With micro tears in his left hamstring, Abu Kamara of Kent-Meridian High School ran through the pain to advance to West Central District in the boys 300 and 110-meter hurdles at last week’s South Puget Sound League’s track and field meet at French Field.
In order to prepare for the meet, Kamara sat out for nearly three weeks. Last Friday was his first race since the injury. He placed sixth in the 300 with a time of 40.58 seconds and third in the 110 in 14.45.
After one more week of rest, Kamara’s hopes his leg heals enough to improve those times and he qualifies at district at French Field this weekend for the Class 4A state meet on May 24-25.
Kentridge’s Kevin Hall has run pretty consistently all season long. Holding the number two slot in both the 110 (14.38) and 300 hurdles (38.53), he’s vying for the top spot in this week’s meet to advance to state.
Bralen Westendorf, also of Kentridge, is no stranger to success in track and field. Named the SPSL North Division’s track athlete of the year, Westendorf hopes his hard work will pay off in the 100 and 300 hurdles and the 400 and 1,600 relays.
Kent-Meridian is sending 23 competitors to districts while Kentridge is sending 14. Both schools have competitive relay teams, and know it’ll be a photo finish for whomever takes the top spot.
A half dozen Kentlake school records fell at the SPSL meet while 12 athletes advanced to districts in individual events as well as two relays.Brandon Parks broke the record for javelin with a throw of 141 feet, 6 inches, Alex Martinez broke his record in the 3,200 meters with a time of 9:38.14, Tori Lanza broke the record for the 300 meter hurdles in 44.82 and Terra McGinnis set the record in the 1,600 meters in 5:11.78.
The girls 1,600 relay of Lanza, McGinnis, Marisa Lytle and Jessica Kuntz set a new school record with a time of 4:07.74. The 400 relay of Galvizo, Lytle, Peters and Timary Mathena also set a new mark with a time of 50.82.
Top league finishers for Kentwood included Brandon Stribling and Bailey Paladin in the 100 and 200, Terence Grady in 100 meter hurdles and discus, Mitchell Cox in javelin, Treyvon Floyd in high jump, Stribling in long jump, Amari Bradley in the 400 meters, Tessa Carlin in the 800 meters, Haley Larson in discus, Sara Roberts in javelin, Carly Horn and Brittany Woke in high jump, and Sarah Toeaina in long jump and triple jump. Senior Beth Parrish won the pole vault for Kentwood with a height of 10-6.
The Kentwood boys 400 relay of Derrick Bell, Ivan Semerenko, Paladin and Stribling finished second and broke the school record with a time of 42.65.
The top three finishers in each event at districts will automatically be advanced to the state meet.
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