By Bill Reynolds
La Conner Community News
The State 2B Track and Field Championships opened Thursday, May 28, at Yakima in 90-degree heat amid threats of lightning and thunderstorms, but before the three-day event wrapped up Saturday night it was the high-powered La Conner High girls’ team that generated the most electricity.
Paced by its versatile “McJenkins” quartet — sisters Maeve and Nora McCormick and Kiana and Faith Jenkins — La Conner surpassed runner-up Cle Elum-Roslyn 60-58 in a hotly contested state title chase.
It is believed to be the La Conner track program’s first-ever state team championship.
“The girls made it happen,” an elated Braves head coach Peter Voorhees said to La Conner Community News.
Indeed, they did, starting with sprinter Faith Jenkins, who garnered four gold medals in all.
The freshman standout successfully defended the 100-meter dash crown she won a year ago as an eighth grader, added a win this time around in the 200 meters, and joined her McJenkins cohorts to capture the 4×100 and 4×200 relays in dominant fashion.
She clocked a 12.42 in the 100-meter final on Saturday, leading the race the entire way and significantly improving on her Thursday prelim time of 12.55. She ran a 25.25 200 final, also in Saturday’s searing heat.
Voorhees wasn’t surprised.
“There was no denying her,” he said. “She just carries herself with such poise and quiet confidence.”
The McJenkins relay performances were equally impressive as both resulted in school records. The La Conner girls posted a 50.22 finish in the 4×100. They combined on a 1:45.81 winning effort in the 4×200.
Voorhees lauded Braves assistant coach Linda Gudmundson for her work guiding La Conner’s relay groups this season.
“Linda did a phenomenal job with the relays,” he said. “Our girls’ relays were dominant pretty much all year.”
Maeve McCormick, the lone senior on La Conner’s relays, closed out her storied Braves track career by mining silver in the pole vault. Her 10-6 vault added eight crucial points to the La Conner total.
Nora McCormick, meanwhile, finished a strong second to senior Glenna Soliday of Davenport in the 100-meter hurdles, providing another vital eight tallies for the Braves. McCormick, a sophomore, was timed in at 15.55. Soliday won in 15.03.
In addition, Nora McCormick secured a key single point in the 300 hurdles with an eighth place finish at 48.78.
In a team championship contest decided by a mere two points, sophomore Kiana Jenkins helped provide the winning margin with a solid sixth place finish in the 400 meters. Her time of 1:01.83 was good for three points.
“Kiana went into that race seeded seventh,” Voorhees reflected, “so for her to move up a spot and finish sixth was very consequential.
“When it’s close like that,” he continued, “every point matters.”
Voorhees noted that sophomore thrower Reese Bird and eighth grader Cecelia Keith nearly provided some insurance points for the Braves. Bird placed ninth in the discus with a toss of 106-02. Keith was ninth in the high jump at 4-10.
On the boys’ side of the state meet, the Braves placed 27th out of 37 teams. The La Conner boys were led by senior thrower Flint Huizenga and sophomore sprinter/jumper Yandel Rosales-Rojas, who combined for the team’s seven points.
Huizenga placed third in the javelin at 163-04 and Rosales-Rojas was eighth in the long jump with a leap of 20-01.50.
Huizenga, who qualified for state in all three throwing events for a second straight year, placed 10th in discus and 15th in the shot put.
“He’s been a great leader for us,” Voorhees said of Huizenga, a Whitworth University track commit.
Rosales-Rojas, who fought a nagging hamstring injury part of the season, also ran a leg of the La Conner boys’ 4×100 relay — joining Keaton Bailey, Ryan Reynolds and Max Page — that placed seventh in their prelim heat (45.70) and failed to advance to the final but finished ahead of Coupeville, avenging a Tri-District loss to their NW2B/1B rivals.
“The future looks bright,” Voorhees said, “and I can see that group standing on the podium next year.”
Voorhees and his coaching staff were thrilled by the fan support La Conner received during the state trials. He said coaches from other schools took note as well.
“Winning is wonderful,” Voorhees said, “but when others notice the support that you’re receiving, that means a lot.”
He also alluded to the team camaraderie that has defined the Braves all season.
“These kids always try to be there for one another,” he said.
Voorhees was especially proud of how well all of La Conner’s thinclads responded at Yakima to weather that ranged from hot and humid on Thursday, cold and rainy on Friday and scorching heat on Saturday.
“I’ve never experienced such extreme conditions over three days,” Voorhees said. “I think it says a lot about our kids’ mental toughness.”
Rain or shine, Voorhees maintained a sunny disposition throughout, especially when the La Conner girls clinched first place late Saturday.
“I’ve probably never smiled so much in my life,” he said.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
