La Conner thinclads set fast pace at Friday Harbor

They took no shortcuts, it just seemed that way.

La Conner High track teams made fast work of an NW1B/2B League Meet at Friday Harbor on Thursday, where practice and preparation paid off with several of coach Peter Voorhees’ charges recording personal bests.

He cited two, in particular — thrower Sarah Hastings and distance runner Jordan Holt — afterward.

“They were our athletes of the week,” he said, “with Sarah setting PRs (personal records) in the shot and discus and Jordan setting a big PR in the 3200 and doing things right all the time.”

Hastings, a freshman took top honors in the girls’ shot put with a 30-foot toss.

She was part of a stellar Lady Braves field contingent that saw Heather Henriksen capture gold in the javelin, Kamea Luna win the high jump, Kamea Pino claim the long jump crown, and Anna Cook place first in the triple jump.

The versatile Cook also mined gold in the 400 and 1600 meters and ran a leg of La Conner’s blue ribbon 800 meter relay entry.

Pino, Sage Burgmeier, and Sofie Thulen joined Cook in the 4x200, where the Lady Braves clocked a 1:54.5 finish.

Pino, like Cook, was a multiple gold winner at Friday Harbor.

She won both the 100 meters, :13.47, and 300 meter hurdles, :56.27, edging runnerup Jasmine Hopfield of Concrete in the latter event.

Thulen made it a La Conner sweep in the hurdles by hitting the tape first in the 100s, clocking a :17.4 in the finale.

The Lady Braves were equally strong in the distance events. In addition to Cook’s triumph in the 1600 meters, La Conner teammates Fernanda Silva and Emma Lagerwey ran 1-2 in the 3200.

Silva, Madison Wilson, Michelle Kim, and Ashley Carlson shared gold by winning the girls’ mile relay for the Lady Braves.

Holt earned praise from Voorhees after clocking a 12:29.00 finish in the boys’ 3200, clinching silver behind La Conner’s Scott Gregory. Gregory was also third in the 800 meters.

It was a big day as well for sprinter Mitchell Grant.

Grant ran away with the 400 meters title, turning in a time of :56.33. He also joined Budda Luna, Kolbe Rasler, and Seth Schuh to win the sprint relay with a :46.63 clocking.

Grant, Luna, Rasler, and Jacek Knudson reached the Winner’s Circle in the mile relay, sporting a time of 3:46.2.

Luna added silvers in the long jump and triple jump, respectively, while Schuh led a strong La Conner field in the javelin that took that event’s top four slots.

Schuh maxed out at 134’-2”, finishing just ahead of Nick Reese, Zach Harris, and Josh Summers.

Harris enjoyed a wide margin in winning the discus. His 131’-1” toss was nearly 15 feet longer than that posted by his nearest competitor, Kyle Jangard of Friday Harbor.

Summers, meanwhile, won the 110 meter hurdles, :18.38, and added to the La Conner point total with a second place finish in the high jump.

Rasler placed second to Friday Harbor’s standout hurdler Willie Blackmon in the 300s.

Michael Page continued to excel in the shot put, triumphing with a heave of 39’-4”. La Conner’s Nathaniel Stoppleman and David Thomas also finished in the shot’s Top Five.

The La Conner track teams are slated to resume league competition today, Wednesday,, at Lummi.