.png)
Send off this Wednesday
SPOKANE – There are 21 Grizzly track and field athletes headed to WIAA State Championships May 28-30 in Yakima after winning big at last week’s NE2B District Championships in Spokane May 21-23.
“We are taking 21 athletes in 14 events, our largest number to date,” coach Levi Litowitz said. “This shows the strength of our team, and how hard our athletes have worked to get here is astounding. This is a great group of kids and I am incredibly thankful for all of them, it is an honor to coach them.”
Jonathan Hill qualified for finals in the 400-meter placing first last Thursday with a personal record (PR) of 51.13. Battling sickness, he ran again last Saturday and placed second qualifying for state with a time of 51.65.
Lucas Croswhite qualified for finals in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.78. On Saturday in finals, he took second overall and qualified for state with a time of 15.12. Croswhite also took first overall in pole vault and qualified for state with a vault of 13’6”. Croswhite was also awarded the NE2B All League Overall Athlete of The Year.
Rayben Jurgens qualified for state in shot put taking first overall with a PR throw of 45’ 1” and qualified for discus taking second with a throw of 132’ 11”. Jurgens also got the NE2B All League Thrower of the Year.
Damien Hamberg took third in discus and qualified for state with a throw of 132’11” (PR). Hamberg also qualified for district finals in both shot put and javelin.
Nathan Donati took third in javelin and qualified for state with a throw of 136’ 8” (PR).
Dax Hansen took second in the triple jump and qualified for state with a jump of 40’ 10.5” (PR).
The boys 4x100 relay team of Hansen, Croswhite, Hill and Aidan Kramer took second overall and qualified for state with a time of 44.11 (PR). The boys 4x400 relay team consisting of Hansen, Hill, Tanner Rheinford and Croswhite took fourth overall and qualified for state with a time of 3:33.84.
Relay alternates who will also be going to state are Leif Axel, Evan Hansen, Kale Markwardt and Malik Kennett.
Newport girls who qualified for state include Olivia Collins, who took fourth in the 3200-meter and qualified for state with a time of 12:26.71. She also placed sixth overall in the 1600-meterwith a time of 5:39.34 (PR).
Joelle Brandtner won second in long jump and qualified for state with a jump of 16’ 7.5”. She also took third in triple jump, qualifying with 34’ 11.5”.
The girls 4x100-meter relay team of Brandtner, Alyssa Bays, Hailey Davison and Savannah Garris won third and qualified for state with a time of 52.77 (PR).
Relay alternates who will also be going to state for girls include Aimee Busby, Marri Hinchliff, Aurelia Johnson and Maelee Jurgens.
Other notable results at districts include Malik Kennett ran a time of 17.79 (PR) in the 110-meter hurdles, placing eighth overall in the finals.
Maelee Jurgens qualified for finals in javelin and placed eighth overall with a throw of 92’ 4” (PR).
Aimee Busby placed seventh overall in the 1600-meter and got a PR of 5:41.70. She also had a PR in the 3200-meter with a time of 12:41.87 and placed fifth overall.
Newport boys placed fourth and the girls placed ninth out of 12 schools overall.
“Even though some of our athletes didn’t make it to state they should be very proud of their performances and their contributions to this team,” Litowitz said.
The team travels to Yakima on Wednesday, May 27 and there will be a sendoff at 2:35 p.m. starting at Newport High School. Community members are invited to show support for the athletes as the bus travels down Grizzly Way (the road leading to the high school) and out to the highway.
