Off to state

Auburn Riverside’s Aulane Mpouli is sort of a track and field anomaly.

Swift in the sprints, she is strong in the shot put circle.

The senior star was at or near her best at the 4A West Central District championships at Kent’s French Field last Saturday.

Mpouli covered 200 meters in a personal-best 24.76 seconds – the fourth-best time in the 4A ranks this spring – to finish second to Tahoma’s Aliya Wilson, the defending state champion. She earlier threw the shot put 41 feet, 1 inch, another personal best and fourth best among 4A athletes, to take second to Stanford-bound Jordan Fong of Kentlake.

On Thursday, May 17, Mpouli qualified for state in the 100 (sixth, 12.28) and joined the 400-meter relay crew of Carol Chikusa, Stephanie Igwala and Talia Samuelson to the fourth-place finish (49.43), good enough to make the 4A showcase.

“I’m just looking to PR and get to the podium at state,” said Mpouli, who finished 13th in the 100 and shot put at state a year ago. “I’m just super thankful to have some great coaches. I couldn’t have made it without them.”

The top seven finishers in each event moved on to this week’s state meet at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma. The state championships begin Thursday afternoon and conclude Saturday.

Mpouli likes her chances, given she has turned a 12.04, sixth best among 4A 100-meter sprinters.

“I’m just going to run as fast as I can,” said Mpouli, who has signed with Seattle Pacific University to compete in track and study science. A Running Start student at Green River College, Mpouli is majoring in chemistry.

For Auburn Mountainview, Lily Lavine qualified for state in the 400 (sixth, personal-best 59.03) and as an anchor for the 1,600 relay that includes Anastasia Staroverova, Clara Ramsdell and Addyson Jones (fifth, 4:02.77).

Auburn’s state-bound, one-two high jump punch of Rebecca Thareek (second, 5-6) and Alaya Hill (third, 5-4) shone during last Saturday’s finals.

Elsewhere

Auburn Riverside’s Oregon State-bound Jaden Robinson qualified for state in the 100 (fifth, 11.07), 200 (fifth, season-best 22.33,) and 400 (third, personal-best 49.96). … The Ravens’ Noah Elwell made it in the 800 (seventh, PR of 1:57.60), as did Marcus Sutrick made it in the 1,600 (seventh, PR of 4:22.81). …

Auburn’s Omar Young flung the discus 166-7, winning the district title by five inches. … Teammates D’Angelo Washington climbed 6-2 to finish fifth in the high jump, and Jacob Kludsikofsky was sixth in the shot put (47-1). … The Trojans’ Kum Lam soared a personal-best 6 feet to finish seventh in the high jump and grab a state berth. …

Auburn Mountainview’s Kacey Provo, skinned up while attempting 14-6, settled for 14-0 and a third. … The Lions’ Talan Alfrey qualified for state in the long jump (seventh, 21-8¼). He also was part of the Tacoma-bound 400 relay with Brian Njoki, Christopher Penn and Jeremiah Penn (fourth, 42.71). … The Lions’ 1,600 relay of Christopher Penn, Carson Porter-Keese, Jadon Smith and Bill Benjamin (fourth, 3:25.69) also qualified. … Porter-Keese advanced in his specialty, the 800, with a season-best 1:56.36, fifth among the district pack. … Christoper Penn advanced in the 100 (11.13).