The 2009 Ballard High School season came to an end May 23 at the Southwest Athletic Complex in West Seattle, as the Beaver senior trio of Julian Montante, Carlos Stanley and Linton Rowan missed out on advancing to the WIAA state track and field championships.

For triple jumper Julian Montante, 0.25 inches was the difference between his first appearance at state and pondering what might have been.

Montante, who was a solid third after the first three rounds of competition in the event with what eventually was his best jump of 41-2 1/2, first saw Heritage's Donovan Marion and Eastlake's Devin Bennett overtake him in the final three rounds of jumping.

Bennett overtook Montante in round five with a jump of 41-2 3/4, 0.25 inches better than the Ballard senior.

Fellow Ballard senior Carlos Stanley, who finished second in the KingCo Championships the week before, was bothered by a sore left quadriceps muscle, which affected his ability to reach the takeoff board, and finished seventh with a jump of 41-1.

In the boys shot put, 2008 state qualifier Linton Rowan finished sixth with a throw of 47-2.

Senior Lauren Hammerle, also a 2008 state qualifier, finished sixth in the girls 3,200 meter with a time of 11:59.11

Coach Bruce Drager said ending the season at the district meet marks the first time since the mid-90s that Ballard will not have an entrant in the WIAA state track and field championships May 30 and May 31 at Mount Tahoma High School.