t Allison salvages spot in district meet with first-place finish at districts.
It wasn’t quite a worst-to-first tale, but it was close enough for South Kitsap High School junior Sean Allison.
His initial throw on the first day of the Narrows League Championships for track and field Wednesday went just 136 feet, and he scratched on the second. With just one throw left, Allison was in jeopardy of not making the top six that qualify for next week’s West Central District Tournament.
As soon as he released the final throw, the pressure dissolved. It landed at 172 feet, 3 inches, carrying him to first place in the event.
“I just concentrated on getting one out there,” Allison said. “I threw it 171 and it took a weight off my shoulders.”
With that out of the way, Allison now can concentrate on his goal of 180 feet at districts. The javelin perhaps was the highlight of the day for the Wolves, whose boys team tied for fourth along with Bellarmine Prep with 21 points among 11 participating teams.
Gig Harbor was first through five events with 51 points.
South senior Devlan Miller finished second behind Allison in the javelin at 149-7. Miller started throwing the javelin again in the Wolves’ final regular-season meet May 2.
“I still have a lot to learn with my form,” he said. “I’ve been focusing on the high jump.”
In the preliminary events, a few Wolves qualified for districts, including Jon Phillips in the 400 dash (51.35 seconds, fourth place) and 800 run (1 minute, 58.39 seconds, first); senior Stephen Tucker advanced in the 100 dash (11.60, sixth); and sophomore Leon La Deaux went in the 300 hurdles (41.06, third).
South finished fifth in the 400 relay at 44.65 — Wilson was first at 43.78 — while the Wolves were first in the 1,600 relay (3:27.96). Both races were prelims. Results from the finals, which commenced Friday, weren’t available by press time.
On the girls side, South finished ninth with three points. Sophomore Christina Boddie was the Wolves’ lone district qualifier when she finished the 100 hurdles in fifth at 17.36. Gig Harbor’s Bree LeRoy won the event at 16.23.
“It’s a young, young team,” South coach Joanne Warren said. “This is the time that experience kicks. It’s a learning experience.”
