Thursday brought track and field athletes into the spotlight, as teams from all four area high schools were in action.
The main event took place at Sunset Chev Stadium, where the host Sumner Spartans greeted their district rivals from Bonney Lake High. The Panthers proved to be more than able visitors, winning 78-73 on the boys side and topping Sumner 89-60 in girls’ competition.
Elsewhere, Enumclaw High celebrated Senior Day with a sweep of visiting Kentridge and White River found success in a three-team meet in Burien. Competing at Highline Memorial Stadium, the White River boys and girls teams whipped both the host Pirates and the Orting Cardinals.
Bonney Lake coach Andy Foster had plenty of highlights to cheer about, noting that 75 Panther athletes set personal-best marks on the day.
Heading the list of standout performances was Cayan Dibble. In the 1,600 meters, he squared off against talented Spartan Adam Sjolund in a race of two school record-holders. Dibble clocked a time of 4 minutes, 22.72 seconds to break his existing school record, winning by nearly five seconds.
Dibble next lined up for the 800 meters, paired against Sumner’s impressive Matthew Holme. They were clearly the class of the field and, in the end, it was Dibble winning by less than a second with a time of 1:57.40. That was a four second improvement over his previous best time and is the best among the state’s Class 3A athletes.
As if that weren’t enough, the Panther junior also anchored the team’s winning effort in the 4×400 relay.
Among the Bonney Lake girls, it was another standout day for Ashley Hollenbeck. The sophomore now holds four school records, standing atop the list in the 100, 200 and 400 meters, as well as the long jump.
Thursday, she sailed 16 feet, 6 inches to win the long jump and break her own school record. She also clocked a time of 59.55 in the 400 meters, setting a school mark, and anchored the 4×100 relay team.
There also was a new addition to the Sumner High record book, as sophomore Taylor Holmes cleared 11 feet, 1 inch in the pole vault.
