By Heidi Sanders
hsanders@kentreporter.com
As they prepare for the Class 4A state championship track and field meet, Kentwood High seniors Nicole Soleim and Harsimran Singh hope to leave their mark in the school record books.
Their performances in the West Central District 4A championship meet last week at Kent’s French Field earned each their first trip to the state meet.
Soleim finished third in the 3,200 meters (11:22.59) and delivered a personal-best 5:05.43 for fifth in the 1,600.
Harsimran Singh ran personal bests of 1:55.11 and 4:23.72 to finish eighth in both the 800 and 1,600, respectively. He anchored the winning 1,600 relay (3:22.89) with Omari Brown, Daniel Gaik and Camden Phelps.
The state meet is Thursday through Saturday, May 25-27, at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.
Soleim is five seconds from breaking the school record in the 1,600 and 14 seconds from the top mark in the 3,200. Both records were set in 1991 by Kay Luo – 5:00.8 in the 1,600 and 11.00.4 in the 3,200.
Breaking the records in each event is attainable, Soleim said.
“You just try to take a second or two off of each lap and then you’ll get done there,” she said.
Singh is currently fifth in the school standings in the 800. Tim Pettit set the record of 1:52.83 in 2010.
“That’s a lot in the 800, especially when you are down in that time,” Singh said of the just over two seconds separating him from the record. “But, I think it is possible. It is more than possible.”
Overcoming health issues
Qualifying for state is extra sweet for Soleim who narrowly missed making it to the meet her freshman year due in part to an undiagnosed gluten and dairy allergy.
“I think (the allergy) came on abruptly because I didn’t have any of it freshman year,” she said. “Then sophomore year I was completely out. I was barely breaking six minutes (in the mile) which was really disheartening from almost going to state.”
Soleim visited a naturopathic doctor who diagnosed the allergies and taught Soleim to manage it through her diet.
The ordeal helped Soleim discover she wants to study nutrition in college. She plans to attend Central Washington University in Ellensburg, where she hopes to continue her cross country and track careers.
“I thought it was a really negative experience,” Soleim said of her food allergies. “But now that I look back on it was actually positive.”
Soleim said she will miss her teammates and coaches next year but is glad Singh also plans to attend Central.
“We didn’t really talk freshman or sophomore year,” she said of her friendship with Singh. “We were kind of in two different groups, but we started talking and now we hang out almost everyday. I train with him on his off days.”
Discovering a passion
Singh didn’t start running until his sophomore year after his friend encouraged him to try out for cross country.
“I made varsity my sophomore year,” Singh said. “I was like maybe this could be something, so I did track. I had an OK season – made it to leagues. … You never know what you are going to be good at. I really thought I was going to make the basketball team … but I haven’t looked at that ever since.”
Singh’s best event is the 800, but this year he started running the 1,600.
“My coach was like, ‘We need some points. Let’s put you in the mile,’” Singh said. “I qualified for leagues and then came to leagues and my coach said ‘You have to do the mile.’ … I got third at leagues. I was like maybe I can do this for state.”
Even though he was seeded last in the event going in the league meet, he was confident he could qualify for district.
“I went in thinking it’s only 4 seconds. I can do it,” he said. “I went in with the mindset that I could do it. I only ran the mile three times before that, and then I qualified for state.”
Making state is a great end to his high school career.
“I wanted to do it last year, but I wasn’t quiet there,” he said. “This year, it feels great.”
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Kentwood’s Harsiman Singh, right, races to an eighth-place finish in the 800 meters last Saturday at the West Central District meet at French Field. HEIDI SANDERS, Kent Reporter
