinking about the 22-inch margin that won her the state discus title Thursday.
On her mind was the four-inch difference between her senior season ending in triumph and heartbreak.
Despite having the state’s top mark of 139 feet, 7 inches, Corbett of Camas barely qualified for the state meet.
She finished second at the District 4 championships May 19, throwing 17 feet shorter than her best. Four inches less on that day would have ended her season.
But Thursday at Mount Tahoma High School, Corbett made a statement with her first throw at the state track and field championships. That toss of 137-9 held up as the farthest over the five rounds that followed.
“I wasn’t even throwing as hard as I could,” Corbett said. “I just wanted to get a mark out there and make finals.”
Perhaps the key was being relaxed on that first toss?
“Not even a little bit,” she said. “I’ve never been that nervous before a meet. I was shaking like a leaf.”
Corbett explained the small margin between good and bad days in the discus.
“If you can get a grip on the disc, you can get a lot more torque and throw it well,” Corbett said. “But if you can’t hold it right, your wrist doesn’t want to cooperate and you can’t get a nice flight on it, then it really makes a big difference.”
Corbett’s confidence didn’t wane after her sub-par district meet. She knew she wasn’t far off from being back at her best.
“I’m just really happy I had this opportunity because I knew I could do this,” Corbett said. “I just needed to work hard, and I did.”
Corbett’s performance was the best among Clark County athletes on the first day of the state meet, which continues through Saturday. District discus champ Jossilyn Blackman of Battle Ground placed sixth.
Woodland senior Eli Whitmire placed third in the long jump in 21 feet, 11.75 inches. Last year’s 1A state champion hoped to repeat the feat at 2A, but Olympic’s Keshun McGee set a meet record by leaping 23 feet, 4.5 inches.
“That kid came out and popped a good jump,” Whitmire said. “I gave it my all. Coming up into 2A this year, I’m happy I got third.”
Whitmire felt out of rhythm with his steps Thursday. He started to become frustrated, but stopped it from affecting his jumps.
“I just started trying to have fun with it,” he said. “I was getting too mad at myself and really holding on to that. You can’t go out mad.”
Skyview’s Kaden Harbertson took his best shot at winning the 1,600 meters, which was the only track race to have its finals Thursday.
The senior sprinted to the lead as the third lap began. But he faded with 400 meters to go and finished ninth.
“It was a fast race,” Harbertson said. “I tried to go for it on the third lap and push it hard. But I didn’t have much left for the end.”
Alissa Pudlitzke of Camas finished eighth in the 1,600 despite having the second-fastest seeding time in the 16-person race. She struggled to pass a tightly bunched pack that kept her out of the top 10 for most of the race.
“Everyone went out a lot more aggressive than I anticipated,” the Boise State-bound senior said. “I was running in Lane 4 for the first two laps. But I’m pretty happy because I was pretty far back after those first two laps.”
Prairie junior Michael Schmidt set a six-inch personal best in the pole vault by clearing 13 feet, 6 inches to place eighth.
“It’s a great feeling,” Schmidt said. “You just bend the pole, kick your feet up and go over the bar. It feels pretty close to flying.”
Skyview’s Connor Jensen placed eighth in the shot put in 50 feet, 11.75 inches, his second-farthest mark of the season.
