WHITE SALMON — Columbia High School’s track and field team had a busy week competing in four invitationals last week in preparation for the May 15 1A Sub District-4 meet at La Center High School.
The eight Trico League teams will compete at La Center with qualifying berths into the May 21 WIAA 1A District 4 meet at Seton Catholic at stake.
Columbia senior Sara Miller was her usual busy self at the Spudder Track & Field Classic May 8 at Ridgefield High School. She placed in the top five in three events and anchored the Bruin 4x400 meter relay to fifth place. That relay also included Mariela Casarez, Olivia Allen, and Lilah Zimmerman, and was timed in 4 minutes 21.71 seconds.
Allen was third in the 200 in a personal best and school record 26.03. She was fourth in the 400 in 61.05 (No. 5 in school history), and fifth in the 100 in 13.04.
Casarez added a personal best in the 300 hurdles of 50.69, good enough for sixth place in the meet that included athletes from 31 schools. Her time was also No. 7 all-time in school history. Fellow hurdler Hailey Tolbert was seventh in the 100 hurdles in a season best 17.38.
Junior Samantha Evans cleared 5 feet, 2 inches to win the high jump; junior Maya Tama ran a 2:42.35 800; and Zimmerman was ninth in the 1600 in 5:32.26.
Three Bruin boys competed in individual events at the Spudder. Senior Hunter Wang was fourth in the 300 hurdles in 42.71. Senior Aiden Hainline ran the 110 hurdles in 18.7, and sophomore Levi Connell went 18-3.5 in the long jump.
Columbia also sent athletes to the annual Al McKee Invite on May 8 in Stevenson, where the Bruin boys jumpers shined. Simon Caldwell cleared 5-8 to finish second in the high jump and leapt 19-2 for a runner-up finish in the long jump. Teammate Jaime Perez went 5-6 in the high jump and 19-1 in the long jump, and Cassidy Ebbert jumped a personal best 18-8.75 in that event.
On May 6, CHS competed at the Trico Last Chance Qualifier at Seton Catholic. Junior Melina Cohen had a good day, winning the girls 100 and 200 sprint races. Junior Graham Hohensee was runner-up in the same events for the CHS boys squad.
At the Cadet JV Invitational May 5 in Yakima, Columbia’s Razo Salazar threw a personal best 35-1 and sophomore teammate Colby Clark won the 3200 in 11:00.17.
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