Bruin girls sweep relays, win sub-district meet

Both decisions involved relay teams, which were key to the Bruins’ success at the meet. Especially on the girls side, where three season-best wins, including the 4 x 400-meter race in the meet’s final event — and lifetime bests from some unsung heroes — propelled CHS to the championship. In one of the more competitive team finishes in recent years, five of the six Trico teams were within 18 points of first place in the meet at Vancouver’s Seton Catholic. The margin among the top three teams was even closer.

Columbia’s long relay team of Ella Zimmerman, Hannah Polkinghorn, Chanele Reyes and Makayla Fies clinched the title for the Bruins, finishing in a season-best 4 minutes, 20.02 seconds. The 10 first-place relay points gave Columbia 109 for the meet, four more than Seton Catholic and six ahead of LaCenter. Seton easily won the boys meet with 133.5 points; White Salmon was fourth with 85.

“We knew we had a really good chance to win the girls meet this year,” Coach Anderson said.

The 4 x 400 relay members each had busy days for Columbia. Reyes won her specialties, the 100 and 300 hurdles, and ran a leg on the Bruin 4 x 100 relay. Zimmerman was third in the low hurdles and sixth in the 1600. Polkinghorn anchored the Bruin short relay to a season-best time of 52.44 seconds. She also finished second in the 100 and 200 behind LaCenter freshman Shaela Bradley. (Bradley was the meet’s top point scorer with 30 points, having also won the long jump.) Fies won the 400 and PR’d in the 200, where she was fourth, and anchored the Bruin 4 x 200 relay.

As often is the case, it was the performances of some of Columbia’s lesser-known athletes that clinched the team title for the Bruins. All told, the Bruin girls produced eight season bests at the meet.

The top four finishers in sub district advanced to Friday’s District IV championship (also at Seton). Anderson said there always is some disappointment when an athlete just misses out on advancing. “That’s what they all strive for,” he said. That said, the Bruin coaching staff underscores the importance of team points – first through eighth. “(For example) had Taylor Hanson and Esther Kline not stepped up with their points we wouldn’t have won,” Anderson said. “They had a pretty good-sized hand in winning the championship.”

As did Chloe Clifford and Piper Hicks, who also ran legs on the short relay and 4 X 200. Hicks was seventh in the 100 for two team points. Frosh Jessica Polkinghorn won the shot put and was third in the javelin for 16 points. Frosh Hanson was fifth in the 400 and seventh in the 800 (in lifetime bests) for six more points; classmate Madeline Allen was sixth in the shot put (three points). Kline’s distance double — 1600 and 3200 — produced seven points and included a PR in the longer race, her first attempt at that distance.

Anderson said leading up to the meet, knowing the Bruins could score points in the distance races because of a low number of overall entries, he approached 1600-runner Kline with the idea of a double. “I asked Esther, ‘You want to run the 3200?’ and she was like I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”

“Almost everyone had an event which they scored points,” Anderson said. “It is something that I do talk about at practice and after meets. There are two sides to track and field. The individual side and then there is a team side of it.”

The girls meet came down to the final event, the 4 X 400 relay. “I was keeping an eye on the team scoring as the meet was winding down,” Anderson said. With the relay remaining, Columbia and host Seton were tied with 99 points apiece and LaCenter had 95.

“I shared that with our sprint coach (Heidi Schultz), but I didn’t let the girls know,” Anderson said. “I didn’t want to put any added pressure on them. They ran their best 4-by-4 of the year.”

Zimmerman opened with a 65-second split and handed off to Polkinghorn, who maintained the Bruins’ spot in second place. Polkinghorn passed the baton to Reyes who took the lead after 100 meters of her lap and stretched the advantage to about 10 meters before passing to Fies for the anchor leg.

“Once (Reyes) took over I pretty much knew at that point we had it,” Anderson said. Most 1A schools are fortunate to have one runner with 65-second, open 400-meter speed, but Columbia has two. The Reyes-Fies finish brought home the baton in first place and the Bruins had their team championship.

“Our girls work really hard in practice on exchanges and that’s what it all comes down to for them,” Anderson said. “They just want to make sure that the baton doesn’t slow down. They want to dominate those relays.

“I can’t recall having relay teams in all three events as strong as they are.”

The Bruin boys team came one leg injury away from likely winning both sub-district relays, as well. It did win the short relay and was third in the 4 x 400. The 4 x 100 victory was in a season-best time of 46.76, by Peter Schlegel, Angel Sanchez, Jace Greenwood, and Ryan Howard. Howard and Sanchez also ran legs on the Bruins’ third place 4 x 400 relay. Howard added a runner-up finish in the 200 and was third in the 100 — in a personal best 12.02. Sanchez was second in the 100 and long jump (18-9.25).

Anderson said the short relay’s focus all season has been the upcoming district meet. “That is the event that I’ve personally given the most time,” he said. “Because I want those guys to win the district championship.”

They tuned up for district with a come-from-behind victory at sub-district. Greenwood, the No. 3 leg, overcame a six-meter deficit running the curve and handed off the baton to Howard in the lead. “Ryan, who is one of the fastest guys in the league, I knew that when he got it, it was over.”

Anderson said in pre-meet practice he tinkered with the idea of changing the order of the runners. He was quickly vetoed. “They said, ‘We like it the way it is. If it’s not broke coach, let’s not fix it.”

Senior thrower Juan Acosta was a double winner, taking the shot put at 39-10.5 and discus in 110-9. His 20 team points were among the 37 total for the Bruin throwers, whose collective effort also included Josiah Nelson, Eli Nielson, Calvin Andrews and Beren Anderson. Nelson’s 31-4.5 fourth-place shot put mark was a personal best. Senior Dylan Muehlbauer had Columbia’s other PR – a 54.84-second 400. He also joined Howard, Andrews, and Sanchez on the long relay.

Anderson said he was especially pleased with Acosta’s double win in the throws because the senior is a great example of a field and track leader. “That kid is a workhorse. First one to practice, last one to leave. He’s one of our captains,” Anderson said. “He helps the younger kids with their technique. Takes them to the weight room and helps them with their workouts - pushes them. He’s a great kid.”

Anderson said this year’s team is a special group. “Every now and then you get a group of kids that comes together who just mesh,” he said. “It’s been fun to watch and be a part of.”