Yelm Boys Win 3A State Championship as Four Athletes Secure Individual Titles

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The Yelm High School boys track and field team capped off an impressive season on a high note by winning the 3A state championship as a team.

Four Tornados won state championships in their respective events, paving the way for the outright team championship win during the 2A/3A/4A state championship meet at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma on May 25 to May 27.

“It was very satisfying to see the boys win the state championship,” boys head coach Chris Stovall said. “For me and the rest of the coaches, it’s seeing the fruits of the labor that we put in and the completion of the plan that we put in at the end of last year. Satisfaction is the best way to put it.”

The Tornados saw four athletes crowned state champions across the three-day meet. Trevontay Smith was Yelm’s first state champion, as he won the triple jump event with a leap of 50 feet and 4.5 inches. Smith broke the meet record and set a new personal record in the process.

According to Stovall, Smith’s triple jump was also the second farthest in Washington state history.

Smith also found himself on the podium on Saturday after his efforts in the long jump event. He finished in second place with a jump of 22 feet and 4 inches.

Isaiah Patterson was crowned the 3A state champion in the discus event after his throw of 177 feet and 4 inches. Patterson set a new personal record as he also broke the Yelm High School record.

Jordan Lasher had a pole vault of 15 feet and 6 inches, which earned him the 3A state championship. Lasher also competed in the 110-meter hurdle competition, where he finished in sixth place with a time of 15.04 seconds.

Brayden Platt was crowned the 3A state champion in the shot put competition, after he threw for 61 feet and 10 inches.

Platt also took second place in the javelin competition with a throw of 219 feet and 1 inch, setting a new Yelm High School record in the process. Stovall described this as the “best javelin series” of Platt’s life. He said five of Platt’s six throws were over 200 feet.

Platt also competed in the discus competition and registered a throw of 126 feet and 8 inches.

“We had been watching the team scores, and we thought we were safe, but I wasn’t sure until Brayden threw his first shot put. He slammed the door shut,” Stovall said. “As a coach, this weekend was very intense. You ask these kids to ‘pull their weight,’ and all of them came to perform. They met all of our expectations. It was incredible.”



Zach Walsh competed in the 1600-meter and 3200-meter races. Walsh posted an impressive 1600-meter time of 4:12.4, setting a new personal record in the process. He also set a personal record in the 3200-meter race with a time of 9:10.36.

Paul Manwiller competed in the 800-meter race and set a new personal record with a time of 2:10.53.

“It was a tremendous weekend all together. It was nuts,” Stovall said. “It was great to see them peak at the most important time to do so.”

Several girls from Yelm High School’s track and field program also got a taste of the 3A state competition at Mount Tahoma High School.

Bethany Venuto competed in the 300-meter hurdle competition and finished in 12th place with a time of 47.55 seconds.

Venuto, along with Ayla Danner-Bunn, Isabella Zurfluh and Breanna Hurajt, competed in the 4x100 relay race as the team clocked a time of 50.67 seconds.

Danner-Bunn also competed in the long jump event where she finished in 15th place, with a leap of 15 feet and 11.25 inches.

Eliana Lewis competed in the 100-meter hurdle competition and finished the 3A state championship meet with a time of 16.51 seconds, which was just “shy” of a personal record, according to Stovall.

Nolah Wafford had a throw of 95 feet and 1 inch in the 3A girls discus event.

“There’s a lot of guys and girls that will be coming back next year,” Stovall said. “They’re just going to get stronger and stronger.”

Following the competition, Stovall expressed his gratitude to the Yelm High School track and field coaching staff. The staff includes Dan Baker, Cami Stovall, Phil Lonborg, Gabe Cadero-Smith, Richard Houghton, Alex McIntire and Bill Penn.

“This has truly been one of the greatest coaching staffs. I couldn’t have asked to put together a better coaching staff, just a phenomenal group of coaches,” he said. “It’s not something that comes along all the time. You don’t always get that cohesion. It’s been special to me, and it’s not something that’s easily replicable, and I hope that Yelm can carry the tradition. I’m glad we were a part of that.”