Nice start to the track and field season for Evergreen.

No scores kept, since it was a jamboree, but, a lot of nice finishes, including some sweeps, for the Wolverines, in this track and field preseason event, running up against Highline and Mount Rainier and Tyee, in the action of the 2015 Highline Public Schools Jamboree at Highline Memorial, Thursday.

"Looks like you hit your steps that time," said Chuck Cushman, head coach of the Tyee/Evergreen, co-op team.

Cushman was speaking, there, to Wolverines' sprinter, and, jumper, a senior, Danae Austin. He was watching Austin run the runway toward the long jump pit. And, then, Austin continued running, straight past the board marker--not jumping before it, as, is needed for it to be a legal jump. This was practice before the event.

Austin looked at Cushman, talking to her, and, said, "Yeah," acknowledging her coach, as, she walked out from the dirt of the long jump pit. Austin went to go make another practice run, solidifying her steps, even, more, as, Cushman moved to go give pointers/encouragement to someone else on the Wolverines' team, who was preparing for an event.

Austin, a senior, hit her strides well in the jamboree, getting first place in the 100 meter dash, second, in the 400m dash, and, third, in the long jump. And, as, already alluded, Austin was not alone in doing well for the Wolverines. Out of the 26 events, total, boys and girls, combined, for running, throwing, leaping, the Wolverines scored 11 first places, total, from its athletes. Six firsts, on the girls' side, and, five, on the boys'. Mount Rainier, a 4A school, beat the Wolverines in overall firsts, for boys and girls combined, but, not by much. The Rams got 12 wins, total, from its team, seven, girls, and, five, boys.

A Sweeping, Good, Time

Leading the sweeps, the Wolverines' distance dynamo, Marques Chacon, who swept the 1600 and 3200 meter runs, and, girls had a couple sweepers, as, Cecilia Vu took firsts in the 800 and 1600 runs, and, Caroline Tupa threw to firsts in the shot put and discus.

Chacon, a junior, is straight off a 9th place state finish in the 2A Cross Country State Championships last Fall. And, there, at state, his identical twin, brother, Matthew, did not too shabby either, placing, 14th.

And, on this day, at jamboree, in the 1600 and 3200 races, that Marques won, in 4:32.18, for the 1600, and, 10:22.27, for the 3200, his brother, Matthew, was not too far behind, in 4:39.95, in the 1600, and, 10:30.04, in the 3200.

"He's closer in track (than cross country) because of the different distance," said Marques, who meant a cross country course is a little over three miles length, compared to the 1600 and 3200, measuring to one mile, and, two mile, lengths, respectively.

"I have to watch my back more in track," said Marques. "I am motivated to stay ahead, more of a reputation thing."

Marques competed against Rams' runner, Austin Regier a little more than his own twin brother, Matthew, in the 1600. Regier, for 4A, went to state in cross country, like, Marques, and, Matthew, in 2A, last Fall. It was a good race, though, Marques, and, Regier, pulling away, a bit, from Matthew, the last lap. Then, with Marques leaving Regier behind soon after that lap, into the stretch run and finish.

"It was a good competition, he pushed me," said Marques.

Goal was to go fast at the start of the race?

"Yeah, I started ahead, he got ahead for 100 meters of the race, but, I led most of it," said Marques of Regier. "I had a desire to win."

So, order of finish in the 1600 went, Matthew, first, in 4:32.18, Regier, second, in 4:35.89, and, Matthew, third, in 4:39.95.

And, Matthew didn't have too much to say in reply to his twin, Marques, who, is, still, beating him in running all the time, but, he did say this, "Good job."

Another good job turned in on this day was Vu, who is fresh off a top-8 finish at the Mat Classic, state wrestling meet, in girls competition. She stroked a fine finish in the 800 in 2:40.28, zipping around the quarter-mile track, two times, arms a-pumping, faster than anybody else, by 18 seconds. And, in the 1600, Vu brushed success, there, with a 5:52.10 time, beating her next closest Rams foe by eight seconds.

And, Vu is a girl on the Wolverines, her coach, Cushman, said something of note.

"She will, probably, be one of the better milers in the league this season," said Cushman.

Moving, then, to Caroline Tupa, a senior, is important to do. She played a strong role inside, scoring, for the Wolverines in basketball, making the playoffs just a month, or, so, ago. And, now, it's track Tupa's going to help her school.

Tupa's pretty humble when asked how state went for her last season in her field events.

"I did OK," she said.

Humility is a good thing, but, let's just say it, Tupa did excemplar at state. She finished second in the state in the shotput, and, third, in the discus. Guessing, here, but, in all of 2A, probably, there are around 75 schools, with track programs, from all over Washington. And, Tupa almost, beat all of them, in both those events.

"Caroline Tupa is going to be very good," said Jennings. "She has to, still, build up some confidence, but, other than that, she's spot on."
At jamboree, Tupa, unsurprisingly, took firsts in the discus, 104-7, and, shot put, 39-1. Caroline's sister, Luanna, on this day, won the javelin, with a 63-5 throw, and, to note, Caroline won the javelin at the 2A district meet preceding state last season. However, competitors can only compete in two field events at state, so, javelin went by the wayside for her.

Tupa's goals?

"Just improve, get better," she said.

Coach helps, too?

"He helps me a lot," said Tupa, of Jennings. "With my technique, and, things I haven't noticed before. I need all the help I can get."

Districts Potential Out There, Too

Jennings mentioned a junior, Andy Vo, as one guy who is advancing, nicely.

"He's progressing a lot," said Jennings.

Districts shot?

"I have all the faith he can get there," said Jennings of Vo, who took third in the discus, 92-2, and, fourth, in the shot-put, 32-9.
Vo explains that it's important to 'like what you do,'to succeed, in work, or, play,that is, if running can be called 'play.'

"I just like throwing," said Vo.

Johnny Le, also, was mentioned by Jennings as a district qualifier, likely, when that time rolls around the end of May, about.

"Johnny threw 35 feet today, and, he did a standing throw," said Jennings. "So, did Caroline, she did a basic standing throw. If she did a spin move, she would have done phenomenal today."

And, Mailey Faletogo was mentioned, too, by Jennings, as one to watch.

"She's an animal, in shot-put and discus," said Jennings of Faletogo, a captain on the volleyball team last Fall, too, that made it to districts. "You will see some big things from her."

A Few More Good Firsts

The Wolverines' Theo Mowatt took the win in the 100 in 11.92, and, second, to teammate, Ryan, Thol, first, in the triple jump, with jumps, 40-5, and, 38-4, respectively. Also, Thol, took second in the 110 meter hurdles, in 17.12.

Mowatt is a good football player, too, a running back for the Wolverines this past season, and, Thol, was the quarterback, that's noted, now, too.

"Little shaky start in the 100, but, ended, pretty good," said Mowatt, a senior, who said he went to state last season in the triple jump.

Shaky, why did Mowatt say he was that, doing the sprint race today?

"I was out of shape, I have a lot of work to do," said Mowatt.

Maybe, wrestling would have been good to do?

Mowatt laughed, saying, "I believe in taking the winter off."

Also, getting a first, in the jamboree, for the Wolverines, was Ryan Carlstrom, in the 800, ging a 2:17.52.

A Great Ending

And, last but not least, Austin, she is going at this track and field season with a different approach, not just to long jumping, but, to the whole season, and, perhaps, the whole year. Because it's been a tough year for her, she's a strong volleyball player, helped the Wolverines get to districts, there, last Fall, before, then, playing basketball, and, was a tough rebounder/defender, in that winter sport, for , almost, the whole season.

B-ball season went well for Austin, until, right close to the end of the season, where a teammate and herself were taken off the team for off-court problems, only a couple weeks before district playoffs started, too.

"Yeah," said Austin, remembering that when mentioned to her.

"I've been working really hard this past month, I want to do better," she said.

And, it sounded like that, '...I want to do better,' quote said a whole lot more than just speaking of goals for track this year compared to last year. But, in track and field, on this day, Austin did well, as already mentioned, a first, second, and, third, in events.

"In long jumping, I did this year, here, at jamboree, the same jump distance that I did last year at districts. I'm really trying harder."

And, she's getting ready for things past track, past education, too, saying she's going to college, to a rather good college, too, with a good g.p.a. needed for admission.

"I'm going to UW-Bothell," said Austin, and, really, that's what sports is all about, it's not about winning, really. It's about facing defeat, admitting defeat, admitting mistakes, and, moving on, in a completely, new, positive direction.

A good start is great, but, much better, a good ending, as, that's what, really, matters.

Lindbergh visits Highine Memorial for a 3:30 PM clash against the Evergreen/Tyee co-op team in opening, Seamount season, dual meet action, on, Thursday, March 26.