Full recap from the 2023 Birger Solberg Invitational at Civic Stadium in Bellingham.
BELLINGHAM - Conditions weren't the kindest to competitors at this year's Birger Solberg Invitational, but athletes like Kamiak's Jaquan Means and Anacortes' Jessica Frydenlund didn't let that factor their ability to produce quality times at Civic Stadium in Bellingham on Saturday.
The two star-studded athletes battled through tough winds to come away with two wins apiece in their respective events, with Means winning the boys 110- and 300-meter hurdle races and Frydenlund running away with the girls 2,000 steeplechase and 1,600 races.
Means began the day in the 110s, clocking a time of 15.10 seconds while running through a strong head wind to beat out Garfield's Finn Albright at 15.73. Issaquah's Sebastian Powers placed third in 16.27.
"I got out good," Means said. "I hit the hurdles and myself a couple of times, but it felt fine going across the finish line."
Means then followed with the 300s a few hours later, running 41.22 to edge Issaquah's Torren Garcia at 41.48 to complete the hurdle sweep. Albright was third in 41.71.
"I was just trying to get out hard because of the tail wind," Means said. "I was giving it my all on the last stretch. That wind was just tough today."
For the second consecutive year, Frydenlund took home the steeplechase title with a 10 second personal best effort of 7:11.48 to win the fast section by 47 seconds over Sehome's Julie Gill in 7:58.70. Bothell's Daphne Vostral Schauer finished third, running 8:25.37.
The Gonzaga commit led the field from start to finish, opening her first 400 in 85 seconds, sustaining the next three laps for an average of 88 seconds, then closed the final 400 in 80 seconds for the win.
"I kind of knew I was going to PR just because it was my second time doing it," Frydenlund said. "Last time I ran 7:21, so I knew I could go a lot faster than that, and maybe even faster than what I did today. I do want to run it more because it's my favorite."
A few events later, Frydenlund was back out on the track for the 1,600 to run a season best time of 5:04.79, again leading from start to finish while beating both Shorewood's Amelia Severnin (5:09.18, 2nd) and Port Townsend's Aliyah Yearian (5:09.19, 3rd). Jackson's Selena Bangerter earned fourth in 5:12.81.
Frydenlund led a competitive pack of four through the first 1,200 at 3:54 before putting the hammer down on the final 400, closing in 70 seconds to secure her second win.
Cedar Park Christian-Bothell's Josiah Jaquith and Micah Chi finished first and second, respectively, in the boys steeplechase, with Jaquith running 6:29.29 and Micah Chi running 6:38.24. Ingraham's Johan Leuschke was third in 6:40.47.
Bush's Amare Fields ran another lifetime best in the boys 1,600 in 4:23.39 to beat Emerald Sound Conference foe Isaac Montanes of Cedar Park Christian in 4:25.85. Kamiak's Jaedyn Chase dipped under 4:30 to run 4:29.44 to finish third.
Shorecrest's Linnea Claar ran a personal best 48.56 held off Cedarcrest freshman Addy Jenkins in a personal best 48.75 to win the girls 300 hurdles. Bothell's Emma Harmon finished a close third place in 48.97, with Shorewood's Olvia Wilde finishing fourth in 49.22.
Northwest's Isla Chadsey ran a personal best 11:22.64 to win the girls 3,200, beating South Kamloop Canada's Feron Wallace in 11:27.06. Bangerter earned another top five finish, running 11:30.76 to finish third.
Garfield's Tawaf Aboudou won the boys triple jump by over two feet in a new personal best jump of 41-09.5. Oak Harbor's Caron Lang took second at 39-02.25 and Friday Harbor's Zachary Place finished third at 39-02.25.
Lynden Christian's Tabby DeJong earned first place in the girls shot put, throwing a personal best mark of 35-11, with Frank Hurt Canada's Gurleen Mander throwing 34-00 for second and Stanwood's Vivienne Berrett throwing 32-07.75 for third.
Mt. Vernon's Adrian Carrillo threw a personal best 156-08 in the boys discus, defeating Oak Harbor's Noah Turner at a personal best 152-07. Juanita's Elijay Te'o secured third with a throw of 145-09.
North Creek's Lauren Simicich won the girls discus with a toss of 126-01, beating Frank Hurt Canada's Gurleen Mander's throw of 119-08.
Nooksack Valley's Joseph Brown secured the boys javelin win on his first throw, hitting a personal best mark of 152-05. Issaquah's Wyatt Chollman took second with a personal best throw of 147-03 and Lakewood's Ben Nuss placed third with a personal best throw of 146-01.
To see more results from the 2023 Birger Solberg Invitational, click here.
Arnie Young Invite
For the second time this season, Tahoma's Brooke Lyons completed another sprint sweep at the Arnie Young Invite at Renton Memorial Stadium, highlighted by a personal best run in the girls 400.
The recent Washington State University commit ran 56.82 in the 400 to win by over three seconds. Lyons won the 100 and 200 races in 12.15 and 25.67.
Emerald Ridge's Conner Wirth and Emme Bates swept the 800 races for the Jaguars, with Wirth winning the boys race in 1:57.73 and Bates winning the girls race in 2:15.71.
Alongside Wirth, three other boys produced sub-2 efforts in the 800, with Central Kitsap's Blake Reynolds in second at 1:58.25, Gig Harbor's Micah Galeana in third at 1:58.78 and Franklin's Keith Arashi Hunter in third at 1:59.64.
Tahoma's Julia Stuard ran a personal best 2:15.97 to finish second in the girls race.
Gig Harbor's Reese Morket led four girls under 5:10 in the 1,600, with Morket running a winning time of 5:05.43. Peninsula's Elektra Higgins finished second to Morket in 5:06.59, followed by Tahoma's Kate Sanders (5:06.89, 3rd) and Franklin's Sabrina Colbert (5:09.55, 4th).
Tahoma's Ryan Lewis and Gig Harbor's Jonathan Miles each ran personal best times in a close boys 1,600 race, with Lewis coming out with the win in 4:14.79 to Miles' 4:15.25.
Gig Harbor completed 1-2 sweep in both 3,200 races, with Preston Fradet placing first in 9:35.58 and Tyler Campbell placing second in 9:37.39 in the boys race and Taylor Sletner placing first in 11:10.27 and Kaley Fergus placing second in 11:19.49 in the girls race.
Tahoma's Daniel Castelluccio ran a personal best 9:38.82 to place third in the boys race.
Kentwood's Vai Green won the girls 300 hurdles by a near three seconds in a season best time of 47.71.
Emerald Ridge Faith Taula and Emma Morrison finished first and second, respectively, in the girls shot put, with Faith Taula throwing a personal best 37-10 and Emma Morrison hitting a season best 36-05.
Central Kitsap's Roderick Schenk launched the javelin 177-07 to win the boys competition.
Savannah Fourier won the girls high jump for the Cougars at a height of 5-04.
Mount Rainer's Hudson Anderson secured the boys long jump title with a personal best mark of 22-00, with Eastside Catholic's Bryson Ross jumping a personal best 21-08 to finish second.
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