TACOMA — Yes, this is state.
But, Sequim and Port Angeles enter the 2A track and field state championship meet at Mount Tahoma Stadium today with plenty of big-meet experience.
The championships continue through Saturday.
For starters, they face strong competition within the Olympic League, which had five boys teams and four girls teams finish in the top 10 at the Tri-District meet.
The tri-districts weren’t a cakewalk, either.
“We’re in a very tough district; but the flipside is that if you can get through a tough district, you have a chance [to medal at state],” Sequim coach Brad Moore said.
Port Angeles girls coach Bill Tiderman said the Roughriders competed at many “huge invitationals” so they could face top-notch competition and get experience performing in front of large groups of spectators.
The objective, or at least part of it, was to lessen the nerves at the state meet.
“I don’t think they’re afraid of the other kids; they’re nervous because they’re at state,” Tiderman said, adding that some nerves are fine because most of the kids at state are feeling them to some degree.
Moore said that there is also a lot of enthusiasm.
“I think we have a number of kids who have an excellent chance of coming home with a medal,” Moore said.
“Any time you’re in that position, you have to be excited.”
Moore’s optimism is particularly high for senior Jayson Brocklesby, who will compete in two individual events: the 400-meter dash and the high jump.
“He’s one of four guys who can win [the high jump]. There’s only two guys who have gone 6-foot-6 this year, and he’s been one of them,” Moore said.
“If you run [the 400] under 50 [seconds], you’re going to be on the medal stand. Where he’s going to be on the medal stand, I’m not sure.”
Brocklesby posted a 400 time of 49.67 seconds at last week’s tri-district meet.
The do-everything-and-do-it-better-than-everyone-else Brocklesby will also run in the 4×100- and 4×400-meter relay teams.
And at the state meet, the schedule will be Brocklesby’s friend.
At tri-district, he had to run the 400 and a relay, and soon thereafter, participate in the high jump.
“And, his legs were done,” Moore said.
This limited Brocklesby, but he still tied a meet record with a jump of 6-foot-4.
There will be no such conflicts or close calls at state.
The Sequim boys team’s other individual competitor, Lopaka Yasamura, is ranked ninth in the 2A classification in the shot put, which gives him a chance to medal, as well.
He also is running the 4×100 relay with Judah Breitbach, Christian Miles and Brocklesby.
The 4×400 relay team consists of Brocklesby, Dylan Chatters, Hamish Peers and Oscar Herrera.
After not sending a single girl to state in 2012, the Wolves have five girls competing this year: Jasmine McMullin in the long and triple jumps, Audrey Singleton in the 800-meter run, and Sarah Hutchison in the pole vault.
Hutchison and McMullin will also participate in the 4×400 relay, along with Hannah Hudson and Waverly Shreffler.
McMullin broke her own school record at the tri-district meet with a mark of 36 feet and 8.5 inches.
“Jasmine is a highly ranked triple jumper, and she’s been super-consistent,” Moore said.
“And she just keeps extending that school record; three weeks in a row now she has gone longer and longer and longer, and I just think she’s going to crack over 37 [feet] this week.
“I’m always optimistic and I’m always hopeful, but I think she’s exactly where she needs to be.”
Moore said his team is as healthy as it has been all season.
Shingleton, a freshman, had been hampered by a hip injury, but her condition has improved and Moore said she ran by far her best 800 of the year at the tri-district meet.
Riders peaking
Competing against Shingleton in the 800 in what Tiderman said is “just a tough race,” will be Port Angeles freshman Willow Suess.
Also representing the Roughriders will be Jolene Millsap (100- and 200-meter dashes), Brittany Nordberg (javelin), Elyse Lovgren (long jump) and Kyle Tupper (1,600- and 3,200 meter runs).
Millsap likely has the best chance of placing at state, particularly in the 100.
The junior sprinter is ranked third in 2A in the 100, and 10th in the 200.
She also has the top 100 time in the district, and the second-best 200 time.
Tiderman said Millsap was born fast, as sprinters tend to be, but her hard work sets her apart.
He said that even in the offseason, Millsap stays in shape and lifts weights with Port Angeles football coach Tom Wahl.
“All sprinters have natural talent, but she’s earned hers,” Tiderman said.
Because of the work Millsap puts in, her speed is consistent throughout a race.
“When other runners are slowing down, she’s able to sustain it,” Tiderman said.
“I can tell halfway through whether she will win or not, because nobody is going to catch her.”
Meanwhile, Tupper’s events, the 1,600 and 3,200, are such long races that it’s harder to predict who will medal. Previous marks are less significant.
“Kyle’s one of the stronger runners in the state,” Tiderman said.
Like Suess, Nordberg and Lovgren are competing in events stacked with talent.
However, both are coming off personal records at the tri-district meet, and are set up to improve those marks this week.
In fact, Tiderman said that all of Port Angeles’ state participants have set personal records over the last two or three weeks.
“Everybody for us has been improving,” he said.
“We’re in what we call the peak zone.”