Barrington qualifies for

district in three events

By Ed Shepherd

SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

SUMNER--Sometimes it's not the first places that deserve all the attention, especially if someone like Andre Barrington comes along and qualifies for districts in all three events he competed in - the long jump, high jump and triple jump.

How he did so well is interesting to note, too, in action at the South Puget Sound League Track and Field Meet at Sunset Chev Stadium in Sumner Thursday and Friday.

Sam Beesley, the head coach of Federal Way, made it known what he thinks of his "jumps" student, Barrington.

"He's such a nice young man, a real pleasure to work with," said Beesley of Barrington, who carries on at school well while being a three-sport star. He carries the ball in football, he shoots the rock and plays frenzied defense in basketball, usually on the foe's best offensive threat. And, in track, he just does everything out there.

"He qualified in three jumps," said Beesley, adding, laughing. "Hey, he would have qualified for more if they had more jumps."

And Barrington has been out of rhythm because of a leg.

"I didn't practice for a week and a half," said Barrington. "I've been stretching a lot and went to a trainer."

Barrington is back quickly to top form because he took second in the long jump, going 21-10, a personal best leap. And he took third in the high jump (6-2), even clearing 6-4, momentarily, to almost tie for first-place. But the bar wobbled and fell off its holder a second after he had cleared it. And, Barrington took seventh in the triple jump, leaping 43-7.

"Mmmm," said Barrington, getting a look at the picture on a digital camera afterward. Vibration. That was how close he was to clearing 6-4. "Ahhhh, man," he said, almost hopping back to his fellow friends after looking at the pic. His friends were Aaron Broussard, Ian Tevis and Greylin James, who also all competed in the high jump.

But, despite the third here by so close a margin to maybe first place, Barrington need not worry because he has two more meets to go to do better at districts this week, and then state in Pasco the following weekend.

"The goal is to get to state and compete," said Barrington.

Last year, Barrington came oh so close to getting to the state meet on the other side of the mountains, however.

"One jump away from making it to state in the high jump," said Barrington.

And his other event he competed in was the long jump last year at this SPSL league meet.

"I didn't even get past here (SPSL League meet)," said Barrington.

Tevis took second in the triple jump, going 45-3 and that was his best three-leap ever. He says that his good jumping comes for different reasons.

About Barrington, a jumping teammate and also competitor in jumps, Tevis said, 'He pushes me further every day in practice and I push him further every day. It's fun, you jump against the best people everyday right on your own team."

Barrington, only a junior, could be one of the best ever at not only running the football, but "jumps,"too.

"He is the best athlete I have ever coached," said John Meagher, the head football coach who coached Barrington and the Eagles to the state playoffs last Fall.

Beesley also noted this:

"All the jumpers did well," he said. "Ian Tevis, Aaron Broussard, Greylin James all made it to districts in jumps. It's been a good competition in the jumps.

Speaking again of the high jump, Broussard said, "Actually, each of us has won a (dual) meet this year in the high jump."

One of the few first places earned in this track meet in running was from the Thomas Jefferson Raiders 4x400 relay team of Jeff Backlund, Tyler McGrew, Tyrone Truesdale and Trenton Pinson, who went a fast 3:24.50, over three seconds faster than their next closest competitor.

They ran that fast of a time despite one of their four runners limping some of his 400-meter leg of the race. He hurt himself in his prior race, but there was no alternate, so Backlund just ran it. That was a nice sacrifice and maybe he made that kind to help his team get into districts because others, like Pinson, were unselfish themselves in what they chose to do at the SPSL meet. Pinson was going to run the 200 meter run, a run he would have qualified for districts.

"I was," said Pinson, of running the 200. "But I wanted to do something that would take three or four of my teammates with me to state."

Pinson already will likely make it to state in the 100 meter run, at least he is in the running. He took seventh in that race.

Another high placer that is someone choosing to do good for the sake of her team rather than herself was FW runner Jacqie Evenson, a junior hurdler and relay anchor of the 4x200 and 4x400.

"She could have done the long jump too but she wanted to help more of her teammates go further in track," said Jean Licari, the head girls coach of Federal Way. "Jacqie is all about 'team.' "

And she is all about winning too, which was hard for her to come by in this meet. She took second in both the 100 and 300 meter hurdles.

But there was likely a reason for that. Evenson is an animal of a competitor and was not able to race the winner in either of the hurdles races. That is because the races were done in two heats with top times taken from each heat and combined. So Evenson could win her heat but then the next heat winner could run faster without having to be racing against Evenson.

"She runs to win," said Licari. 'When she is racing someone that motivates her to run faster."

She was basically racing herself in her own heat, she took first by close to a second over second place. So put her against someone else who runs fast and Evenson will compete. She was talking of her 4x200 anchor leg running, running away from the competition in that one by two seconds at least over second place.

"I'm not used to being that far ahead," said Evenson. "Being that far ahead there was no one to chase."

The members of the 4x200 and 4x400 relays that both were winners in this meet for FW's young ladies are: Evenson, along with Tiara Fuller, La-neisha Robinson, and Jaleecia Roland. The latter two are freshman, with Roland already impressing Licari big-time.

"She just set our school high-jump record, 5-6, and she took fifth in the triple jump," said Licari.

There is a lot of good reason to think that this team will do well in the district and state meet in their two relays.

"We are top 10 in the state," said Evenson.

Roland has impressed Licari.

"Jaleecia has really impressed me," said Licari. "She is the freshman class president and good in school as well as being a good athlete."

So, with no seniors on this team, watch out for this team for another year to come.

"They are going to get better and better as they develop," said Evenson. "Jaleecia was hurt early in the season with a broken hand, so this relay team has not been together very long. They have been improving their time a lot every time they run together."

So, not the same school, but the same city, could have two 4x400 state champs, perhaps. Time will tell. Some others to note doing well at this meet include field events winner Sophia Malamura of TJ, who has been to state each of the last two years and will be a favorite in the discus. She won it with a heave of 133-0.

Next closest to Malamura was someone who put reached 119 feet. And, in boys shotput, Marty Fuller of the Titans took first with a 55-10.75 put. Andru Pulu of FW was third with a 49-6.50 throw. Jordyn Woodke of Decatur too third in the triple jump, going 37-5 and then she was also third in the long jump, going 16-7.

"I was shooting for better, but I have two more meets," said Woodke. "It is my first year getting to districts."

A few other notables included Justin England, second in the 1,600-meter run, going a 4:25.09, and, Todd Beamer Titans, Ryan Eidsmoe was fifth in 4:29.97. Both qualify on to districts (top 10 go on). Baklund was seventh in 4:32.90 and is also going.

In the boys 300 hurdles, second place Gregger Highberg, 39.45, and, third place Robert Shelby, 39.43, both of FW, will go on as will sixth place, Anthony Hogan, 41.41. Shlonda Baker, in the 200 meter, was fifth place, in 26.41 and Mercedes Sullivan was seventh, for the Titans, and Lacey Printz gets into districts after getting ninth in 27.10.

In the 1,600 meter run, Titans' Taylor Kartes gets in with a 5:21.53 and TJ's Brianna Calveri gets to go after a 5:29.40. In the girls 300 hurdles, after Evenson's second, 45.37, was TJ's Stephanie Cox in 46.32, and Titans' Irene Devera, and, then FW's Livia Mahaffe. TJ's Jeremy Hauck took sixth in the javelin at 149-9.

Girls pole vault had a trio of Raiders get to districts. Amy Colvin tied for third, clearing 8-6. And teammates Brittlyn Zeller and Jordon Powers were right behind her, tied for fifth. Molly Gebhardt was seventh, clearing 8-0, and Kara Winchell snuck in to districts in 10th place. TJ's Jennifer Wamsley was fifth in the triple jump, a couple spots behind Woodke, with a jump of 36-3.50.

Melanie Vertrees was sixth with a 35-5. And Rowland of FW jumped 34-6 for seventh and is on her way to districts in more than just running for the Eagles. Besides Malamura's first in the girls shot put, fourth place belonged to Kayla Adams, 116-2. And, Titans' Ashley Sandoval was sixth in 109 and Brittany Barrington was seventh at 105.

Districts are at Tahoma High School this weekend. State is the following weekend, a couple days prior to the Memorial Day holiday, in Pasco.