Squalicum's Korbmacher takes down 2A boys meet record en route to victory
TACOMA - There are two things JaiCieonna Gero-Holt and Asher Ogden have in common with each other: they are great hurdlers and are now state champions.
The Emerald Ridge standout athletes battled a torrential downpour on Friday night at Mt. Tahoma High School as they each picked up state individual titles of their own in the 4A short hurdles.
Gero-Holt toed the line of the girls 100 hurdles next to her fastest competition of the season in Lake Stevens' Chloe Pattison for a wire-to-wire battle that ended in Gero-Holt coming out with the win in a time of 14.71.
"I think I got out better than I did in prelims," Gero-Holt said. "In prelims I wasn't quick enough, but then again I had to think I was running against myself in those prelims. This was definitely a better race, so I improved from that."
A competitor like Pattison, who PR'd in this race in a time of 14.74, gave everything she had against Gero-Holt. The two were hurdling perfectly despite the conditions, and it took a diving effort from the Lake Stevens' senior to give herself a chance at taking down the state's best hurdler.
"I appreciated her because she gave me great competition," Gero-Holt said. "It was another good experience to have people that have I've already competed against to push me to my limit."
Richland's Hannah Chang, who ran her personal best time of 14.79 in prelims, took third overall in the fast field, running 15.22. Hanford's Iliana Moran (4th, 15.74) and Kentridge's Shiney Mayanja (5th, 15.89) came away with personal best times in the final.
Ogden had a much similar race like Gero-Holt did where he too defeated another talented Lake Stevens' hurdler in Sean Martelles. The Eastern Washington commit ran 14.77 and leaned further ahead of Martelles at the tape to come away with the win. Despite the diving effort, Martelles finished in second in a season best 14.81.
The battle for third was close too between Kentridge's Jonah Tongco and Lake Stevens' Daivd Brown as Tongco ran 15.10 to finish in third. Brown's fourth place time was 15.16. Richland's Seth Shook was fifth in 15.38.
Squalicum's Andre Korbmacher delivered an all-time classic in the 2A boys 110 race as he clocked 13.83 to win his first state title. His time surpasses former White River hurdle standout Devin Liebel's 2A state meet record of 14.17 from the 2013 state meet.
"Even though it wasn't a PR, that was one of the best races," Korbmacher said. "I felt so good, so clean, and that 4.0 headwind just slowed me down a little bit, so I'm really happy with my performance."
The match-up was perfect between two of the best 110 hurdlers ever in Washington in Korbmacher and Sehome's Carter Birade, who was second in 14.28. The club teammates, outside running for their schools, put together the perfect race four hurdles into it. Birade even had a slight edge on Korbmacher, but then tripped up on eighth hurdle, eventually giving Korbmacher the edge to bring home the state title.
"Having Carter there on my inside really helped me push myself to win," Korbmacher said. "Neither of us want to lose to each other, so we really push each other to be our best."
Aberdeen's Collin Babineau placed third behind the fast duo, running a time of 15.58. Tumwater's Seth Weller (4th, 15.82) and Ellensburg (5th, 15.84) completed the top five finishers in the field.
Enumclaw's Ellie DeGroot surprised the crowd in the 2A girls 100 hurdles, running to a personal best time of 15.02 to beat out Sedro-Woolley's Heather Vanderbeek (15.06, PR).
Tumwater's Alyssa Duncan cracked 16 seconds to run 15.65 to finish in third. Pullman's Nicole Avery placed fourth in 16.17. Black Hills' Olivia Hisaw ran a personal best 16.20 to finish in fifth.
Silas' Jaylen McCabe ran away with the 3A boys 110 title, clocking a time of 14.24. He beat Arlington's Parker Duskin, who ran 14.79. Yelm's Kyler Ronquilla rounded out the top three, running 14.98. Albersh Kuwa of Southridge placed fourth in a time of 15.38, and Ballard's Caleb Pook was fifth in 15.40.
Capital's Hana Moll picked up the 3A girls 100 win, lowering her time down to a new personal best 14.66. Moll also took second in the girls pole vault earlier in the morning going over 14 feet.
Hazen's Olivia Conklin ran the race of her life, posting a personal best time of 14.72 to finish in second. Prairie's Kara Mattson placed third, running 15.53. Mercer Island's Arianna Nguyen ran a lifetime best 15.58 placing fourth. Bonney Lake's Brooke Mansfield rounded out the top five in a time of 15.60.
Note: Small school meet 110 and 100 hurdle races will be ran on Saturday. Today were prelims.