It’s go time: Mount Si track’s girls take first in Kingco; Boys second | Photo Gallery

It’s taken some mental toughness for Baly Botten to get here. In a bad start a few weeks ago, the Mount Si track pole vaulter broke a pole and landed hard in the box. Physically fine, he had to move on mentally from that fall.

“All my adrenaline’s going,” said Botten last Wednesday, as he sought his edge at Kingco.

“Pole vault is one those sports where it’s hard to get it down in practice,” he said. “You have to have the right mentality. One of the only times you get that mentality is at meets.”

The Kingco championship is one of the biggest, a make-or-break moment. Botten made it; he won his event by meeting his season record of 13.6 feet, leading fellow Wildcats Richard Willard and Paul Bateman in the top five.

The Mount Si boys overall were good for second place as a team at the league meet, held Wednesday and Friday, May 14 and 16, at Redmond High School.

But the Mount Si girls did even better, claiming a repeat championship.

Girls results

Mount Si’s fast freshman Hannah Waskom won the mile on Wednesday with 5:14:05. Maddie Hutchison took second and Lindsey Sydnor took third.

Hutchison won the two-mile race with a time of 11:16.36. Waskom was third.

Jesse Guyer was fourth in the 100 meter race, Sydnor was second in the 800 meter race.

Karlie Hurley was fourth in the 200 meter race with 26.38, and took second in the 400-meter race with 59.39, and took second in long jump with 15 feet, nine inches. Bailey Scott was fourth with 1:01.06.

“The reality is settling in—it’s go time,” said Hurley. “It’s Kingco. That puts it to another level.”

Weather Wednesday was in the warm mid-80s, which probably influenced individual performances.

“I love it right now, this is perfect,” said Hurley. “Long-distance kids wouldn’t agree, but I love it.”

Scott took fourth in the high jump with four feet, eight inches. Mady Privatsky was fourth in the triple jump with 31 feet, 9.5 inches.

The Mount Si 4×200 girls relay team of Mackenzie Hutchison, Guyer, Hurley and Lauren Rutherford took third with 1:46.08.

a new personal squad record: “As long as we qualified for districts,” that’s the important thing, said Guyer.

During the days prior, the squad tuned up and practiced handoffs. Then, on the day of, there’s a ritual unique to the team.

“Always, before the race, we do a spit circle. They huddle, everyone gives a speech, “and everyone spits on the ground to make your mark,” said Guyer.

Kingco has an intensity all its own.

“It’s a time when you know you can get a PR. It’s always good weather. There’s always good competition. It’s adrenaline, nerves, everything to win, everything to lose. You either go on and keep going, or your season’s done.”

Rutherford, Kelli Christopherson, Diana Hruska and Leonard took fourth in the 4×100 relay with 52.26 seconds.

Hruska had the lead in her stretch. But a Bellevue runner zoomed on the third leg.

The makeup of the team changes routinely. So this squad has learned to work well together and be flexible.

“We deal well with adversity,” said Leonard.

Guyer, Scott, Sydnor and Mackenzie Hutchison took second in the 4×400 relay with 4:05.24.

Leonard took fourth in the 300 hurdles with a time of 50.75. Mackenzie Hutchison took second, Sarah Miller was third.

Leonard took fourth in shot with a 32 foot, 2.75-inch put, and placed fifth at javelin with 114 feet, one inch.

At pole vault, Mikaelyn Davis took third with 10 feet. Jenn Rogers was right behind with 8.6.

“Sometimes, my best competitor is myself,” said Rogers, competing at pole vault for the first time as a Mount Si junior. “It’s a hard sport. It takes a lot of mental and physical strength.”

Sara Brevick took fifth at discus with 92 feet, eight inches.

Junior Clarice Chartier was right behind; she bested her previous record by 16 feet, going from 76 feet to 92 at Kingco, good for sixth.

“I managed to keep my hand flat, arm back,” she said. “I followed through with my throw and did the best that I could, and I felt pretty good about it.”

Boys results

Along with Botten’s win, Mount Si’s boys took a pile of silvers and bronzes.

Jack Nordby took second at shot with a 49 foot, five inch putt, and was second in discus with 132 feet, one inch.

Peter Link was fourth at discus with 121 feet, 11 inches. Cam Davis took third at shot with 48 feet, two inches.

At javelin, Sam Hruska and Mitch Smith went third and fourth, with 158.1 and 152.1 feet, respectively.

Jacob Belceto took third in the 200 meter race with a time of 22.79 seconds and fifth in the 100 meter race with 11.51.

Andrew Harris took third in the 110 meter hurdles with 15.96.

On Wednesday, Harris had slowed down his times in the preliminaries after hitting a hurdle.

This time, “I ran a clean race. I didn’t touch one!”

Aaron Robey took fourth at the 110 hurdles and third in the 300 meter hurdles..

Cameron Bolt was fifth in the 300 meter hurdles with 42.27 seconds.

Mount Si’s 4×100 relay team, John Proctor, Hunter Titus, Rickard Frykgaard and Ehren Eichler took fourth with 45.49 seconds. Frykgaard, Robey, Belceto and Justin McLaughlin took second in the 4×400 with 3:27.49.

The team moves on to compete at Sea-King Districts this week in Seattle.

Mady Privatsky comes in for a landing in the triple jump.

Jacob Belceto makes a quick start in the boys’ 200- meter race. He took third.

Richard Willard makes a pole vault attempt.

Karlie Hurley begins the 200.

Mount Si girls hurdlers, Lauren Rutherford and Sydney Leonard.

Mount Si boys hurdlers

Mount Si’s 4×100 team, Kelli Christopherson, Diana Hruska, Sydney Leonard and Lauren Rutherford

Jesse Guyer leaps in the triple jump at Kingco.

Mount Si high jumpers Mitchell Smith, Jon Proctor and Andrew Harris. They placed at Kingco, fourth, second and fifth, respectively, which means they will be going to Districts on May 21 and 23 at the Southwest Athletic Complex in Seattle. Mitchell also qualified for the Javelin, Jon qualified for the 4X100 and Andrew qualified for the hurdles for Districts as well.