TACOMA — Entering day two of the 2A/3A/4A state championship meet, the only feat that Prairie alum and throwing coach Jon Lawson had on senior Will Foster was winning the discus and the shot put in the same year back in 2011.
Foster was close to accomplishing the rare deed in 2024, winning the shot put title but finishing as the discus runner-up.
Now, Foster and Lawson are eye to eye on the throwers’ totem pole.
Foster earned his second straight shot put title Friday to go along with his discus win on Thursday, becoming the first male 3A thrower to complete the sweep of the two events since his throwing coach 14 years ago. The senior topped out at 61 feet, 8.75 inches, on his first attempt of the finals. Once his first throw hit the dirt, Foster never left first place, despite nagging back pain that he’s dealt with for a month and a half.
“My proudest accomplishment has gotta be this season. I’m proud of how I didn’t let this injury define me and I kept going. I gave it my best,” he said.
After the event concluded, Foster embraced Lawson, his coach of four years who slowly watched the future Washington Husky shatter all of his records and match his state accomplishments.
“He’s been everything to me. He’s the reason I’m here and have done so well. Without him, I probably wouldn’t even make it out of districts,” Foster said. “He’s just been my guide the whole time and I’m super grateful for him.”
Lawson said Foster reminds him of his younger self in that they share the same passion and love for track and field.
“We’re quite different in personality and upbringing, but achievement-wise, we’re the same. I won shot and discus, and now he’s done it. He’s also a two-time shot put champion, just like I was,” Lawson said. “He’s like a little brother to me.”
Lawson observed that his protégé was never truly fazed by his back pain during Friday’s event. Foster’s acceleration had to be slightly tamed in the ring, but his strength and technical efficiency shined through.
“His discipline is definitely above the average person. Whatever it may be, he’s willing to do it even when he doesn’t feel the best,” Lawson said. “He had to really work around [the back injury]. It was state, so we were going all out. We’ve really worked as a team, and I think that’s part of our success. Will’s come a long way. He was a different person his freshman year when I got him, but he had a natural knack for it.”
His freshman year, Foster admitted he was just trying to make the varsity team. Three years later, he moves on from Prairie as a two-time shot put champion, state champion in discus, and two-time district and league champion in both events.
What’s next? The University of Washington, where he has already set high goals for himself as an incoming freshman.
“I’m trying to make it to the conference championships in my first year, and I’m trying to add to the program,” Foster said. “They’ve got a great atmosphere there. I want to be a great teammate and I want to be a good leader.”
Ridgefield senior Sarah Proctor closed out her pole vault career with a third-place medal at 10 feet, improving from consecutive 10th-place finishes at 9-6 in each of her last two trips to state.
After failing to make it out of the 2A 200-meter state prelims in each of the last two years, Ridgefield junior McKenna Calkins will finally get her shot in the finals after breaking her own school record at 25.36 seconds.
Woodland freshman Makynzie Guthrie medaled in the 2A high jump, hitting 5 feet for the third time this season to place seventh. Ridgefield senior Addyson Bowyer was unable to join Guthrie on the podium and finished 15th at 4-10.
Hockinson senior Madsen Richardson is heading to the 400-meter finals Saturday after setting a new PR in the prelims at 49.88 seconds. Teammate Ava Nichols also set a PR in the 400-meter prelims at 1:00.58, but the stacked lineup proved to be too much and she’ll miss out on a shot at the finals.
Prairie freshman Yana Tkachenko couldn’t match her PR from last week’s district meet in the 3A triple jump, finishing 18th out of 20 jumpers with a best jump of 33 feet, 4 inches.
