Mya Cunningham

Derek Suomela won two events as the Naselle track team traveled to South Bend for a meet during Spring Break.

The junior won the 800 meters in 2:16.83 and the long jump with 18-6.5, as well as placing second in the high jump with 5-8. Classmate Jacob Pakenen placed third in long jump with 17-3 and sixth in the 1600m.

Senior Tyler Kirkman placed fourth in the shot with 39-7 and seventh in discus. Jayden Ding, a junior, was seventh in triple jump.

Bella Colombo was the headliner again for the girls. The senior won the javelin for the third meet in a row, although her throw of 87-1 didn’t match her 100-1 best at the earlier Ilwaco meet.

More than 40 girls recorded times in the 100 meters. Colombo’s time was the fifth fastest with 14.53 with senior Belle Dunagan sixth with 14.64. The same seniors finished sixth and seventh in the 200m. Dunagan was third in high jump with 4-6.

Freshman Paige Haataja placed seventh in the shot put with 25-7.

Raymond’s stellar sophomore Karsyn Freeman, who competes with other 2B schools, continued to excel. She won the shot put at the South Bend meet with 30-6.5, the discus with 117-1 and the pole vault with 9-3.

Two meets

Ilwaco’s track athletes had two recent opportunities to shine.

At Vernonia Thursday, sophomore Mya Cunningham won the 400m in 1:12.64 and was sixth in the long jump with 11-11.

Freshman Nora Soule was third in the 1500m with 6:15.82 and seventh in the 400. Freshman Madison Key was sixth in the javelin with 65-4.

Senior Ayden Woodby placed second in the 200m with 25.05 and fourth in the 100m with 12.36. Junior Jacob Mathison was sixth in the 400.

Sophomore Wade Smith placed second in the pole vault with 8-0, fourth in the 400m with 59.2 and was seventh in the long jump. Junior Moises Mendez-Hernandez recorded 12:21.60 in the 3200m to place fourth.

At Saturday’s crowded invitational meet at Banks, Ore., Woodby was sixth in the 200m with 24.65 and sixth in the 400m with 54.60. Mathison was sixth in the 800m with 2:12.30. Smith matched his pole vault height from Vernonia and pushed his high jump up to 5-0, but did not place.

Cunningham maintained a comparable speed with 1:14.30 in the 400m, but did not place.

After a league meet at Montesano, the squad next travels to the Kalama Twilight Meet on April 21.

Results

After playing Wahkiakum, the IHS baseball team hosts 1B state champions Naselle April 21 before gearing up for a doubleheader April 25 at Pe-Ell/Willapa Valley. The softball squad, which had a doubleheader scheduled against South Bend earlier, travels to Naselle April 21 then has a trip to Pe-Ell/Willapa Valley April 25.

The boys soccer team has been on the receiving end of some high scores. Recent games saw them losing 12-0 to Montesano, 8-0 to Tenino and 11-0 to Raymond. Next is a home game with Elma April 19, then a trip to play Eatonville April 21.

The golf team, having played three times at Cathlamet, turns to different terrain to play Adna at the Riverside Golf Course in Chehalis April 19 before gearing up for a trip to North Beach April 26.

Coach Keaton Burnett is happy about the contrast. ”I think they’re all ready for a change of scenery,” he said.

Sam Grote has improved her score by seven strokes from her second match. Breanna Wall and Emma Starr have also taken strokes off since their first matches.

The coach said Logan Siewert has improved his score by eight strokes from his second match. Others making improvements by multiple strokes include Westin Billeci, Aarin Hoygaard, Carter Humphries, Kaiden Peppers and Austyn Taylor.

“They’ve all been working very hard this season and their improvements are evident in their lowered scores,” Burnett said.

Signing

Lauren Katyryniuk has become the latest Naselle High School senior to gear up to play a sport while studying at a community college. She has signed to play basketball for the Red Devils at Lower Columbia College in Longview.

Katyryniuk scored more than 1,000 points for the Comets during her high school basketball career and at the end of the past season was named Washington’s 1B player of the year.

The three Comet spring teams have a busy week. After a league meet at Ocosta, the track team travels to Kalama April 21.

The unbeaten baseball team was again ranked the top 1B team in the state by the WIAA. A solid fifth inning saw four runs that sparked the Comets to a 9-3 win over Ocosta last week. Dean Helvey pitched four innings and struck out seven batters.

After a trip to Toutle Lake, the boys host Oakville April 20. The rematch with Ilwaco is at the Fishermen’s field April 21 before a trip to Mossyrock April 24.

The NHS softball squad lost a spring break game to Ocosta 26-10 with the Wildcats piling on the runs in three innings. Comet Brooke Davis had a home run and three hits. The girls play at Montesano April 19, host Ilwaco April 21 and then travel to Mossyrock April 24.

Baseball and softball schedules are subject to change because of occasional dampness.