Track = Outstanding
A record year for Eisenhower's track team: 12 podium finishes. After a three year hiatus the state track meet is back and the Ike track team made their mark. 20 athletes took the trek up to mount Tahoma High School for the three day meet and on each of these days, an Ike athlete took the award stand. This team is not to be messed with; prior to the State meet the girls varsity team won the league championships after individually defeating every team in our district. It was the ideal set up for the teams, with a league championship already secured on the girls side, the boys team won the District title, taking down all 4 of the other schools in a team scoring. Eisenhower's track team is among the few athletic teams here at Ike to make it to state and the only one of them to do so this spring. Not only did they go, they brought home a state Champion.
Senior, Kara Mickelson totaled 3 events and took home 3 medals. After a strategic race with the top athletes in the state, Kara took home her first state title of her high school career, beating her personal best by over 3 seconds. Almost more impressively, three hours after her state title, she took home a second place finish in the 400 meters. When asked what it took to get Mickelson to where she is she responded with, “I think what is most important is just having goals that are non negotiable. For me this spring was practice. I knew I wanted to win state and so making my sleep and practice schedule a priority got me there.” And win state she did. Kara will be continuing her Track and Field career next year at the University of Arizona, on a full ride, division one scholarship.
Just like Mickeson, Junior Bela Alverado took home three shiny medals. The very first day of the meet, Bela took the stage in the 1600 meters. In a back and forth battle of the leading girls, Alverado ran away with a third place podium finish in a time of 4:55.76 , only one second away from the school record set in 1970. Bela is only a junior here at Ike, she transferred from Wapato to run for the cross country and track program so you better bet that next year, that record will be demolished. A day after her impressive race in the 1600 she took the floor again in the 800 meters alongside teammate Kara Mickelson. In a close race to the end, Bela once again took third, with her second medal of the meet.
After such impressive seasons, both Kara and Belas' seasons are far from over. Joined by team mates Hannah Hilton, Nathan Johnson, and Olive Clark they will continue to compete until mid June where they will race in Nike Nationals.
For their third medal, both Kara and Bela finished out the meet with the 4 by 400, placing 4th with a time of 4:03. Anchored by Mickelson, other members of the team include senior Ciera Reyes as lead leg, freshman Olive Clark (who also qualified in the 1600 - AMAZING for a freshman), and Bela Alverado. Alternates included seniors Alyssa Chavez and Kenedy Leach who took the field and the pressure right with this team.
Kara was not the only state Champ from Ike this past weekend. Senior Nick Burton is a three event state champion in the ambulatory division. Nick competed in four events: the 100, 200, 400, and the javelin. He took home gold in the 100, 200, and 400 while taking second place in the Javelin. Impressive! Four events and four medals! As it is his last year here at ike and his 3rd year competing in Track and Field, he was ecstatic with his performances. Nick was accompanied by team mate Javier Benito made 3 podium finishes in the ambulatory division right alongside Nick.
Other podium finishes included senior Jose Ochoa who walked away with a 7th place finish in the boys 4A Javelin throw with a throw of 152’ 6 and sophomore Liam Parker who took 8th in the pole vault clearing a 6 inch PR in a jump of 13’.
The state meet was not poorly attended. Our athletes filled every category, competing in nearly every event across the board. Nathan Johnson,
Ike’s top male distance runner raced in the 3,200 (2 mile) and is sure to make another appearance next year. Senior Hannah Hilton, coming off an impressive cross country season, finished off her last high school race in the 3200. The all junior (with the exception of one sophomore) 4 by 100 relay team of Hector Bombela, Josh Jaiyeola, Judah Oldenkamp, and Oliver Barron made their state debut, crushing their old PR when it mattered most. Sophomore Aiden Waddle raced in the 100 meter hurdles. After barely missing the mark in his other two events, Aiden is sure to be all over the state meet schedule next year. Mary Mickelson, junior, also made her state debut in the discus throws. She went in ranked sixth in the state and being so young, she is looking forward to impressive performances next year.
These athletes were hard at work even during the long winter months, months before their season actually started. Making it to state, let alone placing, is no easy challenge. Congratulations to all these athletes, keep working hard and good luck with the rest of your running endeavors.
