State girls T&F: Logan Hofstee completes sweep of distance races as East Valley wins 2A title
TACOMA – It was difficult to tell the difference in the joy on Logan Hofstee’s face Saturday afternoon.
The East Valley senior long-distance ace was equal parts elated that she had completed the figurative triple crown of long-distance running and elated that her contributions helped the Knights capture the State 2A track and field championship.
Hofstee, who won a second straight cross country title last fall, capped off a golden weekend with a second state-meet record at Mount Tahoma High School.
She crushed the field in the 3,200 meters – winning in a time of 10 minutes, 28.66 seconds to eclipse the previous best by nearly 12 seconds.
She also took second in the 800 (2:16.71), which she was running for team points. She had the lead until the final 40 meters.
Her answer when asked about the 800 moments after the race was so appropriate for the competitive runner Hofstee has become.
“I ran it to win, not to take second,” said Hofstee, who is sharing EV’s valedictorian honor with her best friend.
The Knights finished with 67 points, eight ahead of runner-up Cedarcrest.
How Hofstee managed to run a state-meet record pace when she was so far ahead was nothing short of spectacular, considering she led by more than 200 meters, including coming within 5 meters of catching the last-place runner before she finished.
“Running is really just in your head,” Hofstee said. “It’s all mental and just having a mantra of telling yourself to push. It was my last state meet. I had to go out there and lay it all on the line.”
That she did. She figured she had a shot at the state-meet record as early as 800 meters into the final. She broke the 1,600 meet record on Thursday.
“I felt pretty good considering I had run the 800 and 1,600 before hard,” Hofstee said. “I said, ‘Let’s just keep this up.’ The second mile I was going to hurt a lot more.”
Hofstee said she thought about winning the triple crown over the summer.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” she said. “I’m just really happy at this moment.”
It’s the second state title won by an EV girls team.
“It means a lot,” Hofstee said. “We’re kind of like the underdogs. The girls have proven time and time again that they’re resilient, that they’re tough and that they could do this.”
Hofstee got some help with the team title. Junior Veronica Garcia won the 400 in a personal-best 55.75 .
“I was thinking about the team. I was doing it for the team,” Garcia said. “I’ve received better coaching this year than last year, so that’s why I’ve been doing better.”
The EV foursome of Hayden Andersen, Weather Salinas-Taylor, A’Niya Shaw and Ashlyn Deaton combined to win the 4x100 relay (49.66).
Shadle Park’s Abbey Flerchinger captured a state title in the javelin with a throw of 128 feet, 6 inches. It came on her first throw.
A senior, Flerchinger came to state ranked fourth after placing ninth at state the year before. It was a career best by nearly 7 feet.
“I was warm and everything was calm,” Flerchinger said of the first throw.
“I was very ready. Unfortunately, I took ninth at state last year and I wasn’t very happy. I had to show what I had in me.”
Other top medal winners were EV’s Hayden Andersen, fifth, 300 hurdles, 45.95, and West Valley’s 4x400 relay, third, 4:03.79.
3A
University junior Addy MacArthur said she was nervous before the discus Saturday.
She was concerned that the gusty, chilly wind conditions would have an impact on the outcome.
MacArthur defended her state title, winning with a throw of 144-3.
“I feel pretty dang good,” MacArthur said. “I was nervous on every throw before me, because they could hit one in the wind and it could just go far. The wind was bad. I was just hoping to hit 120 going into the competition.”
Other area top medal winners were Mead’s Nora Cullen, fourth, long jump, 17-6½; Ferris’ Ella Brinkman, fifth, triple jump, 36-8¾; Mt. Spokane’s Kayli Eastham, fourth, 300 hurdles, 45.91; Mt. Spokane’s Makenna Ritter, fourth, 400, 59.05; and Mt. Spokane, third, 4x400 relay, 4:01.47.