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Writer's pictureThe Runner WA

State Track Day 2 Recap: Hana Moll closes out storied pole vault career at Capital with state title

Full recap from day two of the 2023 Washington State Track and Field Championships.

Capital's Hana Moll cleared a state meet record height of 14-7 to win the 3A girls state title at the Washington State Track and Field Championships on May 26, 2023, at Mt. Tahoma High School in Tacoma. (Ethan Buck/DyeStat)

TACOMA - Hana Moll's just been soaking in every last minute of her final time in a Capital uniform this weekend at Mt. Tahoma High School.


Whether it be on the track in relays or on the runway, she can't help but feel grateful for every moment.


The national outdoor pole vault record holder added another historic moment to her storied season, winning the 3A girls pole vault state title in a meet record performance of 14 feet, 7 inches on Friday in front of packed stadium at Mt. Tahoma High School in Tacoma.


"I'm really grateful for the season I've been able to have," Moll said. "I feel like I've done a really good job of keeping myself healthy and consistency is really important, especially for pole vault for progress. I think that was a big factor to my season."


A year after finishing second to her sister, Amanda, at last year's state championships, Hana delivered three great jumps at 13-6, 14 feet and the meet record 14-7 before failing all three attempts at 15 feet.


It was the first-time all-season Hana vaulted on her own without the accompany of her sister by her side. After barely qualifying out of districts last weekend, Amanda elected to opt out of the state meet for undisclosed reasons.


Another vaulter out of the mix was Bainbridge's Ella McRitchie, who Moll trains with in the offseason with Northwest Pole Vault. McRitichie had recently cleared 14 feet for the first time in her career last week at districts but has been dealing with a nagging foot injury all year long, so she too elected to scratch.


"It definitely felt a little empty," Moll said. "I really didn't have that competition factor, so it was probably a little bit less adrenaline than normal...I just hope I get to vault with them this season."


Nonetheless, Moll continued to deliver, and deliver in a way where audiences would give her a standing ovation when it was all of a sudden over with.


When asked about winning a U20 world title before a state championship, it never crossed Molls' mind until then.


"That's pretty crazy. I've never thought of that before," Moll said laughing. "Honestly, I feel like both of these are pretty equal to me. Being in my home state and then also representing my country were both pretty amazing things to do."

Squalicum's Andre Korbmacher ran a state meet record time of 13.74 to win the 2A boys 110m hurdles at the Washington State Track and Field Championships on April 26, 2023, at Mt. Tahoma High School in Tacoma. (Ethan Buck/DyeStat)

Squalicum's Andre Korbmacher rewrote history for the second day in a row, lowering his state meet record in the 110-meter hurdles from 13.80 to 13.74 to clinch his second consecutive 2A state title.


"Only being able to have two years, I'm glad I got to come back for both years again and win a state title in my favorite event," Korbmacher said, who will next race at the Brooks PR Invite in Renton in June.


Lincoln-Tacoma's Jonathan Fraizer ran a personal best 14.23 to win the 3A boys 110 hurdles title. Kamiak's Jaquan Means won the 4A boys title in a personal best time of 14.52.


In the girls hurdles, Emerald Ridge's JaiCieonna Gero-Holt repeated as champion in 4A, running a time of 14.45, winning by almost half a second. The sophomore phenom also won the girls high jump competition with a clearance of 5-10.


Kelso's Josie Settle won the 3A girls 100 hurdles title in a time of 14.91. Orting's Myquela Pride won the 2A girls race in 15.68, as well as the triple jump (36-10.5).


Hanford's Landry Allen cleared a personal best 12-7 to capture the 4A girls pole vault title over Inglemoor's Jacqueline Jones (12-0, 2nd) and Bothell's Avery Gessel (12-0, 3rd).


Yelm's Jordan Lasher went over 15-6 to win the 3A boys pole vault. Lasher's teammate, Isaiah Patterson, won the discus competition with a heave of 177-4.


Bothell's Haedyn Bambolo threw 47-1 in the 4A girls shot put to win the state title. She was a half an inch off the state meet record.


Federal Way's trio of triple jumpers, Roman Hutchinson, Jaylon Jenkins and Julian Gene Fortin, completed a 1-3 medal sweep in the 4A competition, with Hutchinson taking the win in a mark of 47-7.25. Jenkins, who won the high jump, hit 47-2 for second palce and Gene Fortin was third in 45-10.5.


Lynden's Porter Wilhite cleared 6-7 to win the 2A boys high jump.


Olympia sophomore Cameron Downing won the 4A boys javelin with a throw of 176.


University's Addy MacArthur threw a personal best throw of 134-3 to win the 3A girls discus after finishing second in the shot put the day before.


Bellingham's Javen Livas had a big day in the shot put ring, throwing a three-foot PR of 58-9.75 to capture the 2A boys state title.


Eastside Catholic's Branden Ganashamoorthy outjumped Yelm's triple jump phenom, Trevontay Smith, for the 3A boys long jump title by a margin of 23-1.25 to 22-4.


1A/2B/1B

Bear Creek's Braelyn Baker continued to light up the track at Zaepfel Stadium in Yakima, running another all-class state meet record time of 23.56 in the 1A girls 200 preliminary round. Clover Park's Donna Dennis held the previous best time of 24.13 from 1982.


Morgan Thomas of DeSales threw a massive personal best mark to win the 1B girls shot put title in a state meet record mark of 42-2. Trout Lake's Liz Fink held the previous best at 38-10.75.


Willapa Valley's Lauryn McGough set a 1B state meet record in the girls pole vault, clearing 12-3 to go two feet over the previous best record of 10-3 held by Mount Vernon Christian's Melyssa Whitener.


Mary Walker's Tomeko Cates took home the 1B boys long jump title, jumping 44-9.5, just an inch off of the state meet record of 44-10.5 held by Mansfield's Macen McLean.


Connell's Carson Lloyd launched the javelin 171-8 to win the 1A boys title over Montesano's Gabe Bodwell (170-4).


Brewster's Cort Gebbers won the 2B boys shot put title with a throw of 50-6.5.


Okanogan's Taylor Meyer threw 133-9 in the 2B girls javelin to claim the state title.


Lynden Christian's Tabby DeJong beat out King's' Adrianna Coleman by half and inch to win the 1A girls shot put title in a margin of 40-11.5 to 40-11.

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