The big block-lettered “R” on the front of the uniforms for the Ridgefield Spudders was near the lead of numerous races and competitive across numerous field events at the 2A District IV Track and Field Championships.
The Ridgefield boys team earned third place while the girls finished in second as a team at the track and field state qualifier at Columbia River High School on Thursday, May 22. The Spudder boys squad racked up 87 team points, with the girls squad earning 116 team points.
The Ridgefield boys earned two podium finishes in the 1,600-meter race, with senior Davis Sullivan blazing the track in 4 minutes and 24 seconds, while freshman Cooper Dollens earned third with a time of 4 minutes and 26 seconds. Junior Spudder Brian Mclemore III edged out Woodland’s Niel Valerio in the 110-meter hurdle with a time of 15.25 seconds to earn another track top finish for the boys squad. Mclemore added another first-place finish with a photo finish of 0.02 seconds in the 300-meter hurdle race.
The Spudders boys squad racked up numerous top-three placements in other track and field events.
The Ridgefield girls squad kicked off a track event win with junior McKenna Calkins blazing the 100-meter race in 12.3 seconds, beating out Hockinson’s Zieynita Stidum by 0.5 seconds. Calkins added a second-place finish in the 200-meter race.
Ridgefield distance runner Danica Allen was beaten out by an Aberdeen runner but earned second in the 1,600 meters race with a time of 5 minutes and 12 seconds. Allen was also beaten out by just a second in the 3,200 meters race to grab another second-place finish.
In the field events, senior Sarah Proctor earned a first-place finish for Ridgefield with a pole vault of 10 feet 6 inches.
The Ridgefield girls team added multiple top-three placements in other track and field events.
Athletes from north Clark County will embark north to Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma for the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association 2A/3A/4A state track and field championship meet occurring Thursday, May 29 through Saturday, May 31.
To view results from the state track and field events, visit athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/571519/info.
