Columbia athletes compete at sub-district meet

The Bruin girls have entrants in all eight individual running events, the 4x100 meter relay, and three field events. The CHS boys qualified athletes into 10 events at district. At stake at district for Coach Jim Anderson’s team are qualifying spots into the 2025 WIAA state meet, May 29-31 at Eisenhower Stadium in Yakima.

The Bruin girls had two sub-district champions among the eight teams competing: sophomore Samantha Evans won the high jump at 5 feet, 3 inches; and senior Saylor Hauge won the 300-meter hurdles in a personal best 46.76 seconds – lowering her own school record. Columbia also won the 4x100 meter relay in 51.76 seconds; team members were Sequoia Cohen, Hauge, Willow Cohen and Sara Miller.

Miller had her usual busy day, placing second in the 100 meters (12.93), fourth in the 400 (1:04.8), and second in the 200 (26.69). She scored 21 of Columbia’s 106.5 team points. The Bruins were third behind team champion Seton Catholic with 130 and La Center with 110.5.

Also on the track for the Bruin girls, the distance crew of Helen Hoskins, Lilah Zimmerman and Olivia Allen qualified for the district finals in separate events. Hoskins ran a personal best 12 minute, 30.39 seconds 3200 to place second. Zimmerman was runner-up in the 1600 meter run in 5:47.85. Allen was fourth in the 800 in 2:38.16.

Columbia nabbed five qualifying spots in the two hurdle races. Finishing fifth behind Hauge in the 300s was Mariela Casarez with a PR 51.61. Sequoia Cohen, Hailey Tolbert and Casarez finished 3-4-5 in the 100 hurdles - Cohen in a PR 17.36 seconds, Tolbert in a PR 17.82 and Casarez in 18.06.

In other field events where Columbia athletes qualified for this week’s district finals: Sophia Bucher was fifth in the shot put at 28-6; Hauge was third in the high jump at 4-10; Tolbert was fifth in the high jump at 4-8; and Amya Shaw was ninth in the triple jump.

The Columbia boys, who finished fifth as a team, qualified athletes for district in six running events: senior Gavin Clifford recorded a PR 15.73 in the ambulatory 100 meters and also won the ambulatory 200 in 34.65; Nathen Breedlove was fifth with a PR in the 400 of 54.57; Luther Thomas as sixth in the 1600 (5:11.0); Colby Clark was third in the 3200 (11:06.04 PR); and Hunter Wang qualified in the 300 hurdles (45.31), finishing second.

Also of note on the track was Graham Beck’s 24.19 PR in the 200.

In field events, junior Ezekiel Wilson Ramirez was third in the discus at 117-3; Simon Caldwell and Jaime Perez both qualified in the high jump as each cleared 5-6; Perez also made it to district in the long jump (19-5.25); and Garrett Kock qualified in the triple jump (37-9.25).