Whatcom County 1A/1B track athletes finish final day at state

Meridian’s 4x200 relay team set a meet record and won a state title Saturday during the Class 1A State Championships at Eastern Washington University in Cheney.

The team of Mali Mack, Malia Clift, Katelyn Barnes and Payton Lunde finished the race in 1 minute, 43.69 seconds which was enough to beat Cle Elum-Roslyn High School’s time of 1:44.46.

The Trojans were in the third place entering the hand off between Barnes and Lunde, but once Lunde started gaining on her competition on the corners, she kicked things into gear on the straightaway and took the lead.

“That was my favorite race because we were expecting to do well, but we weren’t anticipating breaking the record,” Lunde said. “It’s also my favorite because it’s not as far as the 4x400.” Meridian finished fourth in the 4x400 which Lunde anchored as well.

Lunde had a solid day on the track as she also placed second in the triple jump with a jump of 36.75 feet, an event she started competing in starting this year.

“It’s fun to see how much I’ve progressed this year,” Lunde said. “My first jump was 30 feet and I finished breaking the school record.”

Meridian’s track coach Patrick Ames was thrilled that Meridian finished fourth in team points, winning a trophy for the first time in school history.

“These girls are a good, fun group,” Ames said. “I’m really proud of them.”

Washington wins 2 individual, 1 relay title

Lummi’s Mike Washington won two individual state titles as he displayed his blazing speed in the 100-meter dash, and then took home a state title in the 200 meter.

Washington’s time in the 100 was 11.48, and his time in the 200 was 22.45. Trazil Lane placed third in the 200 as well with a time of 23.01.

Washington was also the second leg on Lummi’s 4x100 relay team that won a state title with a time of 43.61. The time broke a meet record set by Lummi last year by one second.

Rusnak wins second title in as many days

Lynden Christian’s Hannah Rusnak won a state title in the 100 hurdles, and finished third in the 100 and 200.

Rusnak’s mark in the 100 hurdles was 14.71, crushing her next closest competition Aubry Botkin’s (Port Townsend) time of 15.38.

This story was originally published May 28, 2017 at 3:46 PM with the headline "Whatcom County 1A/1B track athletes finish final day at state."