Staff report
Columbia Gorge News
WHITE SALMON — Columbia High (CHS) qualified 10 athletes, including seven from the third-place district girls team, into this week’s WIAA Class 1A state track and field championships.
The Bruin girls scored 74 points and tied for third place with Elma at the 2026 District 4-1A meet on May 21 at Seton Catholic High School in Vancouver. The district meet was a qualifier for the WIAA state meet May 28-30 in Yakima. The Bruin boys scored 34 points to place 11th in district. Seton Catholic won the boys and girls team district titles. Coach Jim Anderson’s CHS athletes qualified for the district meet in 18 individual events and two relays. They advanced athletes to state in 11 of those individual events and a relay with their performances at the district finals.
“All of our athletes did a great job at districts,” Anderson said. “We had several just miss qualifying. But [they just] missed doing their all-time PRs — so, thrilled for their improvements, but hurting for them for just missing out on going to state.”
The Bruins had one district champion in junior Samantha Evans, who returned to form in the girls high jump. Evans, ranked No. 1 in her specialty in 1A, cleared 5 feet, 5 inches to win the district crown for the second year in a row. The winning height tied her personal best, which she also cleared at the 2025 state meet where she was the runner-up.
Versatile senior sprinter Sara Miller was second in district in the 200 meters in a lifetime best 25.73 seconds, third in the 100 meters in 12.81, and third in the 400 in a lifetime best of 60.82 seconds. Miller also ran on the Bruins’ second-place 4x400 meter relay along with Mariela Casarez, Olivia Allen, and Lilah Zimmerman (4:17.70).
Casarez and Zimmerman also qualified for state in individual events. Casarez, a senior, finished third in the 300-meter hurdles in a personal best 50.69 seconds. Zimmerman, a junior, was second in the 1600 meters in a lifetime best of 5:18.01 — lowering her own school record.
“Lilah is such a strong runner,” Anderson said. “She works hard at practices, and it shows every week at meets.”
Joining them at state will be senior Hailey Tolbert, who was fourth in the 100 hurdles (17.57), and junior Maya Tama, who continues to drop time in the 800 (2:29.06 PR). Tama, a converted sprinter after her freshman season, was third at district and has now lowered her two-lap best by 14 seconds this spring.
Anderson said Tolbert “was determined to finish her high school track career with a trip to state. She worked hard to achieve that goal, and it paid off for sure.”
Three Columbia High boys qualified for state, including senior Hunter Wang, who was fourth in the 300 hurdles in district in 42.37. Junior Thatcher Wallace was fourth in the javelin (139-7 PR); and Simon Caldwell was fourth in the high jump at 5-8.
Anderson said: “Simon has also improved all season. His confidence is growing in his ability. Thatcher [had] over a 10-foot PR improvement in the javelin. We knew he had the potential and put a throw out there when he needed it.
“Both of our 300 hurdle runners, Hunter Wang and Mariela Casarez, were determined to get to the state meet. They worked hard this season for the opportunity to run at state, and both earned their spot.”
The Bruin boys 4x100 relay was fifth in district, clocking a season best and No. 7 school best time of 45.14. Members included Levi Connell, Wang, Zephyr Pytel and Graham Beck.
Also placing in the top eight of the District 4-1A boys finals were: Wallace (seventh, 400); Jack Brooks (sixth, 1600, PR 4:58.22); Colby Clark (seventh, 3200); Ezekiel Wilson Ramirez (fifth, discus, PR 125-3); and Levi Connell (fifth, long jump at 19-6).
Joining them as placers on girls side at district were: Allen, who was fifth in the 800 in a personal best 2:33.07; and Jane Deinhofer, who was fifth in the high jump at 4-8, and sixth in the long jump at 15-7.25.
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