Jacob Farmer / jfarmer@yelmonline.com
Break a record, break a record.
It’s a tradition that predates Rob Henry as Rainier’s athletic director and track coach. But one, he said, that’s worth continuing.
To celebrate breaking a school record, coaches provide their athletes a vinyl record to break in front of their teammates. They’ve been doing it since at least 1995, according to Henry.
At last Thursday’s practice, it was senior Janess Blackburn’s turn. The record: “Cargo,” by Men at Work.
Two days earlier, at Rainier’s home league meet on April 22, Blackburn scored a personal-best discus throw of 131 feet, which leads both the district and WIAA Class 2B.
She also broke the Rainier school record of 127 feet, 8 inches, previously set by Isabella Holmes in 2021.
“It was kind of surreal,” Blackburn said of her record-breaking throw. “Wasn’t really expecting it. It has been a goal for sure, but I didn’t expect to hit it so early in the season, so it was exciting.”
Blackburn, who only joined track and field as a junior, said she wasn’t focused on breaking the record until this year. Last year was more about getting used to the competition.
“But over the summer, seeing that I actually have the potential to, it definitely was a goal set of mine.”
Blackburn said her goal now is to keep trying to hit big numbers to get more offers from colleges.
“I want to continue this on to the collegiate level, so just continuing PRing and, yeah, go on from there.”
Blackburn said she has considered, and ultimately declined, one college offer so far, but that she’s currently interested in the University of Washington. A three-sport varsity athlete, Blackburn has qualified for state competition in volleyball, basketball and track and field while at Rainier.
She credited Coach Henry for encouraging her to join the track and field team, jokingly saying that she was forced to do it because she wasn’t doing anything else.
Blackburn took to it right away.
“Discus is such a … skill sport,” Blackburn said. “So it’s kind of fun to just get a hang of, especially if you kind of click it off the bat, so, yeah, it’s just fun.”
The adjustment has been quick. Blackburn earned third in the discus at the 2024 2B state championships.
“A lot of it is just explosiveness,” Blackburn said of training for the discus. “If you’re explosive and just an athletic person, it usually clicks a lot faster, but I do weightlift five times a week and I work with a throws coach every other weekend, so that definitely helps for sure to have somebody experienced and wise to help teach you what to do.”
Especially, Blackburn said, with the lack of experience she had from not starting as a freshman.
And what about goals for the remainder of this season?
“I want to place at state,” Blackburn said. “We have the talent to do it, for sure, from all areas of each event, so definitely, we have the potential to place, get some points up on the board.”
The Rainier track and field team continues its march toward state with a league meet at Ocosta on Thursday, May 1.
