Four Hanford track athletes headed to national meet in Kansas

The high school track season came to a close in May, but for four Hanford High athletes, it never ended.

Joe Gauthier, Beau Franklin, Lele Williams and Nyenuchi Okemgbo will compete July 24-30 at the 51st USATF Hershey National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kan.

All four qualified for the national meet at the Region 13 meet July 6-9 at Central Valley High School in Spokane. The top five in each event qualify to compete in Kansas. Nearly 10,000 athletes are expected to compete at nationals.

Franklin, an incoming junior, just missed out on the 110 hurdles last year, and said he wanted to give it another try. Running for the Tri-City Thunder, he clocked a 15.16 seconds to place second in the 110 hurdles, just off of his personal best of 15.01.

In the long jump, Franklin went 20 feet, 4 1/2 inches to place third.

While Franklin and Gauthier train together during the prep season, and were on the school-record setting 4x100 meter relay team together in the spring, they went their separate ways this summer.

“We haven’t been working out together, he has been training in Spokane,” Franklin said of Gauthier. “I have been down here in the Tri-Cities. I’ve gotten help from from my high school coaches and from the coaches at Tri-City Thunder like Sheila Smith.”

Gauthier, running for Spokane Speed Academy, won the 100 meters in a time of 10.69 seconds. He finished sixth in the 200 (21.90), well over his personal best time of 21.43.

Gauthier, who will compete for Eastern Washington University come fall, won the 4A state 100 meter title in May in a time of 10.46, and was second in the 200 (21.43).

“This is my first year going to nationals and I’m pretty nervous, but excited,” Gauthier said. “Last year, I was busy with football.”

Gauthier said Spokane Speed Academy talked to him about joining the team. For him, it was a good fit.

“I wanted to be on a team that had a fast (4x100) relay team,” he said. “I didn’t run at regionals, but I’m an alternate and I hope to run at nationals.”

Gauthier will compete Thursday, Friday and Sunday in the 100.

Williams, competing for Team Blackout Elite Track in the 17-18 age division, won the 400 meters in a personal best of 58.15, then turned in a 1:03.42 to win the 400 hurdles.

Williams finished second at the 4A state meet in the 300 hurdles in a time of 44.22.

Running unattached in the 15-16 year-old division, Nyenuchi Okemgbo finished third in the 100 hurdles in a time of 15.04, well over her personal best of 14.28. She also placed fifth in the 400 hurdles (1:08.29) and third in the long jump (17-1).

Okemgbo was second at state in the 100 hurdles (14.32), and third in the 300 hurdles (44.26).

Gauthier said it’s nice to see his Hanford teammates qualify for nationals.

“It’s kind of cool,” he said. “Hanford is getting around.”

This story was originally published July 20, 2017 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Four Hanford track athletes headed to national meet in Kansas."