The future for the Kentridge High girls track and field team was rather bright at the conclusion of last spring’s Class 4A state meet.
That future has arrived.
The Chargers advanced six girls to last spring’s state finale, and five are back this season ready to make another run.
“We definitely have a lot of good people coming back,” senior Jaclyn Onosko said. “So we should be just as high in league.”
The South Puget Sound League North Division, as always, is a pretty loaded bunch when it comes to girls track and field. With Kentwood appearing early on as a state contender and Kent-Meridian once again filled with top-tier athletes, a league title might be out of reach for the Chargers.
But another solid state run for many of the girls? Now that’s a distinct possibility.
Among the state-tested Chargers who’ve returned include Onosko (4 x 100 relay, javelin), Molly Shiroishi (800 meter), Amelia Carpenter (pole vault) Haley Bartelson (4 x 100 relay) and Katie Lake (sprints, long jump, relays). Throw in newcomer Kim Concillado (pole vault), who transferred from Kent-Meridian, and the Chargers have reason to believe in good things this spring.
Concillado has added depth to Kentridge’s pole-vaulting crew, which is led by Carpenter. Carpenter currently ranks second in the SPSL North with a personal best of 10 feet this season.
“It’s nice to have (Concillado) around. It makes it a friendly competition,” Carpenter said.
Meanwhile, Onosko, who was in her first year at the javelin last season, already has gotten off to a strong start, uncorking a toss of 115-feet, 6-inches in her first throw of the year. Onosko spent the summer working out at the University of Washington, something that clearly has paid big dividends already. Her first throw of the year still ranks as the top mark in the SPSL North.
“I definitely improved since last year,” said Onosko, who also competes on the relay teams. “Throwing up at UW, we never really measured how far we were throwing. It didn’t feel like a 115 when I let it go.”
But the Chargers’ depth doesn’t begin an end with its state returners. Also back in the mix are standouts Andrea Antrim (distance) and Danyell Wilson (sprints).
The depth has shown up on the SPSL North leaderboard early on this spring, too. Shiroishi is currently fourth in the 800 (2:26.71), Onosko is first in the javelin and fifth in the 400 (61.88), Carpenter is second in the pole vault and fifth in the 300 hurdles (50.84), Concillado is third in the pole vault (9-6) while Katie Lake is third in the long jump (17-4), fifth in the 200 (26.84) and sixth in the 100 (13.14). Throw in Kentridge’s 4 x 100 relay team (Aaliyah Topps, Lake, Onosko and Wilson), which is fourth at 51.54, and there’s plenty of reason to believe the future has arrived.
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