Apr. 1—EPHRATA — On a sunny Saturday, local high school track and field teams showcased their talent at the 49th annual Ray Cross Invitational, with performances and personal bests across the board. Ephrata, Quincy, Othello, Moses Lake Christian Academy and Royal all sent strong contingents to compete, but it was the Ephrata athletes who dominated many events.
The Ephrata boys finished second with 94 points. Royal pulled a third-place finish with nine fewer points than Ephrata. Following behind were Othello boys with an eighth-place finish and 27 points, Quincy boys with a 12th-place finish and 18 points, Moses Lake with a 17th-place finish and five points and Moses Lake Christian Academy boys with one point.
Ephrata girls pulled a fourth-place finish with 48.5 points. Othello girls followed close behind with a sixth-place finish and 35 points. Following behind were Quincy girls with a 14th-place finish and 14 points, Moses Lake Christian Academy with a 17th-place finish and nine points and Royal girls and Moses Lake girls tied for 18th with eight points each.
Varsity girls
Among the standout performances of the day was Othello's Bella Garza, who secured a third-place finish in the women's varsity 100-meter with a time of 12.89 seconds. Othello's Abigail Douglas finished fifth in the same event with a time of 13.24 seconds.
In the 200-meter, Douglas continued to make waves, finishing fourth with a time of 27.86 seconds.
The 400-meter saw Quincy's Chloe Compton claim the bronze medal with a finish time of 1:04.70. Makaena Judkins from Ephrata also delivered a solid performance, taking fifth place in 1:05.53. Evangeline Springs rounded out the field, finishing ninth in 1:07.64.
The distance events featured notable efforts as well. Abigail Chamberlain of Ephrata took third place in the women's varsity 1600-meter, clocking in at 5:30.05. Meanwhile, Hannah Malone of Ephrata showcased her endurance in the 3200-meter, finishing second with a time of 12:29.86. Rebecca Wiser of Moses Lake Christian Academy placed fourth with a time of 13:10.37.
In hurdle events, Ephrata's Bella Wood performed in the women's varsity 100-meter, finishing seventh with a time of 17.94 seconds. Kate Mollotte of Othello trailed closely, securing a tenth-place finish in 18.94 seconds. In the 300-meter hurdles, Mollotte placed fifth with a time of 54.30 seconds.
The relays proved to be exciting events, with Othello's 4x100-meter relay team taking home a bronze medal with a time of 53.47 seconds. The team, composed of Bella Garza, Fernanda Rodriguez, Bridgett Vargas and Abigail Douglas, exhibited seamless handoffs and coordination, critical factors in relay races. Quincy came in a close fifth with a time of 53.59 seconds.
Ephrata's 4x200-meter relay team of Lila Rainey, Delanie Killinger, Judkins and Cynthia Villagran Morales pulled off a second-place finish in 1:53.95. Othello followed closely behind with a fourth-place finish in 1:55.09.
In field events, shot put proved to be a competitive event, where Ciara Quilter from Moses Lake finished seventh with a mark of 28 feet, 10 inches. Lilliana Johnson from MLCA had 28 feet, 8 inches and Dashka Schaapman from Quincy made 28 feet, 7 inches. Quilter's performance in the discus was equally impressive, as she captured third place with a throw of 97 feet, 9.5 inches.
Pole vaulting showcased Ephrata's Adelyn Simmons, who placed third with a height of 9 feet. Teammate Ella Schultz tied for seventh at 6 feet.
Garza of Othello placed fourth in the long jump with a jump of 15 feet and 6 inches. Bailee Morris of Ephrata tied for ninth with a 14-foot and 0.25-inch jump. Morris' teammate Delanie Killinger placed fifth in the triple jump with a 31-inch jump.
Varsity Boys
In the ...
