WHITE SALMON — Columbia High School’s track and field team honored retired athletic director and coach Howard Kreps by winning the meet that now bears his name on April 10 in White Salmon.
Ten other teams joined the Bruins at the Friday evening meet, The Howard Kreps Bruin Invite — which, until this season, was known as the Bruin Invite. Columbia won both the boys and girls team competition, winning nine events — six girls, three boys — while Stevenson was second.
Columbia senior Sara Miller was a three-event winner, and she also ran a leg on the Bruins’ second place (to Trout Lake) 4x400 meter relay. Miller won the 100 meters in a season best 12.94 seconds, doubled back a short time later to win the 400 — also in a season best 1:02.97 — and added a 200-meter win in 27.12.
Junior teammate Willow Cohen finished in second behind Miller in the 200 and anchored the Bruins 4x200 relay. Also winning events for CHS were Hailey Tolbert in the 100 hurdles (17.84); and Samantha Evans in the high jump at 5 feet, 3 inches. Also of note was Maya Tama’s PR 800 of 2:38.03; and Jana Deinhofer’s 4-10 PR in the high jump.
The Columbia distance crew also received solid performances from Lilah Zimmerman, who was second in the 1,600 in 5:23.61. She also ran a leg on the Bruin 4x400 relay with Miller, Olivia Allen and Mariela Casarez. Casarez was runner-up in the 300 hurdles with a season-best effort of 51.63.
The Columbia boys were led by sophomore Levi Connell, who won the long jump in a personal best 19-7.75; Hunter Wang’s PR in the 300 hurdles of 42.34; and Colby Clark’s 11:2397 3,200.
The Bruins’ 4x100 relay of Graham Beck, Zephyr Pytel, Levi Connell, and Wang finished second to Stevenson in a quick season best of 45.76. Beck was fourth in both the 100 and 200. Teammate Simon Caldwell cleared 5-10 to place second in the high jump, and also was runner-up in the discus at a PR 117-6.5.
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