<< Previous   of   Next >> Elizabeth Armstrong / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Lake Stevens’ Brittany Tri wins the 100 meter hurdles. At left is Katy Gross from Cascade and on the right is Alexandra McDonald of Marysville-Pilchuck.

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WESCO NORTH GIRLS TRACK: Arlington's Kjirsten Jensen blows away her shot put competition

By Mike Cane
Herald Writer

SNOHOMISH -- It was always there. Kjirsten Jensen just wasn't sure when or where it would come out.

Jensen, a senior at Arlington High School, has been among the state leaders in the shot put all season, and she's already enjoyed plenty of success. Last season she won Class 3A state titles in the shot put and discus.

But that wasn't enough. Jensen wanted more, and she finally got it.

Thanks to a career-best throw on her last attempt, Jensen blew away the competition en route to victory in the shot put Friday during the Wesco North Division Girls Track and Field Championships.

Jensen's winning mark of 42 feet, 0.5 inches was more than 3 feet better than the second-place finisher, Everett's Kirsten Smith. Jensen, a senior, eclipsed her previous personal record by nearly a foot.

The key, Jensen said, was "not settling for anything less than what I'm capable of. I've been feeling all year that at some point this was going to come out."

Jensen, who placed third in the discus Wednesday, said she hopes to throw the shot 44 feet by season's end. Last year she topped out at 38-11.

Marysville-Pilchuck won the team North championship. The Tomahawks scored 171 points, finishing ahead of Stanwood (134), Snohomish (113) and Lake Stevens (108).

The top nine Class 4A individuals in each event and all relay teams that were not disqualified advanced to the 4A District 1 meet May 14 and 16 at Everett Memorial Stadium.

The top seven 3A individuals and all relay teams that were not disqualified advanced to the 3A District 1 meet May 14 and 16 at Shoreline District Stadium. Wesco and Northwest Conference athletes with the next four-best marks in each event also qualified for districts.

It was a historic meet for Brittany Tri of Lake Stevens. The senior won division titles in the 100-meter hurdles and high jump. She said she had never finished higher than fourth at previous North championship meets.

Tri, a talented basketball player who this past winter helped lead Lake Stevens to the 4A state tourney, is 6-foot-1. Her height makes it easier to glide over hurdles, she said.

"I'm taller than a lot of the girls so it's really an advantage," said Tri, whose winning time of 15.83 in the 100 hurdles was close to a personal record. She soared a career-best 5-4 to win the high jump.

Another double winner was Mietra Smollack of Oak Harbor. Smollack, a Washington State University recruit, won the 1,600 and the 800. In both races she outlasted Marysville-Pilchuck's Haley Nemra.

On the final lap of the 1,600 Smollack turned a medium-sized lead over Nemra into a big gap. Smollack pulled away and finished in 5:05.9, more than two seconds faster than her previous season-best time.

Nemra wasn't shutout altogether. She won the 3,200 Wednesday in 11:06.06. Through Thursday her time ranked as the 11th-fastest by a 4A runner this spring, according to Athletic.net.

Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.

At Veterans Memorial Stadium

Team scores: 1. Marysville-Pilchuck 171, 2. Stanwood 134, 3. Snohomish 113, 4. Lake Stevens 108, 5. Oak Harbor 84, 6. Monroe 77.5, 7. Cascade 53, 8. Everett 47.5, 9. Arlington 40.

*3,200-1. Nemra (M-P) 11:06.06; 100 hurdles-1. Tri (LS) 15.83; 100-McKole (OH) 12.95; 1,600-1. Smollack (OH) 5:05.9; 400 relay-1. M-P 49.86; 400-1. Oden (M-P) 59.43; 800-1. Smollack (OH) 2:19.67; 200-1. Runyan (M-P) 26.4; 300 hurdles-1. Jackson (Stan) 46.59; 800 relay-1. Oak Harbor 1:48.11; 1,600 relay-1. Stanwood 4:05.41; *Javelin-1. Brennan (Mon) 132-2; *Discus-1. Jones (C) 137-9; Triple jump-1. Yates (Sno) 38-9.5; Shot put-1. Jensen (Arl) 42-0.5; High jump-1. Tri (LS) 5-4; *Long jump-1. Yates (Sno) 18-5.5; Pole vault-1. Meas (Stan) 11-9.

*Events completed Wednesday

For complete results go to www.athletic.net.