Kamiakin’s Donais has outstanding day at Pasco Invite

Joyce Donais has been bringing her daughter Heather to the Pasco Invite since she was 5 years old.

Over the years, Heather Donais must have soaked up some knowledge. The Kamiakin senior won the 100- and 300-meter hurdles Saturday in the 55th annual event and ran a leg on the Braves’ 4x100 relay team that finished fifth.

As the sun set on Edgar Brown Stadium, Donais was named the Outstanding Female Athlete of the Meet.

“This is a surprise to me,” Donais said as she clutched the plaque that doubles as a clock. “I don’t even know what to say. This has been my goal. I couldn’t even think that coaches would vote for me for just doing the hurdles.”

Donais did more than just run the hurdles. She turned in a personal best 14.47 seconds in winning the 100 hurdles, then ran a 45.04 to win the 300 hurdles by more than three-quarters of a second.

“The 300 was closer than I thought it would be,” Donais said. “The heat before us had gun problems, and we had to wait in the sun. When I came around the corner, I usually have a kick, but it wasn’t there. It’s nice to win both. It’s my senior year, and that’s how I wanted it.”

Sunnyside’s Jessica Linde was third in the 300 hurdles (46.54), with Hanford’s Lele Williams fourth (46.65) and Walla Walla’s Paige Gardner eighth (47.61).

Hanford’s Nyenuchi Okemgbo finished fifth in the 100 hurdles (15.37), while Southridge’s Mertece Hatchett was seventh (15.55).

The Kamiakin girls, who had won the past four team titles, were fourth behind Tahoma (55 points), Rocky Mountain (42 1/2) and Curtis (36). The Braves rolled up 33 points, helped out by Donais, Mirannda Shulman’s fifth-place finish in the 400 (58.11), Lindsey Lowe’s fifth place in the 1,600 (5:20.81), the 4x100 relay, and Allison Stapleton, who placed seventh in the long jump (17-3 1/4) and eighth in the triple jump (36-7 3/4).

Pasco senior Angela Cardon had an outstanding day, finishing second in the 100 and 200 meters, fourth in the long jump (17-8 3/4) and seventh in the triple jump (36-10).

Cardon, who had a slight lead over Tahoma’s Olivia Ribera for most of the 200, got edged at the finish line with a time of 24.79. She ran a personal best 24.74 in the prelims.

“I’m happy with the 200,” Cardon said. “I didn’t place in the running events at the Invite last year. I’m not happy with my jumps. I wasn’t real motivated. It’s hard when you have events you excel at, and then I have to jump. But I still had to compete.

“Invites are one of those meets where you have prelims and finals. I makes for a long day.”

Cardon’s time of 12.01 in the 100 was a half a step behind winner Wurrie Njadoe of Shorecrest (11.93).

Connell’s Ashton Riner won the javelin with a toss of 138-3, while Walla Walla’s Emma Wenzel was eighth (118-9).

Hanford’s Morgan Rasmussen was fourth in the high jump (5-4), and Amanda Andersen was sixth in the pole vault with a school record of 11 feet.

Tahoma rode the legs of the Wilson sisters — freshman twins Miya and Aliya, and junior Tierra — to victory. The trio teamed with Ribera to win the 4x100 relay, shattering the meet and stadium records with a time of 47.13.

“We are so happy,” Miya said. “Being sisters, it is really fun. There is a connection there — we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and we get to share this, which is awesome.”

Tahoma also got a pile of points from junior Ginny Mehl, who was third in the shot put (37-8), discus (124-9) and javelin (132-2).

Mountlake Terrace jumping sensation Chinne Okoronkwo competed in just one event Saturday, but walked away with the title as well as meet and stadium records in the triple jump with a leap of 41-9 1/4. The old record was 40-3 1/4.

“I had really good jumps and it felt good,” said Okoronkwo, who was competing in her first Pasco Invite. “This was fun. We has wonderful weather, the pit was good and getting the record was amazing.”

This story was originally published April 16, 2016 at 9:48 PM with the headline "Kamiakin’s Donais has outstanding day at Pasco Invite."