Zadneprovskiy keys Auburn Riverside boys at 4A state | Prep track and field

Auburn Riverside senior Andrey Zadneprovskiy had the crowd buzzing at the state 4A track and field championships. On Friday, Zadneprovskiy had captured the 110-meter hurdles title with a 14.69-second finish and taken fifth in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 4 inches at Tacoma’s Mount Tahoma Stadium.

May 30, 2012 8:22 pm
Andrey Zadneprovskiy finishes the 300-meter hurdle race at the Washington State 4A Boys Track and Field Championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma. Zadneprovskiy
Andrey Zadneprovskiy finishes the 300-meter hurdle race at the Washington State 4A Boys Track and Field Championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma. Zadneprovskiy

Auburn Riverside senior Andrey Zadneprovskiy had the crowd buzzing at the state 4A track and field championships.

On Friday, Zadneprovskiy had captured the 110-meter hurdles title with a 14.69-second finish and taken fifth in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 4 inches at Tacoma’s Mount Tahoma Stadium.

Coming into Saturday’s 300 hurdle finals, Zadneprovskiy had the sixth-fastest preliminary time, 39.53, more than a second off the quickest qualifying time of 38.40.

“I was hoping for first and second, but I was just expecting fourth or fifth because how far everybody else was ahead of me coming in,” he said.

Once he placed his feet into the starting blocks, however, something stirred.

“It just all came to me,” he said. “Everything is running through your head, the emotions and everything that comes with being at state. And I just said, ‘This is it, Andrey. If you want to end this on a good note, this is it.’

“I just came out strong and hard. I just focused on myself and no one else in the race.”

That single-mindedness served him well. Zadneprovskiy posted a personal-best 38.40 to take home second place.

Zadneprovskiy called his 300 hurdle finish the highlight of his prep career.

“This is amazing, this is a true blessing,” he said. “This is why we run, this why all these athletes are here. I’m just happy I’m here and that everybody else is happy. It puts you on a high.”

Also placing for the Auburn Riverside boys was senior Kory Krotzer, who finished fourth in the 1,600 with a 4:11.72 and 14th in the 3,200 with a 9:35.07.

The Auburn Riverside boys finished seventh in the 4A field with 27 points. Gig Harbor finished first with 62 points.

ALSO: Auburn senior Allen Malone capped his prep career with a sixth-place finish in the 100. His time was 11.21. Auburn tied for 40th with three points.