BHS sophomore Quinton Agosta began the track season with humble goals. A likely candidate to replace Grant Leslie at quarterback for the football team next fall, Agosta said, “I wanted to keep busy in the off-season. I started with no expectations.”

That was understandable. He had never participated in track before.

Yet he’s going to this weekend’s Star Track, the 3A and 4A state track and field championships, in the discus. He also nearly qualified in the high jump, clearing a personal best 6-0. Because of his projected position for the Spartan gridders, the throwing events seemed the best fit as track practices got under way.

“We spent the first part of the season figuring out the events that he would have success at,” head track coach Andy Grimm said.

Agosta began with the javelin, which he eventually threw 145 feet. But after throwing 100 feet in his first meet after just a few days of training, Agosta’s potential in the discus became evident. With the generous assistance of Dick Wauters (father of two-time state discus and shot put champion Matt Wauters), Agosta improved to 133 feet in the Metro League meet.

Seventh at Districts after the preliminary round, Agosta threw 125-10 to leapfrog three rivals and move into fourth. Grimm recalled listening as the final discus placings were announced in ascending order.

“When they got to fifth and it was some other guy, I went over to the fence and shouted, “Quinton, you’re going to state!” he said.

“It threw me off guard,” Agosta said. “It surprised me because I didn’t throw too well.”

“He’s an amazing natural talent,” Dick Wauters said. “He has incredibly long arms for someone who’s 6-2, and great release speed. It’s a gift. Some people have it and others don’t. He does.”

With marks slightly superior to Matt Wauters’ at the same age, Agosta will end his first foray into track with considerably more motivation than when he began. “I’m definitely going to keep practicing this winter,” he said.

Eight Spartan girls will join Agosta on the drive to Pasco tomorrow. Fellow sophomore Hillary Pritchett continued a Bainbridge tradition: qualifying for the 800 meters. What is now a seven-year streak in the event began with Rebecca Ivey in 1999 and reached its apex in 2003 and 2004 with Veronica Ivey’s back to back triumphs.

Pritchett, who briefly had the top 3A mark in the state and wound up dropping 10 seconds off her best time last year with a personal best 2:20.45 at the District meet, said that her goal at the start of the season was to go to state. “But I didn’t think I would,” she added.

Now that she has, she hopes to run at least 2:19. She’ll also run a leg on the 4×400 meter relay, in which the Spartans are the defending champions.

She’ll be joined by her twin sister Geneva, senior Michelle Baggett, and junior Alana MacWhorter, with sophomores Maren Swanson and Morgan Nottingham as alternates.

Bainbridge also qualified in the 4×100 relay. The team consists of Baggett, MacWhorter, sophomore Zena Hemmen and Nottingham. Freshmen Molly O’Keefe and Lizzie Brackett are alternates.