By Drew Lawson for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

High School Track & Field / State Roundup

The Blast Zone may as well be known as The Fast Zone (and the strong zone, too!) after last weekend. That rebranding would be well-deserved after a cavalcade of local athletes took home 11 individual State championships, one team State championship and many more Top-8 spots on the podium during the assorted WIAA and OSAA State Track and Field Championships in Tacoma, Yakima and Eugene.

Last week’s Track and Field recap noted that the various district championships meets allowed the best from around The Blast Zone to showcase why they deserve their spot to be considered one of the region’s premiere athletes.

The State meets, on the other hand, allowed those same athletes an opportunity to remove any “consideration” and cement their place in the record books…moving from thought and potential to a tangible matter of fact.

Whether it was the 3A and 2A athletes shining in normally cloudy Tacoma, the 1A, 2B and 1B schools punching up in Yakima, or the southern residents of The Blast Zone from Oregon letting the bright lights of Hayward Field at the University of Oregon not get in their way, area’s best athletes were a part of the season-ending spectacle in their quest to secure State hardware and history.

Keep reading to see how speedsters, leapers, throwers (and whatever synonym pole vaulters prefer) from each area school fared at the State Championships last week.

State Photo Galleries

Read more

Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Track & Field / Photo Gallery

Local athletes continued putting one foot in front of the other — or otherwise finding a way to get the job done — during the third and final day of the State Championships on Saturday at assorted locations around the region.

Those efforts netted several State titles for Blast Zone area athletes, with many more finding their way to the podium. In Tacoma the R.A. Long Lumberjills saw Josephine Sully capture the 2A State pole vaulting crown. Meanwhile, over in Yakaima the Toutle Lake Fighting Ducks locked down three gold medals thanks to the throwing efforts of Kristin Strozyk — a senior who competes in a wheel chair.

Keep scrolling below the paywall to see all of the photos Blast Zone Media could collect on Day 3 of the State Championships.

Read more

Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Track & Field / Photo Gallery

The second day of competition in the WIAA and OSAA track and field championships came and went on Friday, leaving some area athletes on the outside looking in while others are gearing up for one final run — throw — or jump — on the final day of the high school sports season.

Oh, and Woodland’s Mason Thomas continued to demonstrate South Cowlitz County’s dominance in the pole vault by capturing the 2A State title in Tacoma.

Keep scrolling below the paywall to see all of the photos Blast Zone Media could collect on Day 2 of the State Championships.

Read more

Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

High School Track & Field / Photo Gallery

The grand finale(s) for high school track and field got underway on Thursday with Blast Zone area athletes competing all over the region in an effort to climb the podium and bring a few medals home.

Kelso was well-represented at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma for Day 1 of the 3A WIAA State Track and Field Championships and experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows right out of the gate.

Read more

Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

WIAA Girls Tennis / Roundup

Lassies go down swinging at State

The Kelso girls tennis team was represented in both the singles and doubles brackets at the 3A State Tournament last Thursday at the Vancouver Tennis Club, but wins were elusive amongst the toughest competition in all the land. Both Rain De Leon in solo action, along with Rylie Nelsen and Taylor Nelsen in partner play, lost two matches on the opening day of the tournament. And that was all she wrote for the Lassies in the spring of 2026.

“Today was a tough day for Kelso Tennis,” Kelso head coach Mary Chennault said. “Our players faced tough opponents and came up short.”

Read more

By Drew Lawson for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

The tracks and fields of Mount Tahoma and Eisenhower High Schools, as well as historic Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon, will be brimming with the flavor of The Blast Zone this week after athletes from all local schools and classifications qualified for their individual State competitions with notable District performances over the previous fortnight.

The postseason platform allowed the best of the best from around The Blast Zone to clear one last hurdle, in some cases literally, and showcase why they deserve consideration as the best overall athletes in The Evergreen State and The Beaver State.

The recent performances for area athletes were the culmination of hours upon hours of hard work served on asphalt, dirt and sand to reach the moment. For some, the goal is first place at State, with anything lower than the top of the podium representing a disappointment.

For others, simply making it to the final weekend of competition is reward enough. And still for others, the idea of competing against oneself to set a personal best in the final meet of the season will generate enough lifelong memories to satisfy even the grumpiest of parents wondering why they had to sit through that one four-hour meet earlier in the spring with the rains and winds blustering off the might Columbia River.

Below is a track and field roundup with details on how each school fared at Districts, with special mention of those athletes who qualified for State meets, and assorted other highlights from the regular season.

Read more

Matt Baide for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

WIAA Golf / State Reports

The 2A Girls

Woodland sophomore Alexandra Jackson finished in 25th place at the state tournament on May 19 and 20 at Riverside Golf Club in Chehalis. Jackson recorded rounds of 98 and 92.

Mark Morris senior Jorie Langenbach finished in a tie for 30th place with rounds of 95 and 99.

Read more

BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

2A Prep Girls Golf / Report

CHEHALIS — The second day of action at the 2A District IV Girls Golf Tournament was a blustery affair but swirling winds and bouts of late spring rain were not enough to knock a trio of local players off their game. Doing their best to handle whatever Mother Nature threw at them, a pair of Mark Morris Monarchs and a single Woodland Beaver punched their tickets to the state tournament on Wednesday at Riverside Golf Course in The Mint City.

“I don’t think the weather played much of a role,” MM head coach Kim Ulman said. “It was just strange to have two days that were drastically different.”

Mark Morris saw senior Jorie Langenbach finish in fifth place, while freshman Maya Langenbach came in just under the wire in 17th place.

“The girls both played very well on both days considering the circumstances,” Ulman added.”

Woodland Sophomore Alexandria Jackson placed eighth to earn her spot in the 2A State Tournament back at Riverside next week.

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Thank you for helping sustain Blast Zone Media. We depend on your support in order to continue reporting on local athletics. Consider showing your support today. —

Read more

Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Girls Golf / Roundup

MINT VALLEY — The Kelso girls golf team strung together a pair of impressive days on the other side of the Cowlitz River this week in order to place second at the 3A District IV Tournament. That runner-up finish at Longview’s finest municipal golf course earned the Lassies a group trip to the 3A State Tournament later this month.

Karsyn Hall turned in the top performance of the contest for Kelso, finishing in third place with a combined score of 205. But it was a combined effort over two days and 36 holes that earned all of the Lassies a trip east for the the season’s grand finale.

“They all played really well. Basically everybody PRd for 18 holes either yesterday or today,” Kelso head coach Pat Connors said. “We don’t play a ton of 18 hole golf.”

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Thank you for helping sustain Blast Zone Media. We depend on your support in order to continue reporting on local athletics. Consider showing your support today. —

Read more

BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Girls Golf / Roundup

Hall headlines Lassies’ late season charge

The Kelso girls golf team picked up a big win and some much needed momentum on Thursday with a victory over Heritage on the low side of the Cowlitz River at Mint Valley Golf Course.

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Thank you for helping sustain Blast Zone Media. We depend on your support in order to continue reporting on local athletics. Consider showing your support today. —

Read more

BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Girls Tennis / Roundup

Lassies celebrate 16 seniors by pummeling Plainsmen

The Kelso girls tennis team had plenty to celebrate on Wednesday after turning in a 6-0 sweep over Evergreen at home in 3A Greater St. Helens League play. The victory arrived on Senior Night, with 16 Lassies earning recognition for their sustained efforts and veteran leadership.

That effort was just the latest in an impressive string of performances by the K-Town racket brigade.

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Thank you for helping sustain Blast Zone Media. We depend on your support in order to continue reporting on local athletics. Consider showing your support today. —

Read more

BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Girls Tennis / Roundup

Lumberjills notch win over Centralia

After 10 days off the R.A. Long girls tennis team was rust free on Monday in its return from spring break, defeating Centralia 4-2 at home in a non-league match with a District IV foe.

“Got a late start because we had a down pour right before we started and had to dry the courts off,” RAL head coach Rally Wallace said

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Thank you for helping sustain Blast Zone Media. We depend on your support in order to continue reporting on local athletics. Consider showing your support today. —

Read more

BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Girls Tennis / Report

The spring tennis season got off to a comfortable start on Thursday when the Kelso girls team came across the Cowlitz River to play Mark Morris at the Mint Valley Tennis Center.

The season-opening cross-river rivalry match was originally set to be played on Wednesday in Kelso, but pervasive rains forced the contest across the bridge and inside. And the delay proved to be worth the wait as the contest wound up tied 3-3 at the end of match play, with the Lassies prevailing 52-47 in the tiebreaker count based on total games won.

“It was a close match,” Kelso head coach Mary Chennault said.

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Thank you for helping sustain Blast Zone Media. We depend on your support in order to continue reporting on local athletics. Consider showing your support today. —

Read more

By Drew Lawson for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

High School Track and Field

TACOMA— Jordyn Robarge stepped up to the plate for the Kelso Lassies at the WIAA 3A State Championship Meet. The junior Hilander hurled the shot put a mark of 40-07.25 to take home second place at state, the best placement an athlete from Kelso or Longview earned at Mount Tahoma High School last weekend.

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Purchase a discounted annual membership to keep reading while supporting BZM. —

Read more

By Drew Lawson for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

High School Track and Field

YAKIMA— A small contingent of the stands at Eisenhower High School clad in Rocket red rose to their feet just in front of the finish line as Castle Rock senior Casie Kleine surged away from the competition to claim her third 1A girls 400-meter State title on Saturday.

And then, that same contingent sprung up in similar jubilation a few hours later as Kleine added a second state title for good measure, this time in the 200 meters.

The first title, of the 400-meter variety, came as gusting winds blew in the face of competition on the final 100-meter stretch.

But Kleine’s fast start and closing surge pushed her nearly a second ahead of second-place Allison Eggers of Bellevue Christian at 59.33.

“I got out and then the wind hit me. That pushed me back,” Kleine said. “I was trying to stride through it on the back stretch. I tried to pick up my pace a little bit and the last 100 meters hit it as hard as I could.”

Kleine knew she had to fuel up to try and gain another State title in the 200 meters. So, naturally, she headed inside the Eisenhower gym and fell asleep.

The strategy worked, as she set a personal-best while pulling away for the 200-meter title with a 25.15 mark. That time, the wind was more helpful as it had changed directions around lunch time.

“One thing is the wind, that was pushing me,” Kleine said. “Another one was, I was trying to fuel a lot after my 400 to get ready for this race, so I took a nap in the gym and then I just hydrated and stuff so I think my body was well-prepared for this race.”

Kleine bookended her day with a morning sixth-place finish in the 100-meter dash at 12.83 and joined Jasmine Schatz, Ellie Powers and Myah Manzano in a 4X400 relay where the senior passed three competitors in the final leg to give the Rockets a fifth-place finish at 4:11.96.

All told, the Rocket girls scored 27 points to take home seventh place in the team competition.

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Become a sustaining Friend of the Program to keep reading while supporting Blast Zone Media. —

Read more

By Drew Lawson for Blast Zone Media

High School Track and Field

YAKIMA— June Miller raised her tired arms in relief and celebration as she crossed a blustery finish line Saturday afternoon.

That’s because the Naselle freshman had just taken home the state title in the 1B girls 400-meter race at the WIAA 1B State Track Championships with a victorious 1:01.19 mark.

“It was really good. I’m so happy that I got first,” Miller said. “The wind was a huge, major effect on my 400 meter. It wasn’t my best time, but it was still a good time due to the wind.”

Miller’s State title was just one part of the 44.5 points that the Naselle girls put together to take home a fifth-place finish in the state meet.

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Become a sustaining member today and keep scrolling while supporting local sports journalism. —

Read more

By Drew Lawson for Blast Zone Media

High School Track and Field

YAKIMA— Treyton Marty admitted that a couple hours before his final 3,200-meter race at the 2B State Track and Field Championships Saturday, the emotions of realizing this was his final high school race were making their presence known.

But he used those emotions to fuel himself to a second-place finish in the event after finishing third in the 1,600 meters earlier in the meet to help spur the Toledo boys to a sixth-place team finish at state.

Marty ran a 9:51.07 in the 3,200 to conclude his career, only getting bested by Liberty Bell star Dexter Delaney Saturday.

“It’s emotional. I was crying a couple hours ago, knowing this was my last race,” Marty said. “It hit me so quickly and I was like, ‘oh crap, I have one left.’” Now I have none left. It’s very emotional.”

But what was likely more special to Marty was the fact that a group of five “Dirt Track Warriors,” as the team dubbed themselves as an ode to the fact that they are one of a select few schools in the state still honing their skills in dry mud.

“Every single Toledo athlete that entered and competed medaled, placed top eight and scored the team points,” head coach Don Schaplow said. “We really bill it as a team sport and sell it as a team sport, and I would say that was the highlight for all of them. The team aspect of that was huge for both the boys and girls and how we view our team.”

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Purchase a discounted annual membership today to keep reading while supporting BZM. —

Read more

By Drew Lawson for Blast Zone Media

High School Track and Field

YAKIMA— By her own admission, Winlock junior Victoria Sancho wasn’t thrilled with her performance in the 2B girls 200-meter prelims at the WIAA State Championship Meet.

So, what did she do about it?

Sancho went out Saturday and set a personal best mark of 25.36 seconds en route to a State title in the event to give Winlock an individual state champion.

She also shattered a 47-year old school record in the process.

“I’m pretty excited about it, and surprised a bit,” Sancho said. “Yesterday was not my best run, but I definitely felt I could do better today.”

It wasn’t the only hardware for Sancho Saturday, as she also took second in the 100-meter dash at 12.67 seconds.

Her performance, which only added to a weekend that also included a third-place finish in triple jump, brings several medals to a small town she said has supported her every step of the way as the lone representative of the Winlock girls at the State Championships.

“It means a lot to me,” Sancho said. “I have a lot of supporters and my small school that does support me a lot and all my teammates and family, I’m really happy for them (because) they helped me to get here.”

Sancho’s point totals allowed the Cardinals to finish 10 th in the team point totals at 24, a sum she earned by herself.

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Become a sustaining member of BZM to keep reading, while supporting local sports journalism. —

Read more

Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

TACOMA — The 3A/2A (and 4A, if you’re into that sort of thing) State Track and Field Championships wrapped up on Saturday at Mt. Tahoma High School, and Blast Zone area athletes were pushing their marks forward and lowering their times in their final efforts of the season.

Several area athletes made a strong push for a State title in Tacoma, but wound up just short of the top step of the podium. Elsewhere, multiple Blast Zone area athletes were able to earn gold medals for their efforts.

Below the paywall you will find a full gallery of images from the today’s early action in Tacoma.

Blast Zone Media was also on site in Yakima for the 1A/1B/2B State Championships on Saturday, and kept an eye on Eugene for the grand finale of the OSAA State Championships.

Be sure to check back to BZM for full reports and additional photos from the State competitions.

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Purchase a discounted annual membership to keep scrolling and support BZM. —

Read more

By Drew Lawson for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

High School Track and Field

YAKIMA—Many athletes around the Pacific Northwest no doubt entered team dinner restaurants a few shades pinker in the skin Friday after the blazing sun bore down with a season-best showing on the thermometer during the second day of State Track and Field Championship meets in Tacoma, The Palm Springs of Washington (see: Yakima), and Eugene way on down in Oregon Country.

Peeking through the sunglass-tinted lens which area athletes got medals and which racers advanced to final competition tomorrow. Squint a little harder, and some fascinating storylines begin to emerge.

For updates on all of the athletes from The Blast Zone who found themselves in the throes of competition, Friday, keep reading below the paywall.

— Content below this line is reserved for paid subscribers. Purchase your discounted annual membership to keep scrolling and support BZM. —

Read more