YAKIMA – The state track meet was held Saturday for 1B, 2B, and 1A schools at Eisenhower’s Zaepfel Stadium. Basin schools were well represented at the meet with runners from Lind-Ritzville, Moses Lake Christian Academy, Royal and Wahluke.  

“It was a good weekend. I would say it was bittersweet, in the sense that these kids, a lot of the seniors, have been with me my whole four years of coaching,” Knights head coach Maggie Delay said. “I know I'm really proud of them. I'm not sure if they are themselves, but they have really high expectations for themselves, and I hope they realize how proud the coaches and parents are of them.”  

The meet spanned three days, with preliminaries Thursday and Friday, and the final round races Saturday. The Knights took seven participants to the state meet for the 1A competition.  

Caden Fitzhugh said he was determined to culminate his high school career by making it to the finals during last weekend's meet. He made it to the finals of the 400-meter dash and the 4x100 Relay alongside Lance Allred, Santana Luna and Ethan Ellis.  

“For me, the top four finish in the 400 was kind of exciting. I didn't think I'd be that high. Same with the 4x100 relay, getting top three was exciting to do with all my friends that I've been around for my whole life,” Fitzhugh said.  

Delay was proud to see how far he had come, she said. 

“Last year, he made it in the 400 and the 100 and this year he made it in all four of his events, and he also made finals in two of them,” Delay said.  

Knights senior Ethan Ellis suffered a torn ACL, which kept him from running. This year, he was focused on making a comeback and finishing his career on the right note. He ran in the 4x100 relay; he and his teammates finished third in the finals with a time of 43.28.  

“I didn't even know if I was going to be able to run track ... so being able to even run exceeded my expectations, and so getting third definitely was a good thing,” Ellis said.  

The Knights tied for 10th overall with Granite Falls. Delay said this is a team performance that they should be proud of. Fitzhugh praised his teammates for their ability to push each other all season to be able to make the state meet.  

“I feel like throughout the year, we were just sharpening each other throughout practice. Since we were all competing at a higher level, it just helped one another out, because we're all kind of faster,” he said.  

The Broncos took eight athletes to the state meet for the 2B competition. As a team, they scored 13 points and finished 16th. Head coach Caitlin Teske felt good about how her team performed.  

“We took a small number, but we came with a mighty intention. Our kids worked really hard, and they earned every bit of what they got, and they pushed through the heat and performed and did very well. So, we're super proud of them as coaches,” she said.  

The Broncos had two runners in the 100-meter dash, while they did not make the finals, Zach Klein set a personal record for the run with a time of 11.30. Right behind him was Damon Schilling who ran 11.32.  

They bounced back from the 100 and made the finals of the 200-meter dash. Schilling took his turn to set a personal record in the 200 with a time of 22.51, finishing fifth.  

“We told them you always want to be the winner or second place, but fifth and seventh was something incredible to be proud of, and the PR’s that they made coming out of them and breaking school records and things like that is cool to watch,” Teske said.  

The Broncos also had senior Brody Boness throw 52-07.50 in the shot put, not only a personal record, but a fourth-place finish. Teske said it was nice to see her athlete end his career on a high note like that.  

The Warriors took three athletes to the state meet for the 1A competition. Though they did not place as a team, the season they had showed a lot of promise, according to head coach Joel Dugan. 

“I think we made a lot of progress. We came off two years of winning the league championship and then lost 46 seniors. It was a tougher year, but I'm really excited about the future,” he said.  

The Warriors had a rising star in freshman Kobe Corrales, who made the finals of the triple jump. He jumped 39-06.50 and placed 14th. According to Corrales, it may not have been the outcome he was hoping for, but there were plenty of positive takeaways.  

“I think the pressure got to me a little but that's just how life goes, and I think I'm going to take this as (an) opportunity to prepare for next year and come back stronger and better,” he said.  

The Warriors had senior Stephanie Elias run in the 3200-meter race. She finished with a time of 12:13.94 and placed 12th. According to Dugan, she had come a long way since her freshman year, where she struggled a lot but persevered by joining cross country and working year-round on her running.  

The Warriors crowned a state champion in the ambulatory group after Ivan Cruz won the 400-meter dash on Friday with a time of 1:17.81. On Saturday, he ran in the 100, where he placed second, and the 200, where he placed third.  

“He's been working really hard, and I know he's in the ambulatory division, but the entire season, he ran with everybody else, and so he really learned to stay in his lane and just kept improving,” Dugan said.  

The Moses Lake Christian Academy Lions competed in the 1B Track State Championships. While the boys did not place as a team, the girls placed 31st. 

Amelia Shopbell made it on the podium in the javelin throw by placing sixth overall with a throw of 101-4. Ethan Ramsey earned three State Championship titles in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and Javelin ambulatory competitions. 

James Robertson placed ninth in shot put and freshman Rebecca Wiser placed 10th and 11th, respectively, in the girls’ 3200 and 1600-meter runs. This was Rebecca Wiser’s second state appearance after having competed as an eighth grader in both events the year before. 

Other state competitors included sophomore Ben Bishop in the 400 and 3200-meter runs. This was his second state appearance. SanTahna Ferguson competed in discus, with a throw of 76 feet. Brynlynn King ran the 3200-meter in her third state appearance.  

    The Knights’ Lance Allred prepares for the 4x100 relay at the state track meet. Allred and his teammates finished third in the relay with a time of 43.28.
  

    The Broncos’ Damon Schilling takes off for the 4x100 relay at the state track meet. Schilling also set a personal record in the 200-meter race.
  

    Lions runner, Rebecca Wiser, holding a steady pace in the 3200-meter race. Wiser finished in 10th place.
  

    Warriors’ Ivan Cruz in a tight race in the ambulatory division's 100-meter dash. Cruz finished second in that race but earned state champion honors in the 400-meter dash.
  

    Warriors runner, Stephanie Elias turning the corner in the 1A 3200-meter race. Elias was praised for her development over the course of her career by head coach Joel Dugan.
  

    Broncos runner, Zach Klein crossing the finish line at the end of the 4x100 relay race. Klein also set a personal record in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.30.