Spartan quartet compete for medals this weekend
By JOHN GALBREATH Sports Editor
Junior sprinter Josh Entwisle (left) is on his way to a second-place finish in the 100-meter dash at last week’s district track and field meet. His 11.2-second clocking guaranteed him a berth at this week’s state track and field meet. PHOTO BY JOHN GALBREATH
Four Spartans will compete at Star Track XXVIII, the Washington State 4A Boys’ Track and Field Championships at Mt. Tahoma High School this coming weekend.
Kale Schmidt (long jump, 400-meter dash), Alex Hatley (shot put), Josh Entwisle (100 meters) and Robert Hanke (300 hurdles) are among the 144 male athletes who will challenge one another in five of the 18 different track and field events that will be contested this week, May 27-29 in Tacoma.
The quartet, along with their teammates who were not among the top three finishers in each of the District I events, placed third overall at the Western Conference 4A District Championships held at Snohomish High School last week.
Schmidt, who will compete in the decathlon as a Husky at the University of Washington next spring, became the district champ in the 400 with a 49.97- second clocking. He qualified as well in the long jump where his leap of 21 feet, 11.25 inches earned him a second place.
Hatley received his state berth by putting the shot 48-4.5, good enough for second place overall.
Joining Hatley was junior Josh Entwisle, who grabbed a second-place finish in the 100 meters with a mark of 11.2 seconds, a personal best.
“Entwisle really show some maturity in his race preparation and is going to state for the first time,” said head coach Jordan Sneva.
Rounding out the local group will be Robert Hanke, a state veteran, who will race in the 300-meter hurdle event after posting a 39.73 time for second place.
“I am really happy for Kale, Alex and Robert, the senior boys, for stepping up and making it back to Tacoma,” commented their coach.
Those who competed in the district finals but did not qualify for the state meet were Ben Ulrich, who was fifth in the 300 hurdles (41.64), Trevor Fekkes, who was seventh in the high jump (5-08), the 4X400 relay quartet of Alexander Bentz, Ulrich, Hanke and Schmidt who finished fifth with a mark of 3:26, the 4X100 relay squad (Andrew Downing, Entwisle, Hanke and Bentz) that took seventh in a combined time of 45.3, Travis Stone, who was 7th in the pole vault with a 12-foot vault, Hanke, fourth in the 110 low hurdles (15.43), and Schmidt with a 6-foot clearance in the high jump (fourth).
