Photos by rocky ross
Fife senior Gena Gaylord outran almost everyone in the state last year in the 400-meter. The one athlete who was a little faster in the finals at the state championship that day, Aundreaha Martinez from Tumwater, graduated last spring.
Gaylord, who amazingly just began running track last year, is aiming to be first this season.
“Oh, yeah,” she says, when asked if she is gunning for the championship this year.
She got off to a good start at Fife’s first meet of the season against White River on March 18.
“I was nervous the whole time and it was good to get the first race out of the way,” she says.
Although Gaylord says she was pleased to have won the race, she says her time of 62.44 leaves a lot of room for improvement.
At the state tournament last year she ran a 58.23 in the finals as Martinez zipped off a 57.98, and her personal best is 58.1
“I realize it is early, but I am never satisfied with my times.”
Other Fife track athletes who took first place in the first meet of the season were Jaime McFarland, who won both the 800-meters and the 1600-meters, Joe Kelley in the 100 meters, Ian Allen in the shot put, the 800-meter relay team of Cassie Cain, Bailey Nirider, Kaitlin McCaffrey and Gaylord, and the 1600-meter relay team of Cain, McFarland, McCaffrey and Gaylord.
Gaylord, along with Nirider and Cain, was on two state championship soccer teams at Fife. She says friends talked her into running track last year. She also played on the Fife golf team as a sophomore.
But despite her athletic gifts, Gaylord says this spring could mark the end of her competitive career, as she has chosen to attend Washington State University in the fall – and not compete in athletics, but just focus on school and enjoy her first year in college.
“It’s sad to think it could be the end of something special, but it also motivates me to hold nothing back,” she said.
Contact Rick Walter at .
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