Kent-Meridian’s Melanie Vertrees could envision the gold medal.
Teammate Kelsey Bueno can see it coming her way in the very near future.
The two K-M standouts delivered some gems on Saturday during the Class 4A state track and field meet at Mount Tahoma High.
But on this particular day, despite performances that may well have been golden during previous state meets, Vertrees and Bueno had to settle for silvers.
Vertrees, a senior who has been a granite pillar to the K-M program the last four years, brought home a silver medal in the high jump with a mark of 5-foot-8. She also qualified for state in the triple jump, shot put and 100 hurdles, but didn’t place among the top eight in those events.
The high jump, however, has been Vertrees’ best event all year. She delivered a mark of 5-10 last week during the district meet, a mark that ranks as the eighth best in the nation.
Saturday, however, Vertrees couldn’t quite reach that lofty level.
“I really thought this year that 5-8 would win it,” said Vertrees. “And when I went 5-10 at district last week, I was like, ‘Oh, 5-10 is going to win it.’”
Vertrees wasn’t completely wrong with her assessment as Mountain View’s Christine Rice did, in fact, go 5-10 to win the gold medal.
“Coming in, I had a bad last couple of days,” said Vertrees, who didn’t crack the state’s top eight in the other three events she qualified for state in. “I came in to win this. I had the state’s best high jump so far, and (Rice) got it today.”
While Vertrees was left somewhat frustrated by missing state gold, Bueno, K-M’s pole vaulting queen, couldn’t have been happier.
Bueno earned a silver medal with a mark of 11-9, which not only is a personal best, but more than a foot higher than what she was hitting just three weeks ago.
“I leave here ecstatic,” said Bueno.
Though, the K-M junior came one attempt away from taking home gold. Jessica Christian of Richland won the event with the same 11-9 mark as Bueno. However, Christian nailed 11-9 on her first try while it took Bueno a second attempt.
Both pole vaulters attempted the 12-foot barrier and narrowly missed.
“All week, (the coaches) were saying, ‘Go big or go home,’” said Bueno. “I leave here with a PR by six inches. And I almost had 12 feet … that’s pretty good.”
But even better when looking toward next year …
“(Christian) is graduating,” laughed Bueno, realizing before the end of Saturday’s state meet that she would be the favorite to win it all next year.
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