3 Washington high school (WIAA) state track and field performances (4A, 3A, 2A) you shouldn't have missed Thursday

Prairie's Will Foster takes down 46-year-old Class 3A meet record with his winning throw (194-4) in the boys discus

Prairie's Will Foster's broke a 46-year-old WIAA Class 3A meet record in the boys discus with his winning throw of 194-4. / Photo by Todd Milles

TACOMA, Wash. - Owner of three all-time Washington track and field records, Mercer Island's Owen Powell added to his storied career Thursday.

And Praire thrower Will Foster broke the oldest WIAA Class 3A meet record still in existence in the boys discus.

Here were three must-see moments on the opening day of the Class 4A, 3A and 2A championships at Mount Tahoma Stadium:

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Mercer Island star distance runner Owen Powell set a Class 3A meet record in the boys' 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:03.68. / Photo by Todd Milles

OWEN POWELL DAZZLES IN 1,600 METERS

Mercer Island's Owen Powell has been collecting mid-to-long distance racing records in Washington for the better part of a year - and took another one Thursday in the Class 3A 1,600-meter run at Mount Tahoma High School.

Surviving a slower-than-expected first 800 meters in a lead pack, the University of Washington sginee broke away and won the four-lap race in 4 minutes, 3.68 seconds.

His time wiped out Izaci Yorks' meet record of 4:04.77, set for Lakes High School in 2012.

"It was pretty good considering how slow we went out," Powell said. "It's the warmest and sunniest it has ever been for me in a state meet, but it was definitely a bit windy today. I feel like it's usually not my style to go out and push it in tough conditions like that, but sometimes you've got to try much different things and see what you've got in the cards."

Powell has been dealing with a calf issue since Arcadia in mid-April, and had not competed until the KingCo championships.

"It just took a little time to get back," Powell said. "I think it was a well-needed break."

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Prairie's Will Foster's broke a 46-year-old WIAA Class 3A meet record in the boys discus with his winning throw of 194-4. / Photo by Todd Milles

WILL FOSTER BREAKS LONGSTANDING DISCUS MARK

Aching back and all, Prairie's Will Foster might not have solved his overall goal of a 200-foot throw, but he will leave the WIAA ranks with a Class 3A meet record.

Under blustery conditions, and mostly facing a headwind, Foster's second throw of preliminaries went a personal-best 194 feet, 4 inches - erasing the previous record of 193-8, set by Clarkston's Gary Leffler in 1979.

"Throwing 200 feet was the goal for probably a year," Foster said. "But I am still proud of 194 feet."

Foster, a Washington Huskies signee, had thrown 191-5 at the Nike/Jesuit Twilight Relays in late April, which was his previous best.

But over the past month, Foster has dealt with the same recurring back injury that has plagued him since last season.

"There hasn't been a lot of lifting. I've had a good amount of throws, but they hurt," Foster said. "It is demoralizing. I worked this hard, and this happens to me? But I said I was going to go out there today and throw as hard as I can, and we'll take a break after state."

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UPSTART STEALS SHOW IN TRIPLE JUMP

Record-setting Class 4A triple jump favorite Yevhen Zhmailo, of Lake Washington, never made it to the runway Thursday. He suffered a serious arm injury during a pick-up basketball game in a local park Tuesday and was out.

Like Zhmailo last season in Class 3A, Puyallup's Justin Temple Jr. was a returning WIAA champion in the event, but never found his rhythm to pop a big jump and defend his Class 4A crown.

In the end, Mount Rainier's Owen Brown played spoiler.

On his final attempt of finals, Brown soared a personal-record 46-1 to grab the state title from Gonzaga Prep's Feso Ogbozor, who stood along the infield fence as the clubhouse leader at 45-8.

"I just knew I had to run faster, and I put all of my phases together and got a big jump," said Brown, a second-year jumper.

It was a shock to most of the jumpers when they heard the news Thursday morning about Zhmailo - who set the state's all-time mark of 50-91/2 - defaulting out of the meet. But it did open the door of opportunity for more competitors to win.

"I would have loved to compete against him," Brown said. "I hope he gets better."

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