Broken ankle doesn’t stop Woodland’s Hayden Clark from winning 2A district boys javelin title

Hayden Clark owns the best mark statewide in the Class 2A boys javelin.

But for the last two weeks, the Woodland junior has been dealt a tough break.

While attempting a throw in javelin at the Spudder Track and Field Classic May 5, Clark suffered a fracture on the bottom half of his right ankle — part of his push-off foot.

Rather than shut down a promising season and turn his attention to getting healthy in time for next spring, Clark made the best of a bad situation.

After winning the boys javelin at last week’s 2A Greater St. Helens League sub-district meet, Clark sported an ankle brace in Friday’s Class 2A District 4 meet and managed to take first place with a winning mark of 154 feet, 11 inches, ahead of Columbia River’s Derrick Ruggles (154-3) in second place.

Though the mark was well below his personal best, 167-4, which leads the state by nearly three feet, Clark still managed to qualify for next week’s 2A state championships at Mount Tahoma High School. For that, the junior takes pride in the fact that he toughed the last two weeks out on a bad ankle.

“(I) just got to fight through that,” Clark said, “and hopefully it gets better by state.

“It makes run-ups a little bit difficult, it definitely slows down my approach and slows down my push-off a little bit. But (the ankle) will do good; just got to heal it up.”

Adjusting his approach was a big part of the equation in being able to compete on a broken ankle. It’s also a credit to Clark’s pain tolerance.

During a competition, Clark tries to do whatever possible not to think about the injury, while trusting his preparation and practice over the past few months that got him to this position.

The approach worked on Friday. Clark will be competing at state for the first time in his high school career.

“Now that I’m going to state, (I’ll) just do as much as I can. If I hurt it, I hurt it,” Clark said of his mindset. “Heal it in the offseason and throw it out there as far as I can.”

Also highlighting Friday’s district winners and state qualifiers, Columbia River sprinter Revac Banfield set PRs in the 100 and 200 meters, with the former time, 10.67 seconds, also breaking a school record of 10.74 shared by Marcus Gaylor (2014) and Andrew McGaffey (2016).

“I was happy,” Banfield said when recalling the moment he learned of the record-breaking time. “I know somebody else is going to break it someday, but I’m glad I left my mark and my name somewhere.

“Honestly, I was a little surprised. It felt good though. I’ve had a lot of people help me — my coaches, my family, my mom, my friends — (and) told me ways to run because they know. I just followed what they say and got the time I got.”

Banfield, a sophomore, has the second-fastest 100-meter time in the statewide 2A boys rankings and third-best in the 200 meters (22.00). At next week’s state meet, his eyes are on the prize at the top of the podium.

“I’m going to go to state knowing it’s my race, just like this race,” Banfield said.

Washougal’s Sydnee Boothby completed a sweep in the distance events, winning the 800 (2:20.53), 1,600 (5:07.54) and 3,200 (11:27.98).

Other local winners in the girls meet included Ridgefield’s McKenna Calkins in the 100 and Woodland’s Mariah Stover in the 100 hurdles. Calkins also ran the anchor leg on the Spudders’ winning 400-meter relay. The team of Allie Draper, Marlee Buffham and Madison Ruddy clocked a time of 50.50 ahead of River (50.83) and Fort Vancouver (51.49).

Woodland’s Collett MacDonald won the shot put (38-4.5) and Hockinson’s Celia Racanelli took first place in the pole vault (9-6).

Ridgefield was well-represented on the boys’ side with first-place finishes from Timothy Bradshaw in the 800, Isaiah Cowley in the 110 hurdles and Landon Kelsey in the triple jump. Ridgefield’s 400-meter relay team also took first place with a time of 43.45.

Elsewhere, Columbia River’s Eli Wenger won the boys pole vault with a PR of 14-0.

BOYS TRACK AND FIELD

2A DISTRICT 4 MEET

At Columbia River HS

Team scores — 1, Washougal 12; 2, Tumwater 11; 3, Ridgefield 10. Also: 5, Columbia River 2.

Local state qualifiers

100 — 1, Revac Banfield (CR) 10.67; 3, Michael King (R) 11.05.

200 — 1, Revac Banfield (CR) 22.00; 3, Michael King (R) 22.98.

400 — 2, Adam Williams (HB) 52.53; 4, Sean Denison (CR) 53.07.

800 — 1, Timothy Bradshaw (R) 1:59.10; 2, Evan Hollis (R) 2:01.67; Davis Sullivan (2:01.95)

1,600 — 3, Liam Rapp (R) 4:25.48.

3,200 — 4, Neftali Menendez (CR) 9:50.04.

110 hurdles — 1, Isaiah Cowley (R) 14.89; 2, Kobe Parlin (MM) 14.92; 4, Landon Kelsey (R) 15.63.

300 hurdles — 1, Koynn Williamdyke (RAL) 39.45; 2, Isaiah Cowley (R) 41.00; 3, Landon Kelsey 41.46; 4, Tucker Kneipp (Wash.) 41.79.

400 relay — 1, Ridgefield (Brandon Nguyen, Bretton Moore, Isaiah Cowley, Michael King) 43.45; 2, Columbia River (Revac Banfield, John Reeder, Solomon Menendez, Lucas Johnson) 44.36.

1,600 relay — 3, Ridgefield (Brandon Nguyen, Evan Hollis, Davis Sullivan, Timothy Bradshaw) 3:32.15; 4, Columbia River (Sean Dennison, Joseph Ianello, Preston Graham, Kegan Davenport) 3:37.78.

Shot put — 2, Ryan Faumuina (FV) 51-10.5.

Discus — 4, Michael Brinson (HB) 138-3.

Javelin — 1, Hayden Clark (Wood.) 154-11; 2, Derrick Ruggles (CR) 154-3; 4, Preston Shearer (CR) 150-11.

High jump — 2, Johan DuBois (HB) 6-2; 4, Holden Bea (Wash.) 6-0.

Pole vault — 1, Eli Wenger (CR) 14-0; 2, Maxwell Van Hoomisen (HB) 12-6; 3, Tanner Hardley (Wash.) 12-0; 4, Nicolas Ricardo (CR) 12-0.

Long jump — 2, Landon Kelsey (R) 20-8.5; 4, Kobe Parlin (MM) 20-1.

Triple jump — 1, Landon Kelsey (R) 43-5; 2, Tucker Kneipp (Wash.) 39-10.5.

GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD

2A DISTRICT 4 MEET

At Columbia River HS

Team scores — 1, Columbia River 13; 2, Washougal 10; 3, Ridgefield 6. Also: 6, Woodland 2; 7, Hockinson 1.

Local state qualifiers

100 — 1, McKenna Calkins (R) 12.28; 2, Zieynita Stidum (H) 12.52; 4, Logann Dukes (CR) 12.77.

200 — 2, McKenna Calkins (R) 25.67; 3, Zieynita Stidum (H) 26.26; 4, Logann Dukes (CR) 26.44.

400 — 2, Jamie Maas (Wash.) 1:00.17.

800 — 1, Sydnee Boothby (Wash.) 2:20.53; 3, Hanna Bailey (CR) 2:22.91; 4, Gracie Perry (Wash.) 2:23.65.

1,600 — 1, Sydnee Boothby (Wash.) 5:07.54; 2, Danica Allen (R) 5:14.75; 3, Jamie Maas (Wash.) 5:20.52; 4, Elle Thomas (Wash.) 5:23.85.

3,200 — 1, Sydnee Boothby (Wash.) 11:27.98; 2, Elle Thomas (Wash.) 11:48.16; 4, Charlize Kellmer (R) 12:00.64.

100 hurdles — 1, Mariah Stover (Wood.) 16.45; 2, Madison Ruddy (R) 16.61; Breyelle Box (RAL) 16.62.

300 hurdles — 1, Kayleigh Spaulding (RAL) 48.84; 2, Rachel Hagerty (CR) 49.76; 4, Britney Ketels (R) 50.30.

400 relay — 1, Ridgefield (Allie Draper, Marlee Buffham, Madison Ruddy, McKenna Calkins) 50.50; 2, Columbia River (Gabrielle Gravel, Julia Schweppe, Gina Lungwitz, Logann Dukes) 50.83; 3, Fort Vancouver (Aprilmicca Cruz, Trian Clark, Savaya Sanders, Fatou Bojang) 51.49.

800 relay — 2, Columbia River (Gabrielle Grabel, Julia Schweppe, Gina Lungwitz, Logann Dukes) 1:46.49; 3, Washougal (Jamie Maas, Janae Lundberg, Laden Leonard, Kendra Pass) 1:49.94.

1,600 relay — 2, Ridgefield (Britney Ketels, Layla Enneberg, Danica Allen, Madison Ruddy) 4:13.01; 3, Washougal (Jamie Maas, Elle Thomas, Gracie Perry, Sydnee Boothby) 4:18.51; 4, Mark Morris (Alexandria White, Anna Rubash, Scarlett Kelly, Isabelle Allen) 4:20.09.

Shot put — 1, Collett MacDonald (Wood.) 38-4.5; 2, Leibreena Vaiotualemoso-Fesili (FV) 38-0; 4, Kathryn Chapin (RAL) 35-6.5.

Discus — 1, Kamia Tootoosis-Dider (RAL) 126-6; 2, Kendra Chapin (RAL) 108-10; 3, Iris Hancock (Wash.) 106-7; Logan DeJong (CR) 105-0.

Javelin — None.

High jump — 1, Abby Siemer (Wood.) 5-0; 3, Trian Clark (FV) 4-10; 4, Danica Stinchfield (Wash.) 4-10; 5, Breyelle Box (RAL) 4-10.

Pole vault — 1, Celia Racanelli (H) 9-6; 2, Sarah Proctor (R) 9-0; 3, Karli Kersavage (RAL) 9-0.

Long jump — 1, Kathryn Chapin (RAL) 16-8.5; 2, Lillian Mickel (CR) 16-3.5; 3, Breyelle Box (RAL) 15-6.25; Kaya Johnson (Wash.) 15-1.

Triple jump — 1, Kaya Johnson (Wash.) 33-3.75; 2, Peyton Dukes (CR) 32-9.25; 3, Madison Ruddy (R) 32-3; 4, Lillian Mickel (CR) 32-0.25.