Hill and Valley Track Club Sends Eight to Nationals

The Bonney Lake/Sumner-based Hill and Valley Track team continued its successful run this past weekend, qualifying eight athletes for the USATF Jr. Olympic National Championships meet.

Hill and Valley had qualified 13 athletes for the Jr. Olympic Regional meet this past weekend in Spokane and, after a strong showing there, will have a chance to make some noise on the national level.

"They saw the competition and saw that they were up there with everybody and came out feeling really good about themselves," head coach James Henderson said.

The eight qualifiers continue what has been a remarkable rise to prominence for the team, which is in only its second year of existence. After sending just one athlete to nationals in 2010, Hill and Valley has announced itself as a regional power in 2011.

"Last year, I sent two to regionals and one to nationals," Henderson said. "This year it's 13 to regionals and eight to nationals. It's like a dream come true."

Yanava Ferreria-Allah led the way for Hill and Valley, qualifying for nationals in three different events (400 meters, 800 meters and 1500 meters). Ferreria-Allah took first in the region in the 800 with a time of 2:39.10.

Donovan Henderson also qualified in three events, taking fifth in the 3000 meters and fourth in the 80 meter hurdles with a time of 15.58 seconds. Henderson also led off the 4X800 meter relay team (Henderson, Devon Murray, Kyle Achi, Mykel Fisher) which took first in the regional competition with a time of 10:52.96. That relay team shaved 28 seconds off their previous personal record to win the race.

"We knew they would do good because they wasn't going to be really any competition because it's hard to get a relay for that distance together in an age group," Henderson said of the relay team. "We knew they were going to qualify, but we were just happy they took 28 seconds off of their [personal record]."

Mykel Fisher qualified for nationals both with the relay team and in the 3000 meters, while Bennet Hillier qualified with a fifth-place finish in the 800 meters in his age group.

Adara Winder took home first in her age group in the shot put and third in the discus to qualify for nationals in both events. Jackson Gibbon took first in the shot put and fourth in the turbo javelin.

The Jr. Olympic National Championships meet takes place July 26-31 at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas.