Columbia track and field athletes state bound

The Bruin girls had entrants in all eight individual running events, and they earned state qualifying spots in seven of those races. They also won the 4x100-meter relay and two other individual titles.

Sophomore Samantha Evans followed up her sub-district high jump title with a district championship at 5 feet, 4 inches. Senior Saylor Hauge won the 300-meter hurdles in 47.58 seconds for the other CHS individual crown (she also was third in a state qualifying 5-0 in the high jump). The Columbia 4x100 meter relay set a school record en route to winning that event in 50.88 seconds; team members were Sequoia Cohen, Hauge, Willow Cohen, and Sara Miller.

Miller qualified for state in three events: she was third in the 200 at 26.5, fourth in the 100 (12.84), and fourth in the 400 (1:02.98). Sophomore Lilah Zimmerman qualified for state in the 1600 (5:36.89 season-best, fourth place), and teammate Helen Hoskins ran another personal best of 12:13.75 to make it to state in the 3200 (fourth). Hoskins is closing in on the all-time best in her distance specialty.

The Bruins also had four other district placers who scored team points (top eight). Olivia Allen was sixth in the 800; Mariela Casarez was fifth in the 100 hurdles and fifth in the 300s with a personal best of 51.36 seconds; Hailey Tolbert was seventh in the high jump; and Amya Shaw was seventh in the triple jump.

The Columbia boys, who finished 12th as a team, had 10 district placings, led by Gavin Clifford’s PR of 15.64 in the ambulatory 100 meters and win in the ambulatory 200 in 33.78. Nathen Breedlove was sixth in the 400 in 54.95; Colby Clark was seventh in the 3200 (11:02.16 PR); Hunter Wang was seventh in the 300 hurdles; junior Ezekiel Wilson Ramirez was seventh in the discus; Jaime Perez was seventh in the long jump and fifth in the high jump, clearing a PR 5-10; Simon Caldwell was seventh in the same event at 5-8; and Garrett Kock was seventh in the triple jump.