Full recap from the 2023 Howard Dolphin Invitational at West Valley High School in Spokane.
SPOKANE - There are only so many chances people get to make a great first impression.
When hundreds of kids set foot on the track for the Howard Dolphin Invitational on Saturday, no one was expecting any blistering times to start the new high school season.
Then Mead’s Dominick Corley stepped into the blocks for the boys 100-meter and that first thought went away in an instant.
The junior opened his outdoor season with an impressive early-season time of 10.60 seconds in the 100 to highlight a full day of track and field at West Valley High School. His time currently ranks third in the state for all classifications in the early half of the year behind Seattle Prep’s Will Floyd, who’s ran 10.56, and Curtis' LeRoy Horton, who ran 10.58.
“Felt pretty good about my running,” Corley said. “My form stayed strong, and I’ve been executing what I’ve been training for the past two years.”
Corley, who ran 6.72 in the 60 this last indoor season, lowered his personal best time by .57 seconds from his sophomore year to win his opener by half a second over Riverside’s Shaun Wilson, who ran 11.21 for second. Ferris’ Isaiah Newman was third in 11.31.
“The conditioning I got from indoor really helped my confidence going into outdoor,” Corley said.
“I never thought I’d be running sub-11 in my life if I’m being honest. Just wanted to see what I could do for my opener and see where I’m at. Now just need to build off of that.”
Along with his win in the 100, Corley anchored the Panthers' 4x100 relay team to a time of 43.23 to beat out Greater Spokane League rival Rogers, who ran 44.48. Mead's time ranks second in the state behind Curtis at 41.83.
Logan Hofstee of East Valley repeated as the girls 3,200 champion with a new lifetime best of 10:49.48, winning her race by over 41 seconds. The junior opened last year's season with an 11:06 at the same invite.
“I was just trying to PR and see where I was at,” Hofstee said, who ran 17 seconds slower in last year’s Dolphin Invite race. “I’m excited to see where I’m at in a few weeks when the speed kicks in.”
Lewis and Clark's Charlie Ledwith and Evan Bruce finished first and second, respectively, in the boys 1,600, running 4:27.73 and 4:28.08.
Reigning 1B/2B state cross country champion Josie McLaughlin of St. George's ran 5:19.53 to win the girls 1,600, beating Lakeside’s Sadie Meyring, who ran 5:21.73.
Mary Walker’s Tomeko Cates, last year's high jump state champion in 1B, won two events in the field events, taking the boys high jump in a height of 6-05 and the triple jump in a personal best mark of 42-10.
Charlotte Cullen of Mead finished first in the girls 800, running 2:19.50, with teammates Raegan Borg (2:23.27, 2nd) and Olivia Ferraro (2:24.91, 3rd) following behind.
North Central’s Travis Horn ran 1:58.13 to win the boys 800, beating out St. George's Shawn Jones (1:59.26, 2nd) and Mead's Jonathan Lieb (1:59.31, 3rd).
University’s Addy McArthur threw two personal best throws, highlighted by a first-place finish in the girls shot put with a mark of 39 feet, 4.5 inches and a second-place finish in the discus with a throw of 111-01.5.
Freeman's Ryan Delcour and East Valley's Andrew Strawn both cleared new personal best heights of 13-06 to finish first and second, respectively, in the boys pole vault.
Mead’s Evan Berg won the boys javelin with another personal best throw of 175-01.
Colville’s Jordyn True, 1A state runner-up in the 100 hurdles, won two events with season best performances in the girls 100 hurdles (16.06) and triple Jump (35-00.25).
West Valley’s Jayden Barta, fourth at 2A state in long jump, won the boys long jump by over a foot with a season best mark of 21-03.25.