Kyle Kennedy can lift more weight than most of his teammates, but his technique throwing spears is what makes him a strong competitor.

The Bremerton High School junior will compete Friday in the javelin event at the Class 3A state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, joining more than 20 Central Kitsap and Bremerton track athletes who will participate in a state competition this weekend.

This will be Kennedy’s third consecutive appearance at state, an accomplishment that in large part can be credited to the athlete’s improved throwing motion.

“You’ve got to have the perfect technique,” said Kennedy, a muscular football player who at last year’s state championships finished fifth in the javelin behind champion Robert Hintz of Bellevue High School. “He wasn’t the strongest guy, but he had the best technique out of everybody.”

In a sport that requires speed, strength and mental focus, Kennedy has found more success than most by continually improving. Although he has yet to perfect the throwing motion of the 800-gram javelin, Kennedy’s marks continue to improve and he is learning how to adapt to different scenarios.

One is to point the tip of the javelin at an angle between 45 and 47 degrees upon release when there is little or no wind. Another is to keep the tip down and throw the javelin closer to the ground when there is a headwind, a tactic that reduces draft and increases distance.

That knowledge, coupled with his strength and athleticism, helped Kennedy secure a Class 3A West Central District III championship last weekend. He won the title with a throw of 186 feet, 11 inches, a personal best this season.

“When you get to that point, out into the range where he is, the progress is pretty hard to come by generally,” head coach Lloyd Pugh said. “He’s been very consistent.”

The first-place finish at districts means Kennedy is a frontrunner to finish on the podium at state. He took ninth as a freshman in 2008 and fifth in 2009. Now his goal is to place in the top three.

To accomplish that feat, however, Kennedy may have to throw the javelin farther than he has all season.

Entering the weekend competition, Kennedy has the sixth-best distance in the state among 3A competitors. Malaki Seanoa of Everett High School holds the state’s top 3A throw at 200-11, followed by the 197-10 of Luke Evans of North Central High School.

But since many variables affect the javelin competition — weather, for one — those numbers don’t necessarily indicate where each athlete will finish.

Kennedy has been throwing in rain and wind for the better part of two weeks, conditions that equate to lower distances. During practice the week leading into districts, his marks suffered.

“They weren’t quite where we would have liked them to be,” said throw coach Kaelea Makaiwi, who has worked with Kennedy the past two seasons. “But I kept telling him, ‘It’s the weather, we’ll get it, don’t worry, you need to peak at the right time.”

Kennedy may have one advantage over some of his state competitors — he is familiar with the facilities at Mount Tahoma. That’s where he competed at districts a week ago. And It’s also the stadium where the state meet has been the past two seasons.

Couple that with the experience of competing in two previous state meets, and Kennedy has reason to be confident.

“I know what’s going to happen and I know the competition,” he said. “I have a feeling I’m going to do pretty good.”

Meet the competitors

Here are the athletes from Central Kitsap and Bremerton who qualified for state:

Bremerton (3A): Kyle Kennedy, junior, javelin; and Julisha Johnson, sophomore, shot put.

Klahowya (2A): Rebecca Lindgren, junior, 200 and 400; and Kawaiolele Pakele, sophomore, 100 hurdles.

Olympic (3A): John Wojtech, senior, 1,600; Larry Dixon, senior, shot put; and Erin Chung Hoon, senior, discus.

Crosspoint (2B): Chase Estes, senior, long jump and triple jump; Nic Olson, senior, 100, 200 and 100 relay; Eric Jeong, senior, 100 relay; Russell Melin, freshman, 1,600; Jordan Cooper, junior, triple jump 100 and 100 relay; Josh Thompson, junior, 110 and 300 hurdles and 100 relay; Grace Garguile, freshman, 100, 200 and 400; Carlie Rouse, senior, 1,600 and 3,200; and Molly Wheeler, sophomore, 1,600 and 3,200; and Leandra Shdo, junior, 3,200.

Central Kitsap (4A): Shane Moskowitz, senior, 1,600 and 3,200; Marcus D’Angelo, senior, 100 relay; Alex Mackenzie, senior, 100 relay; Tyler Kahl, junior, 100 relay; Cooper Hartman, senior, 100 relay; Shannon Moskowitz, senior, 800 and 400 relay; Iesha Holt, junior, 100, 100 and 200 relays; Ashley Weathers, junior, 100 and 200 relays; Alanna Flynn, junior, 100, 200 and 400 relays; Rebekah Daniel, senior, 100, 200 and 400 relays; and Megan Denis, senior, 400 relay.

Be a part of the action

The Class 4A, 3A and 2A state track and field championships are at Mount Tahoma High School, 4634 S. 74th St., Tacoma. Although some preliminary events were held Thursday, most of the action is Friday and Saturday. Competition begins at 9:30 a.m. both days.

Crosspoint Academy

With 10 athletes headed to the 2B competition, Crosspoint coach Robert Evans has reason to be pleased as his first season at the helm comes to a close.

The boys team won a district championship last weekend and will send six athletes to state. The girls team will send four athletes, including freshman Grace Garguile, who will compete in a team-high three events.

“It’s time to step up,” Evans said of his message to the team leading into the state meet. “If you walk away with regrets, that’s not how you want to end your season.”

Freshman Russell Melin will run the 1,600, senior Nic Olson will compete in the 100, 200 and run a leg of the 100 relay, and senior Chase Estes will compete in the triple jump and long jump. Jordan Cooper, Eric Jeong and Josh Thompson also will compete for the boys team.

Garguile leads the girls team and will run three sprints, the 100, 200 and 100 relay. Senior Carlie Rouse will make her second straight state appearance, qualifying in the 1,600 and 3,200. Teammate Molly Wheeler will join her in both events. Leandra Shdo rounds out the girls team, competing in the 3,200.

Olympic High School

When Olympic opens the 3A meet Friday, seniors Larry Dixon and John Wojtech will lead the Trojans into the state competition, participating in the shot put and 1,600 respectively.

Dixon, a football and basketball player who will play football at Army this fall, finished second in the shot put at districts with a throw of 52-08.25. This is the first time Dixon has qualified for state in track and field. He set the school record in the shot put with a throw of 54-02.50 in April.

“This is his opportunity to close out a glorious high school career,” coach Greg Chapman said.

Wojtech, a swimmer who last season became the first Olympic athlete to achieve “Ironman” status in the pool, will run the second-longest race of the competition after placing fifth in the 1,600 at districts.

The endurance runner consistently participated in the 800 and 3,200 during the regular season, but he decided to focus on one race at state.

“We wanted to give him the best opportunity we could,” coach Greg Chapman said. “He’s got a chance to close out his career with something he can hang is hat on.”

Erin Chung Hoon, a senior, will participate in the discus, and Hunter Keffer, a sophomore, will compete in the high jump.

Klahowya Secondary School

With two athletes competing, Klahowya will have an all-female representation at the state championships.

The Eagles will send short-distance runner Rebecca Lindgren and hurdler Kawaiolele Pakele to the 2A meet Friday and Saturday at Mount Tahoma.

Lindgren qualified for state in the 200- and 400-meter races by placing second in both at last weekend’s Class 2A West Central District III championships. She placed second in the 200 behind Pandora Bunn of Washington High School with a time of 26.92 seconds and took second in the 400 with a time of 59.60, finishing behind Interlake High School’s Summer Hans on. The junior also competed at state in 2009.

Pakele, meanwhile, advanced by winning the 100 hurdles in a time of 17.26 seconds at districts. This will be her first state competition.

“Both girls have been improving each week,” coach Dave Rastovski said. “The hard work is paying off and they’ve positioned themselves nicely.”

Central Kitsap High School

One of the state’s most accomplished long-distance runners will showcase his ability one final time for Central Kitsap.

Senior Shane Moskowitz, the defending 4A state champion in the 1,600 and 3,200 and also a defending state cross-country champion, will look to repeat as champ in both long-distance events.

The Oklahoma State University-bound endurance specialist raced the 3,200 Thursday — results were unavailable at press time — and will race in the 1,600 Saturday, one of the more anticipated events of the 4A meet.

“The rest of the state has vastly improved over last year,” coach Mark Ward said. “He has to be listed as the favorite, but he’s not nearly as strong a favrote as he was last year.”

Twin sister Shannon Moskowitz, who will run for Boise State University next season, will compete in the 800 and run a leg of the Cougars’ 400 relay team. The Central Kitsap girls team qualified for all three relay events, the 100 and 200 being the others.

Iesha Holt, Ashley Weathers, Alanna Flynn and Rebekah Daniel make up the 100 and 200 relays. Holt, a junior, also will run the 100.

The Cougars also advanced the boys 100 relay team, a quartet Ward said is coming together at the right time and could surprise the competition.

“They are truly the great unknown right now,” Ward said of the team, made up of Marcus D’Angelo, Alex Mackenzie, Tyler Kahl and Cooper Hartman.