Borsheim runs complete race in mile to earn all-American honors in final high school meet
EUGENE, ORE. - Jake Andrews was without a doubt one of the best 400-meter runners in the state this season. When it came to the national stage though, the Sehome junior was on the outside looking in.
Two weeks after leading Sehome back to a 2A team title behind his three state title efforts, Andrews headed into Nike Outdoor Nationals with much to prove he was entered into the 400 championship field ranked 49th in the country with a time of 47.37 seconds.
"Starting this week, I had a pretty confident mindset," Andrews said. "I expected to run a little bit faster this year, so coming out of state not running the best times I possibly could, it kind of fueled me a little bit."
When Andrews first entered the field, he was slated to run right next to West Ranch's (California) Christopher Goode - the 18th ranked (46.75) 400 runner in the country this season and favorite to win the outdoor title.
However, Goode wasn't present on Sunday and scratched from the event, opening up the window for Andrews to come in and take the top overall spot.
Between a two-heat final and a total of 11 competitors, Andrews ran the overall fastest time, running a personal best 46.39 to win heat two and claim his first national title.
"I really wanted to push myself this meet and I knew I could do it," Andrews said. "...I made sure I got out hard because I noticed I wasn't really doing that this year...Coming off the curve, I really just decided to just to see if I could keep my arms going as fast as possible to keep my legs moving and it worked."
Andrews was one of six Washington athletes to claim national titles in the four day meet, including his own club teammate from Ready-Set-Go Sprinters, Andre Korbmacher of Squalicum, who won the boys 110 hurdles in 13.44.
Outside the track, the four other athletes to bring home national titles were Walla Walla's Dash Sirmon in the boys javelin (221-01), Rainier's Jeremiah Nubbe in the boys hammer (236-04) and discus (200-01), Emerald Ridge's JaiCieonna Gero-Holt in the girls high jump (5-10.5), and Captital's Amanda Moll in the girls pole vault (14-08).
Bellarmine's Ella Borsheim finished off her high school career with one of the most complete races she of her senior season, finishing second in the girls championship mile in a time of 4:46.89. She was only a second off her personal best time of 4:45.63 from last season.
"I'm feeling really good about it and super happy with it," Borsheim said. "One second off my PR, but it's a big season best. So happy with how I raced today and it's great to be out here at Hayward and a good end to my high school career."
The Washington Husky bound runner won heat two of the three section finals over Latin's (Illinois) Ava Parekh, who ran 4:50.22. Ventura's (California) freshman phenom Sadie Englehart won the overall title after winning heat three in a time of 4:38.40.
Eisenhower's Isabela Alvarado ran a new personal best 4:56.46 to finish 21st, and Seton Catholic freshman Alexis Leone, 1A distance triple crown winner, was 25th in a personal best 5:00.95.
Another senior standout on the boys side also ended their career with a runner-up finish in the championship mile as Kamiakin's Isaac Teeples came from behind on the final 400 meters to run a time of 4:09.21 to finish second. Longmont's (Colorado) Connor McCormick won in a time of 4:08.59.
Bishop Blanchet duo Will Schneider and Vince Recupero finished 11th and 17th overall as they clocked personal best times of 4:12.04 and 4:12.94.
Sam Jacobsen of Newport (Bellevue) cracked the top 20 finishing 19th overall in a personal best time of 4:13.72.
Also competing in the championship mile field were Walla Walla's Brody Hartley (38th, 4:17.78 PR), Central Kitsap's Blake Reynolds (44th, 4:18.95 PR), and Arlington's Brandon Moore (52nd, 4:24.11).
Seattle Prep's Will Floyd and the 4xMile girls team earned all-American honors behind some great performances.
The 4xMile team, made up of Malie Chamberland, Katherine Lauinger, Daniela Sekhar, and Lily O'Donoghue-McDonald, finished sixth overall in a time of 21:38.15.
Floyd ran in the 200 boys championship final, finishing second overall in a time of 21.27. Jonas Clarke from South Hadley in Massachusetts won the title in a personal best 20.98.
South Kitsap girls 4x400 team, made up of Marissa Crane, Savannah Kambich, and Elise and Ella Hopper, rounded out the all-American finishers for the day, finishing fifth overall in a new personal best team time of 3:53.12.
A pair of 4A sprinters ran personal best efforts in the Emerging Elite portion of the meet en route to placing on the podium stand.
Tahoma's Brooke Lyons earned her second runner-up finish of the meet as she took second in the girls 200 race, running a personal best time of 24.67.
Curtis' Ava Simms continued her end-of-the-season upward trend in the 400, lowering her time to another personal best effort of 56.81 to finish third in the field. Sehome's Jayda Darroch and Meadowdale's Tresley Love finished seventh and eighth in times of 57.92 and 58.02.
Lincoln's (Tacoma) Jonathan Frazier came close to running a personal best time in the boys 400 as he ran 50.27 to place 11th.
Federal Way's Isaiah Davis capped off his career finishing in seventh place in the boys 200 in a time of 22.21.
Lynden Christian's Andrew Luce came up clutch in the boys mile, sneaking his way up on the podium after running a personal best 4:17.85 to finish in sixth. Lakes' Zander Trevino ran tough to place 12th overall in a personal best effort of 4:19.40.
Luke Schmidt of Shorecrest placed 23rd, running a time of 4:23. Port Angeles' Jack Gladfelter, third in the two-mile race on Friday, was 28th in a time of 4:24.59. Rounding out the top 50 finishers were Selah's Eric Swedein placing 42nd, running 4:29.44, followed by Woodinville's Gabe Kary in 50, running 4:36.35.
Peninsula's Hannah Lee was the lone Washington girl in the mile race, clocking a personal best time of 5:08.22 to finish in 15th.
Lincoln's (Seattle) Evan Kelly had himself a day in the boys 800 as he ran a close second to his personal best time finishing sixth in 1:56.02. Squalicum's Chase Barlett took 14th in a time of 1:57.17.
Tahoma's trio of Ryan Perkins and Sam and Jack Clarke ran their final races together with Perkins leading the way in a time of 1:57.90 to place 20th. Sam and Jack finished 24th and 31st, running 1:58.62 and 2:00.56.
Sequim's Riley Pyeatt almost came away with another podium finish after leading the Wolves to a 4x400 title Saturday night as she placed seventh in the 800, running 2:15.19 for her final high school race.
North Kitsap's Salix Warter-Kahl ran within a second of her personal best time from state, clocking 2:18.13 to place 16th.