La Center sophomore Shaela Bradley was not a big fan of the 400 meters when she was introduced to the event last season.
“I was actually put in the 4 by (400 meters) one time, and it sucked,” she said. “But I ran like a 1:01, and I guess that was pretty good.”
A year later, Bradley has cut thee seconds off the time. At the 1A District 4 meet at Seton Catholic, Bradley posted a personal-best of 58.35 seconds to win the district title by nearly three seconds.
“It’s a bit of a longer sprint,” Bradley said of the 400. “I personally would not have chosen the 400, but I like winning. … So, yes, it has grown on me.”
Bradley did a lot of winning on Thursday, also taking the district title in the 100 meters (12.52 seconds) and the long jump (16 feet, 9 inches).
She also would have been favored in the 200, but she chose to focus on the other three events at state.
“I only chose to do three because of the way they lineup at state,” she said. “They are held on different days, so I’m just not putting as much on myself.”
And after missing out on a state meet in her freshman season because of the pandemic, Bradley is eager to see how she fares against the best runners in the state.
“I’m hoping to place in the 400 and the long jump,” she said. “I’m not so sure about the 100, but I’d like to place in the 100, too.”
While Bradley was the lone three-event winner in the girls meet on Thursday, Seton Catholic’s Alexis Leone and Columbia-White Salmon’s Chanele Reyes were dual winners.
Leone raced to victory in the 1,600 (5:12.04) and 3,200 (10:48.28), events that she will be favored at state. Reyes won the 100 hurdles (16.98) and 300 hurdles (49.43).
Other local girls winners included Columbia-White Salmon’s Hannah Polkinghorn (200, 26.07), La Center’s Makayla Hubler (800, 2:24.04), and Castle Rock’s Brooke Wirkkala (triple jump, 33-1) and Paige Kessler (high jump, 5-2).
La Center’s Joseph Blanshan was the lone dual winner in the boys meet, winning the 1,600 in 4:26.12 and the 3,200 in 9:42.84.
Other local winners included King’s Way Christian’s Aidan Sweeney (110 hurdles, 16.00), La Center’s Will Simmons (300 hurdles, 43.36) and Castle Rock’s Trystin Marin (high jump, 5-8)
