Ki-Be's Leavitt set to make history

CHENEY -- The stage is set.

Kiona-Benton senior Whitney Leavitt is poised to make Washington prep track and field history after dominating both of her preliminary races at the state 1A Track and Field championships at Eastern Washington University's Woodward Stadium on Friday.

If, as expected, she wins both the 100 and 200-meter dashes during today's finals, Leavitt will become only the second Washington athlete ever to win both events at the state meet four years in a row.

The only other athlete to win four straight 100 and 200 titles was Heidi Shutz of White Salmon from 1990 to 1993.

"I'm kind of relieved now," Leavitt said after posting by far the best time in the 200 meter preliminaries. "I'm really more worried about our 4x200."

Leavitt won her 100 heat by almost .9 of a second in 12.34. That was more than .6 faster than Freeman's Amanda Stump, who won the other preliminary heat. And all that came after getting the Bears' 4x200 relay team into the finals with a blistering 24.3 anchor leg.

"There was some tension last night," Leavitt said. "But I usually feel better after the first day, its a matter of reassurance."

Leavitt's performance was just the highlight of Day 1 of the 1A meet for Mid-Columbia athletes.

Connell junior Sara McGary has improved 12 inches in the pole vault in the last two weeks. She cleared 9-6 on Friday to claim a share of fourth place. Royal senior Blair Collins triple jumped 43-10 to place fourth, and Connell's Colton Riner was close behind with a 43-6 leap to grab sixth place.

Leavitt's Ki-Be teammate, Katherine Lotze, Wahluke hurdler Lalo Mendoza, and Collins each won preliminary heats -- Lotze in the 100-meter hurdles, Mendoza in the 110-meter hurdles and Collins in the 100.

Two Mid-Columbia athletes won state titles in the 2B portion of the meet. James Lehr of Waitsburg-Prescott upset Will Rocket of Willapa Valley to win the shot put, and Marshall Freyberger of Lind Ritzville won the pole vault.

Lotze overcame a couple of ragged moments early on to win her hurdle heat in 15.62, less than .2 behind MacKenzie Altig of Bellevue Christian, who won the other heat.

"I just got going really fast," Lotze said of the scary early stages of her race. "I was thinking about time, mostly. I was pretty sure I could win my heat, but I wanted to make sure I got into the finals. (Today), that's when it really counts."

Mendoza is trying to exorcise the ghosts of a disastrous state final a year ago. The Wahluke senior had the fastest time in the prelims last year, but hit a hurdle early in the final and faded to eighth.

"This is more for myself now," he said. "I think falling last year got me to stay humble. I've practiced hard all year. I'm ready for (today)."

Collins will be trying to add a 100-meter championship to the long jump title he won a year ago in his first track season.

The only person in the stadium not surprised by Lehr's win in the 2B shot put was Lehr. He came into the meet nearly four feet behind Rocket, but a personal best 50-11 was good enough to win.

"Yes, I did expect to throw that far," Lehr said. "The sky's the limit. Next year it'll 55 ... 58, hopefully."

Freyberger won the 1B pole vault with surprising ease, besting Matt Freise of Willipa Valley by 12 inches.

"I hoped to match my PR (13-6)," Freyberger said. "I figured that would be good enough to end on a good note and win."