Area Sports by Michael Dashiell

The posse from Poulsbo has won this battle of purple.

North Kitsap's track squads made themselves right at home at their sister school's field in Kingston last week, sweeping a double-dual meet with the Bucs and Sequim's Wolves on April 30.

The Wolves' girls (6-2) managed a second-place finish in team scoring and with their only two losses coming to 3A schools, Sequim has a shot for the overall 2A title when the Olympic League concludes this Saturday.

Samantha Whiteside launched to a school record in the pole vault (10 feet, 6 inches) - a full foot better than her previous best - and won the 400-meter race while Lauryn Garrett captured four first-place finishes for the second meet in a row as Sequim scored 67 team points, behind North Kitsap (78) and ahead of the host Buccaneers (44).

"The conditions were great: sunny and warm,"

Sequim coach Brad Moore said. "The kids just ran great. We thought Kingston trying to come out for us. We made a good run at North Kitsap."

Garrett set a personal-best mark in the 100 hurdles with a 16.12 finish - the third-best time among all 2A girls this year - and raced to a 50.2-second mark in the 300 hurdles. Her 16-foot, 8.5-inch long jump last week won the event by a foot; the mark is within an inch of the school record and would have placed Garrett fourth at last year's state 2A meet.

Garrett topped those performances with a high jump of 5 feet 1 inch - a school record by a single inch. Moore said Garrett has top-eight marks in three events among Washington state's 2A athletes.

Whiteside's vault broke a 2003 school mark set by Tiffany Millet by three inches. Moore said that's the first of many records his junior should break this season.

"We are definitely going to be able to get over 11 (feet)," Moore said. "She's very focused and working very hard. We just have to keep her healthy."

Despite some sore knees, Anna LaBeaume won the shot put by more than eight feet, placed second in the 400, third in the javelin and fourth in the 100.

Sophomore Audrey Lichten topped Kingston frosh phenom Marina Roberts in the 1600 with a 5:23 finish, and senior Christina Bruce beat North's Elizabeth Stake by a second for the top 3200 time.

But Sequim couldn't get past the purple-clad Vikings, led by Siara Byers' wins in the 100- and 200-meter races. North Kitsap also swept all three relays and dominated several throwing events.

Injuries quelled an anticipated rematch of Sequim's Alli Cutting and Kingston's Ruby Roberts. Cutting, a two-event state placer for Sequim's 2008 track team and the class 2A cross country champion, is out for the season with a hip flexor injury that limited the junior to one meet.

On the boys' side, North Kitsap's Alexander Fuchs dominated the sprints, Tabor Reedy and Joel Brose went 1-2 in the middle distances and Kingston picked up points across the board, leaving Sequim third in points (45) behind NK (72) and the Buccaneers (64).

"This year, we had a lot of kids but ... we're a little inexperienced in some areas," Moore said. "I knew going into this meet King was way better than last year."

Ben Ohnstad won the 3200 as Sequim runners took three of the top four spots. Josh Fodge won the 110 hurdles and took third in the triple jump, Emanuel Herrera won the 300 hurdles and Jared Lindorfer won the high jump at 5 feet, 6 inches.

David Copeland topped 12 feet for second place in the pole vault (a personal best), Rexx Ingalls was third in the long jump and Alex Jenkins was fourth in the 800-meter race, setting a personal best.

In all, 37 Sequim athletes set personal bests against North Kitsap and Kingston.

With their third-place finish, Sequim's boys are 4-4 and need to beat Kingston by two places at Olympic League championships for at least a share of the 2A league title.

"You never know how it all shakes out with nine teams competing," Moore said.

The Olympic League meet is set for May 7 and May 9 at North Mason High School in Belfair. Top finishers from that meet move on to the West Central District meet - also in Belfair - on May 20 and May 23, vying for a berth in the class 2A state championships.

The state meet is May 28 in Tacoma.



Reach Michael Dashiell at miked@sequimgazette.com.