The frustration is evident in Steven Warner’s voice.
Warner, one of the state’s elite track and field hurdlers, delivered some big performances last weekend at Mount Tahoma High during the Class 4A West Central District meet. Yet, it was Warner’s misfortune in the 300-meter hurdles that everyone is still buzzing about.
On the final stretch of the event, an opponent in a nearby lane came in contact with Warner’s hurdle, causing it to bounce down to the ground and spring back up. A fraction of a second later, the Kentwood senior came crashing to the ground after attempting to clear the moving hurdle.
Though Warner delivered the meet’s top time during preliminaries (39.28), he was unable to get to his feet quickly enough to finish among the top six. The top six finishers in each event earned tickets to this weekend’s state meet, which also is being held at Mount Tahoma High.
“(The hurdle) fell down, hit the ground and flew back up … Steven hit it hard and did a complete roll and tumble,” said Kentwood coach Steve Roche. “He was in position to qualify for state and didn’t.”
Warner was in third place during the time of the fall.
Meet officials did not see the infraction and, as per Washington Interscholastic Activities Association policy, don’t look at any video that may be available for reviewing. A YouTube video clearly showed the infraction.
“I was going over the top (of the hurdle) and it rocked up and hit my trail leg pretty good and sent me flying a lane-and-a-half over,” said Warner. “I got up and was confused. I didn’t know if it was real.”
Ironically, Warner was disqualified from state in the same event last year when his trail leg came in contact with a hurdle.
Roche protest following the event was denied.
“It came down to, their official didn’t see it,” said Roche. “They saw that he fell, but didn’t see what caused him to fall. It’s one of those circumstances in track and field, where they didn’t see something they should have.”
Despite the misfortune, Warner still delivered a strong showing, taking first in the 110 hurdles (14.40) and leading off Kentwood’s state-qualifying 4 x 400 relay team, which took sixth with a time of 3:26.84. Warner’s time in the 110 hurdles established a new school record, one previously established in 1992 by assistant coach Rhamu McCoy.
Warner hopes to take out his frustration this weekend at the state meet.
“I’m not done by any means,” he said. “It bothers me. I’d like to go out and do really well in the 110s. But it’s hard because it’s my senior year and this is my last 300 hurdles ever (in high school) … it’s a terrible way to go out.”
Warner, however, wasn’t the only Kentwood athlete to establish a new school mark during the district track meet. Dana Wareham took third in the 400 with a time of 58.39, which also set a new school mark.
Also punching state tickets for Kentwood is: Tim Pettit (800), Darrius Coleman (110 hurdles), Ricardo Tucker (300 hurdles), the 4 x 400 relay team (Warner, Pettit, Tucker and Tristan Askew), Cody Fishel (high jump), Holly DeHart (100, 200), Wareham (400), Kailey Ulland (3,200), the 4 x 200 relay team (Aiesha Goodlow, DeHart, Quincie Proctor-Guyton and Wareham), the 4 x 400 relay team (Alena Davis, DeHart, Kyra Gaines and Wareham), Alyx Toiana (shot put) and Jamie Larsen (pole vault).
Kentwood also advanced a host of alternates going to the meet.
“Overall, if you’re sending 19 kids to state, that’s a good thing,” Roche said. “One year, when I first started, we sent no one. The next year we sent one. It’s awesome to get that many kids move on. That’s a pretty special … it’s fun to see our program grow like that.”
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