Jay Davis and Jacqie Evenson ended the night for the Federal Way Eagles with double victories in the boys and girls 4x400 relays even though Issaquah won the meet, 186 points to the Eagles 165.50, in the 45th annual Bill Harris Invitational at Federal Way Memorial Field Tuesday.

Last Thursday in a dual meet versus Tahoma, Davis was around 20 yards back of first place in the start of the final baton handoff of the 4x400. And Davis just flew around the corner to take the lead into the straightaway...for three or four seconds, before losing it. And never getting it back, in fact, never close to that runner after that who won going away by 20 yards.

Same race, different day, and, oh what a difference it made, as Davis was actually leading during his whole anchor leg. But Davis was up against an Issaquah runner who was plenty fast.

"I could hear him," said Davis. "I just tried to keep my form and stay strong. I figured he was a pretty good runner because another runner before the race told me, if I was ahead, to take off, and, if I was behind, to run smart."

Referred to last week's running, Davis said, "I tried too hard, so, after this race tonight coach (Sam Beesley) told me I ran a lot smarter. People think that running is all physical but you have to have the mental part."

Beesley's words after the two relays was not directed at Davis in particular but the shoe fit.

"Good finish," he said.

The boys relay included Andre Barrington, Tim Givan and Ben Johnson.

The shoe fit for girls anchor, Evenson, who again ran strong giving a good finish. As she held off a state caliber miler from Issaquah, who grabbed the baton from her Issaquah third leg teammate a second after Evenson had grabbed the baton from hers, in the beginning portion of the drama unfolding for the final leg of the girls 4x400. Three-quarters through the race, the Issaquah girl who was a good five yards behind Evenson to start out was suddenly on her heels rounding the corner. But then Evenson knew what she had to do.

"When I felt her on my shoulder, I knew I had got to start going faster."

Got to! And Evenson did go to another gear to win it, 3:37.30 to 3:38.40.

In Evenson's other races, she took third in the 100 meter hurdles and second in the 300 hurdles. The latter was a close race. Evenson took the loss in stride even though she hopes to get another shot to knock that girl off hers another day. Evenson's Eagles are 4A and the Fife girl that won is 3A so she won't get a chance to beat her again somewhere down the line, like state.

"All I know about her is that she is the defending state champ," said Evenson, just to put that in perspective that want to know who Evenson lost to. Note, too, this is Evenson's first season ever running track. She's a sophomore, too. "I am sure I will get another shot at her. I have a long ways to go (two more invitationals for Evenson before she graduates). She is good though."

For Jean Licare, the Federal Way girls coach, the highlight for her was not her girls running but the pole vaulters she coaches, namely Victor Gruy, who won the event and in so doing set a new school record, vaulting 13-8.

"He's just a neat kid, I love working with him, he is still out there right now I see (Licare looking out window of administraton office for Federal Way Memorial) picking up trash from the field. He is a neat, neat kid."

And funny.

"He is from the Ukraine so he was saying as a sophomore (now Gruy is a senior), 'I have Bubka blood.' All the girls were kidding him so he said that to make them laugh. The girls say 'Viktor, do it for Ukrania' when he is doing competition. So too the girls he says after he does a vault well, "I did that for Ukrania.' When I tell him things to do, it's funny. I tell him to 'drive' down the runway when approaching for a vault. He says he doesn't understand, 'Coach you mean drive (shows driving motion of hands on steering wheel), I don't understand.'"

Gruy broke a 28-year-old record that was held by Rob Miller from a 13-6 vault back in 1979.

Licare is excited about the girls program that she coaches at Federal Way, for what must be a decade now she's been a loyal helper as that side of the program remains strong in competition for many years now.

"The girls team is so young," said Licare. "By the time they are juniors and seniors, I expect good things. They are all out there because they want to be. They have fire in their bellies. And they have these great guys coaching them."

She pointed to Quinn Gillis and Marcus Wzaguirre, who helps out with relays and other areas of need for Eagles track and field.

Gillis talked about these four's time in that 4x400, 4:14.9, was their winning time this time. It should go down the line.

"They haven't been beat yet," he said. "State qualification is 4:12 and it is still the middle of the season. It is a very good time for this time of year."

Besides Evenson on that 4x400 are Marae Ajeto, Kendall Feider and Kiana Blackwell.

Gillis probably could have mentioned a lot but chose another first year runner to talk of, Blackwell, who he said has already trimmed her 400 split time from 71 to 63 seconds."

The Federal Way boys 4x100 team is fast to the second like it's more-distance oriented 4x100 that is fast though understandably taking a few more seconds to finish, if you will.

Ben Young runs on it and he is also fast, took fourth in the 100 meter dash and third in the 200 to show his versatile speed. He also anchored the 4x100 that won in 44.62, along with teammates Anthony Smith, Jesse Johnson, and Greggor Highberg.

"We have a good relay. We are going to make it to state," said Young.

Another who should make it to state is Decatur distance runner Justin Englund who won the 3,200 race in 9:57

"That is a pretty good time for me at this point of the season," said Englund. "I just tried to stay behind the lead guy most of the race and pick it up for the last lap."

And, while talking about Decatur, let's zip over to Ezra John Griffey, a senior that has the blood of his sister, Princess Griffey, who is now at Washington State University and already has set a school record as a freshman in the 60 meter race, her younger brother proudly said.

In the races he did at the Bill Harris Invite, it was business as usual for Griffey who ran a 10.64 100 meter to win it and followed that up with a win in the 200 in 22.14.

And those times as fast as they were, both state qualification times for sure, and, Griffey did take fifth in the 200 after not making it to finals in the 100 last year at Pasco at state.

This was a cold day, too.

"I do better on hot days," he said, and, this night was no warmer than 45 degrees for certain.

"My goal is to make it to the finals of state in the 100 and 200," he said.

Another who has been to state before, from Decatur, is senior Gena Woodke, who threw the javelin 128-10 to make herself happy on this day. Why?

"I pr'd," she said.

The girls shot is where it is at for Woodke, even though she did lose in that one, well, take second is not exactly losing when you beat out 15 other schools' bests but one. And the one was not only a good competitor Woodke knows well, but a friend she knows well.

Both could go to state it looks like. Both are on target to get there just a foot or so each from state qualification. Woodke took 11th at state in the shot last year at state and just made districts in the javelin.

Of her and maybe having someone else there this time named Samantha Willis, who won the shot with a 36-2 put, Woodke said, "Hopefully, I would like to see that."

She also spoke of one other person she hopes gets to state.

"Hopefully my sister will go, too.She's been doing well in the triple jump since she was a freshman. She was at state in it last year, too."

That would be Jordan Woodke.

And, as the interview went along, as Woodke was having fun with her friends, using them as wind barriers even, it was easy to see a lot of good fun and games with friends was had.

"And her favorite freshman is Becca Hayward," a freshman by that name said.

Woodke laughed, saying, 'Yeah, yeah, so said she.' Then everyone all around laughed, all Decatur runners or fans of running and certainly of Woodke, who also was a star on their girls basketball team this past season.

A few other good efforts came from folks like 800 runner, Deshawn Williams, just a freshman but running a 2:09 in the event for sixth place, with state qualification time right around two minutes so not too far off there. Blackwell took third in the 400 run in 1:04.17. Davis won the triple jump in 44-1.25, Andru Pulu took second in the shot with a put of 46-11. Jeremiah Oliverez took third in the discus with a throw of 130-9.5. Greylin James was second in the high jump, going 6-0. Decatur's Susan Kim took fourth in the 200 in 27.30. Decatur's Amanda Stewart won the high jump, leaping 5-6. Decatur's Devon Jones was third in the 400 in 54.66. Davis was also second in the long jump, going 20-9.

So, a lot of fun was had, so let's give thanks where the credit is due, to the longtime headmaster of Federal Way track and field who began this grand event locally in 1962.