kamiak knights run, jump, and throw their way to state

by Carolyn Slack and Muriel Moon, Reporters

School Events

On Thursday, May 26th, several Kamiak Track and Field athletes departed for Mount Tahoma Stadium to compete in the WIAA 4A State Championship Meet. During the three month track season, these competitors trained hard at practices and meets. They advanced through the WESCO and Bi-District Championships, and ultimately qualified for the State competition. The meet ran from Thursday through Saturday. The Kamiak Knights competed in a variety of events, and many athletes placed in the top eight and set their own personal bests. The following students competed:

Men: Eli Farmer (pole vault), Jackson Hammons (1600m and 3200m), Myson Jackson (high jump), Nathan Warner (high jump), T’Andre Waverly (100m and 200m), Isaiah Williams (long jump)

Women: Kalia Estes (100m hurdles, 300m hurdles, 4x400m relay), Bella Hasan (long jump), Annabelle Heiman (200m, 400m, 4x400m relay), Vivian Mawudeku (long jump), Natalie Roberts (4x400m relay), Avery Stengele (discus)

Additionally, Alessandra Valmonte competed in the 22nd Washington State HS Hammer State Championship. She placed second, throwing an exceptional 126 feet and 8 inches—a new personal record.

We decided to spotlight two outstanding athletes who both had a great season: Kalia Estes and Jackson Hammons.

During her first high school track season, junior Kalia Estes excelled in the 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles, breaking the school record for both and placing at numerous meets. When asked about her first state track competition, Kalia recounts that “Going to state was definitely an experience of a lifetime. Entering the stadium for the first time was honestly very intimidating when seeing the best of the best athletes of over 150 schools. I had to constantly remind myself to not be nervous, that I deserve to be here, that it’s an honor to compete, and all glory to God.”

For Estes, this competition was a hurdle to tackle. She elaborates that “I went into my races not knowing anything about the process or system because I had never been there before. There were prelims and finals for two events I competed in, but had PRs in three!” In addition to setting personal records, she also placed fourth in the 300m hurdles and eighth in the 100m hurdles. Beyond hurdles, another of Estes’ events in track is the 4x400m relay. Clearly, despite her initial unfamiliarity, Estes was able to go above and beyond. She recalls, “Even though we had impossible weather and crazy nerves, everybody did their best and we all learned so much.”

On being a part of track this year, Estes remarks that “One of the biggest things that has come out of this track season was making friends. Spending every day with some of the people on the track team really helped us become super close. Not only… Kamiak, but making friends at track meets against other schools and seeing them again later in the season was definitely one of the highlights.”

Estes concludes, “I think setting goals for next year is definitely still in the process, but I know that keeping my grades high, training in the off season, and gaining experience are all at the top of my list.” Coming up on the end of junior year, Estes is looking forward to having another year to explore these goals, and her potential college interests. She adds, “Although track is thought to be an ‘individual’ sport, I really couldn’t do it without my coach who is the reason why I believe there could potentially be a future in track for me.”

Congratulations, Kalia!

A senior distance runner at Kamiak, Jackson Hammons has gone the extra mile this year in track, and has committed to University of Nevada Reno in fall. After his fourth and final year as a varsity distance runner on track, Hammons reflects on his time in the sport, and his plans for the future. Hammons is both passionate and dedicated to track. He cites that “My favorite thing about running track is being able to push myself as hard as I can. Plus, I enjoy being around my teammates and competitors.”

Running both the 1600m and the 3200m, Hammons describes how “After my first race on Thursday, I had a lot of time before my next one on Saturday, so I spent a lot of time thinking about how I wanted the race to go. Then, I spent a lot of time watching other races which amped me up for my own race.” He was very successful, setting personal records in both races and placing 7th in the 3200 and 13th in the 1600.

As a confirmed runner for UNR, many are looking forward to what Hammons has in store in his college career. Hammons adds, “Next year I'm looking forward to getting even better, and I'm excited about the opportunity to surround myself with more high level athletes.” Congratulations, Jackson and good luck next year!

Congratulations to all State competitors and athletes in the 2022 Track and Field season!

DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the various authors in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of Kamiak High School or The Gauntlet.