King’s West sends 11 to 2B state meet.

Their motivation all year has been to improve by working hard, setting and resetting personal records — or “PR’s” as their called in the track world — to contribute to the team’s overall success.

“You can’t control anybody else,” King’s West track and field coach and athletic director Dan Dittmer explained. “Worry about yourself and control what you can.”

Doing that and more, the King’s West track and field team sent 11 athletes to this weekend’s 1B/2B WIAA State Track and Field Championships, held at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, to compete in 15 events.

Headlining the Warrior lineup, junior Irene Moore is set to compete in four events — the 100-meter high hurdles, 300 low hurdles, 100 relay and pole vault.

She qualified for state at last weekend’s Tri-District Championships at King’s High School in Seattle, earning first-place finishes in the 300 hurdles and pole vault, while coming in third in both the 100 hurdles and 400 relay.

“The stars just aligned,” she said of the district performance, especially surprised to reach state in the 400 relay. “We didn’t even run it until halfway through the year.”

Jill Morris, Michelle Webster and Lakiesha Nilles fill out the relay squad, overcoming a slew of injuries to reach state.

“I really wasn’t expecting the team to do so well, because we had a lot of

injuries,” Webster, a senior, explained.

Running at 53.96 seconds, the 400 relay took third at districts, finishing behind Bear Creek (53.71) and first-place Seattle Lutheran (53.64).

Webster took second at districts in the long jump at 14 feet 6 inches, while grabbing third in the shot put at 31-09.

She’ll look to improve that shot put distance this weekend.

“At state, you see a lot of 36-to-40-foot throws,” she said. “I’m hoping to get (at least) 35 (feet).”

In other girls action, Nilles will defend her 2B state title in the javelin. Hampered by an injury, she finished the event second at districts (130-10) behind La Connor’s Cora Kellerman (135-02). She also will compete in the discus.

Senior Megan Morris earned a state bid in the triple jump, leaping 29-08.75 at districts and will look to end her Warrior career by setting a PR.

Carlie Rouse, also a senior, will run the 1,600 and 3,200. Rouse took first in both races at districts, posting times of 5:46.00 and 12:29.82 respectively.

“This is my first year (to state) in the 3,200,” she said. “I’m not as familiar with it.”

The boys, too, filled the state card with solid performances at districts.

Nic Olson ran the 100 in 11.79, good for third at districts, and will seek another PR in the same event at state.

Jeff Mitchell and Chase Estes both earned spots at state in the long jump, sweeping the event at districts on leaps of 18-11.50 and 18-10.25 respectively.

Estes will compete in the triple jump as well.

Drew McCullough (javelin) and Colin Mange (pole vault) also reeled in state berths at districts, completing the boys’ state lineup.

“It was an overall team effort,” Dittmer said of the district meet. “We had a lot of super efforts.”

State action began yesterday and resumes today. Results will be available in next week’s edition.