Federal Way shook off a cold wind and the post spring break blahs to win its own invitational track and field meet last Tuesday, April 6.

The Bill Harris Invitational meet, held annually in retired longtime Eagles track and field coach Bill Harris' honor, combines the boys and girls scores, and Federal Way came out front with 246.50 points ahead of the 194.50 score of White River.

"It could have been a lot worse," said Eagle girls coach Jean Licari. "There's rain and there's wind, and we just got the one. It was cold and off the (Puget) Sound, as usual."

The student athletes on the Federal Way track and field team also just got off of spring break the day before, and also presented a challenge.

"They were off for spring break, and some went to practices but not all of them," Licari said.

But the Eagles came on strong for the 47th annual running of the meet, led by the boys team coached by Sam Beesley.

"The boys are just where we want them to be as a team," said Beesley.

Decatur also competed in the meet, taking fourth place with 119 points behind the 166.50 score of third place Fife.

The meet featured 12 teams, with Cedar Park Christian coming in fifth with 109 points ahead of Steilacoom (100.33), Highline (79), Everett (78.67), Northwest (78), Tacoma Baptist (73.50), Clover Park (56) and Evergreen of Seattle (21).
Licari was impressed with the Eagles' finish.

"I didn't see much since I was running the meet," Licari said. "But from what I saw the kids worked very hard."

Majerae Gates won the girls 100-meter dash for the Eagles in a time of 13.00 seconds, and teammate Laneisha Robinson was second in the 200 in 28.70 with Bianca Arizpe finishing second in the 400 in 1:02.61. Jasmine Johnson was second in the 800-meter run in 2:27.43.

Decatur's Tori Zellerhoff captured second in the 1,600 (5:36.96) and 3,200 (12:02.84) and Tiara Fuller won the 100-meter hurdles (16.13) and took second in the 300 hurdles in 46.41. Alaina Butler of Decatur placed third in the 100 hurdles in 17.85.

Fuller, Robinson, Arizpe and Gates combined to win the 400-meter relay in 51.19 and the same team took the 800 relay in 1:51.55.
Dyesha Belhumeur of Federal Way finished first in the women's high jump at 4 feet, 10 inches and Decatur's Carly Carson won the pole vault at 9-6. Arizpe won the long jump at 15-06.50 and Butler took second at 15-04.75.

Belhumeur took second in the long jump at 14-8.75 and Butler was first in the triple jump for the Gators at 33-08 with Belhumeur third at 32-00.50.

Decatur's Sydnee Patin was fourth in the 100 in 14.31 and teammate Marissa Wendel was fourth at 31-06.

On the boys side, Trenton Pinson of Federal Way took second in the 100 (11.34) with teammate Jarey Suiter fourth (11.71) and Maurice McNeal was second in the 200 in 22.63 ahead of Pinson (23.40) and Decatur's Isaac Ochoa (23.58).

Federal Way's Ezekiel McNeal, Maurice McNeal, Pinson and Robert Shelby won the 400-meter relay in 42.84 with Decatur's Greg Iglesias, Ochoa, CJ Pellum and Dalvin Yarbrough second in 44.64.

Ezekiel McNeal, Pinson, Robert Shelby and Maurice McNeal took second in the 1,600 relay in 3:26.70.

Nathan Jowett was second at 5-08 in the high jump just ahead of teammate Johnny Myels (5-06) and Tre Kelly of Decatur placed third in the long jump at 20-05 and triple jump (40-07).

Andrew Jowett of Decatur was third in the discus at 141-06.