Young runners shine brightest at fourth Kiwanis All-Comers Track Meet

By Kitsap News Group staff • August 4, 2019 9:30 am
Luciano Marano | Bainbridge Island Review - West Schurtleff, 5, was rocking a sweet headband to help him beat the heat during Monday’s Kiwanis All-Comers Track Meet at Bainbridge High School. He ultimately came in first in his age group in three seperate events.
Luciano Marano | Bainbridge Island Review - West Schurtleff, 5, was rocking a sweet headband to help him beat the heat during Monday’s Kiwanis All-Comers Track Meet at Bainbridge High School. He ultimately came in first in his age group in three seperate events.

It was an especially speedy start.

Although Preston Brashers finished the jogger’s mile far ahead of anybody else, and was a mere 3 seconds over his predicted time (5:48/5:45), he still didn’t technically “win” because two other runners were only 2 seconds off their own predictions: Tina Chang (9:03/9:05) and young Emmerson Gillanders (9:22/9:20).

Still, it set an appropriately impressive tone for things to come at the fourth weekly Kiwanis All-Comers Track Meet at Bainbridge High School Monday, July 29.

A tone that was maintained like a well-paced runner settling into a marathon stride.

In one of the meet’s most exciting moments, three girls surged ahead of a huge field of more than a dozen 3-year-olds to finish the 100-meter dash in a near tie, with Jac Gilman (34.9) just inches ahead of Lily Wilson and Rosalee Ramirez (both 35.0).

Zoe Hammond (age 4) won three races after losing the opening 60-meter dash to rival Nell Berg by a mere 10th of a tick off the clock (14.5/14.6).

Sydney Leech (age 6), Isabella Saintclair (age 9), and Emily Younker (age 8) also won three events each, and Younker would have won four if Ava Hammond had not nipped her by a 10th of a second in the hurdles (11.6/11.7).

For the third week in a row Elianna Rehder (age 7) was one of the meet’s top performers, winning all four events she entered, including a very fast time of 16.6 in the 100-meters.

For the second consecutive week, Christopher Bourgeois (age 7) was the meet’s outstanding boy, again winning all five events he entered — including a fast 400-meters where he was challenged by both Yasahiah Hinkley and Hayden Deits.

In the youngest age group, newcomer Joey Rubel was impressive as he won four events and finished the 200 (“A very long run for a 3-year-old,” said event organizer Paul Benton) more than 8 seconds in front (64.2).

James Hunt (age 4), West Shurtleff (age 5), and Quinn Robinson (age 9) each won three events.

Eight-year-olds Garza Wooton and Ben Wodnik were close all evening, as Wooton won three races by small margins before Wodnik took the 200 in a speedy 36.1.

As usual, the 10-year-old group was broadly competitive, with four different winners in four events: Cole Haizlip (60), Boston Brookes (100), Morgan Robinson (hurdles), and Isaiah Drovdahl (400).

Brookes and Robinson were also credited with a win in the 4×100 relay (1:08), as they teamed up with another 10-year-old — Kai Dikman — and Morgan’s younger brother Quinn Robinson.

The season’s penultimate meet is Monday, Aug. 5, the last chance for young athletes to accumulate points toward the All-Season trophies that will be awarded at the beginning of the last meet (Aug. 12).

Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Bainbridge Island as well as by Bainbridge Dental, Homestead Bank and Realtors Bill Barrow and Chris Miller, the free community track meets are held on six consecutive Mondays every summer at the BHS track.

Arrive by 6:15 to sign in before the jogger’s mile starts at 6:30 p.m.