Editor’s note: Due to space constraints, this article was shortened in print. The full version continues below.

Enumclaw High’s Ellie DeGroot was a two-time winner during last week’s state Class 2A track and field championships, leading a field that included 25 Hornets; 11 from Enumclaw and 14 from White River.

Those 25 had survived league and district meets and advanced to the season finale at Tacoma’s Mount Tacoma High School, where athletes from the 2A, 3A and 4A ranks gathered for three days of competition (May 26-28).

While winning the 100-meter hurdles DeGroot set a personal record of 15.02 seconds. She also had a PR of 44.58 during the preliminaries of the 300-meter hurdles before winning the event with a time of 44.69 seconds.

Also competing at the state meet for Enumclaw High’s girls were Saiya Flaherty, who placed 11th in the high jump; Marissa Espinosa, 13th in the shot put; Ava Sawyer, 15th in the 3,200 meter run; and the 4×400 relay team that finished 10th in the preliminary round (Rubie DiBella, Sophia DeMarco, Natalie DeMarco and DeGroot).

Competing at state for the EHS boys were: McCoy Brooks, who placed fourth in the 3,200 meters and eighth at 1,600 meters; Amos Hall, 12th in the 110-meter hurdle preliminaries and 14th in the 300-meter prelims; Joseph Cleveland, sixth in the long jump; and Sean Phillips, 14th in the discus.

The top performer for the White River boys was Cole Riley, who took fourth-place honors in the 800-meter run and placed seventh in the 400. Also competing at state from the White River boys’ program were Wyatt Skinner, 13th in the triple jump and 14th in the long jump; Easton Westling, eighth in the triple jump; and Evan Slish, 15th in the 800-meter prelims. Additionally, White River had qualified two relay teams for state: the 4×400 quartet (Slish, Tyce Donovan, Michael Marlow and Riley) placed eighth while the 4×100 group (Lyle Dolojon, Payne Plaster, Jayden Clausnitzer and Donovan) came in 12th in the preliminary round.

White River had four girls qualifying for state in individual events: Emma Tomlinson placed 11th in the 3,200 meters; Ava Cash was 13th in the pole vault; Vivian Kingston was 16th in the 1,600 meters; and Kelsey Sanders landed 10th in the preliminary round of the 400 meters. Finishing 13th in the 4×400 relay prelims was the crew of Kingston, Soleil Bianchi, Tomlinson and Sanders.

STATE TENNIS

The doubles team of Sydney Scribner and Jasmine Dumontet led the way for Enumclaw High at last week’s Class 2A state tennis championships.

The season-ending tournament was contested May 27-28 at the Nordstrom Tennis Center in Seattle.

Others on hand representing the EHS program were Macy Furtwangler in girls’ singles and the pairing of Carter Eldridge and Tristan Vieren in boys doubles.

The Scribner/Dumontet duo split four matches in Seattle to walk off the court with eighth place honors. They opened tourney play by falling 6-2, 6-4 to Bellingham High’s Kira Carlson and Ella Morrow. But, after dropping into the loser’s bracket, the EHS tandem rattled off a pair of victories; they first dispatched Laura Chianglin and Mia Gossage of Sammamish 7-5, 6-7, 7-5 in a marathon match, then topped Janneke Jogems and Carlie Knapp of West Valley-Spokane 3-6, 6-2, 7-5. In the battle for fifth or eighth place, the EHS pair fell 7-6, 7-6 to Lynden’s Kelanie Newcomb and Aida Newcomb.

Also picking up a victory in Seattle was the Eldridge/Vieren entry. After falling to a Bellingham duo in their opener, the EHS pair defeated North Kitsap’s Garrett Rhodes and Ryan Williams 7-5, 6-3. Their state experience came to an end, however, with a 6-0, 1-6, 6-4 loss at the hands of Centralia’s Landon Kaut and Brandon Yeung.

Furtwangler, a two-time MVP during the South Puget Sound League 2A season, had a rough time at state. She opened with a 6-2, 6-0 loss to Columbia River’s Emma Lungwitz, dropped into the loser’s bracket and was then eliminated 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 by Bang of Sammamish.

White River runners make the first handoff in the 4×100 relay at the state Class 2A track and field championships. Photo by Michael Dashiell, Sequim Gazette.

White River runners make the final handoff in the 4×100 relay at the state Class 2A track and field championships. Photo by Michael Dashiell, Sequim Gazette.

Cole Riley runs into 7th place at the 400 meter dash at the state Class 2A track and field championships. Photo by Michael Dashiell, Sequim Gazette.

McCoy Brooks finished fourth in the 3200 meter run at the state Class 2A track and field championships. Photo by Michael Dashiell, Sequim Gazette.