State track and field: Gardley, Gero-Holt deliver Emerald Ridge’s repeat girls title

It appeared effortless when Mikayla Gardley turned on cruise control. A one-woman race, Emerald Ridge’s senior standout coasted to victory in Saturday’s 300-meter hurdles, her first of two state titles at Mount Tahoma Stadium in Tacoma.

She stormed to a convincing win in the hurdles (43.63), a margin over 1.2 seconds. Then she took down Federal Way’s Cassandra Atkins and a field of competitive challengers in the evening’s 4A girls 200-meter dash (24.85), just ahead of runner-up and Emerald Ridge freshman teammate Iren Derricks.

“It’s just a blessing,” Gardley said. “All of the hard work is paying off.”

Closely behind, Federal Way’s Atkins attempted a late push – only for Derricks to pass her instead. This event’s top three featured three champions and five total titles this weekend: Gardley (two events), Derricks (4A girls 100 meter), and Atkins (long jump and triple jump).

“It’s awesome to be able to run against them, and be able to show my talents,” Gardley said. “A (very) talented heat.”

Gardley was runner-up in last year’s 300-meter hurdles by one-hundredth of a second, but the new defending champion was sure to leave plenty of cushion in her title run. Her pair of individual championships provided Emerald Ridge 20 points on Saturday, helping the Jaguars to a runaway repeat 4A girls team title at the state meet.

And Gardley’s in good company at Emerald Ridge. Derricks won her first state title earlier Saturday in the 100-meter dash before JaiCieonna Gero-Holt added 4A girls shot put and high jump titles.

“This (Emerald Ridge) uniform is so important to me,” Derricks said, “being able to compete for Emerald Ridge with so many amazing people that are state champs.”

By Saturday afternoon, Emerald Ridge’s team score was a runaway race of its own.

“It’s all about confidence,” Gardley said. “I really put a lot of work (into) training, so I know it’d show on the track this year.”

GERO-HOLT THREE-PEATS 4A GIRLS HIGH JUMP

When Saturday’s 4A girls high jump commenced, officials set the opening bar at 4-foot-8.

JaiCieonna Gero-Holt knew she’d be in for a long wait.

The Jaguars phenom passed on each incremental bump until 5-8, which Gero-Holt soared above on her first try, more than an hour after the event officially began. That number would have won the 4A girls title on its own, but the junior went for state meet history, falling just short of the six-foot-one mark she aimed to attain. Her final mark: 5-10.

Still, it was a three-peat for Gero-Holt in one of the superstar athlete’s top events. It’s separate from her 100-meter hurdles three-peat achieved yesterday; Gero-Holt now has two of them.

This was all after Gero-Holt toppled South Kitsap’s Grace Degarimore for the 4A girls shot put title on Saturday morning (44-10.5), her second of the weekend.

With her high jump title, Gero-Holt’s illustrious career reached a final tally: nine individual titles, three in each season at Emerald Ridge. Albeit alongside an All-Star cast, she guided the Jaguars to consecutive team titles.

“State titles aren’t really why I’m out here. I want to perform,” Gero-Holt said. “But I can’t be too hard on myself. … It’s cold. I sat down for two and a half hours trying to get warm. It is what it is.

“I’m just so blessed and happy that I’ve had this [experience],” she continued. “Even make it to state. Not too many people can say they’re a three-time champion, (even if) I didn’t jump what I wanted.”

EMERALD RIDGE GIRLS REPEAT

Hopefully, there’s room for another championship trophy in Emerald Ridge’s display case.

For consecutive seasons, the Jaguars hoisted the 4A girls track and field title at Mount Tahoma behind mammoth performances from Gero-Holt, Gardley, and freshman-Derricks. Emerald Ridge’s lead ballooned Saturday when each grabbed a title; Gardley and Gero-Holt grabbed two apiece.

Their star-studded roster earned 102 points, the only team (boys and girls) in any classification in triple-digits. Walla Walla’s girls program (3A) was next closest on any scoreboard, with 72.5.

“We’re all here to compete,” Gero-Holt said. “But we’re here to have fun. … For me, and I feel like for us, we have to come out here and have fun.

“Okay, boo-hoo, I didn’t jump six feet. At the end of the day… Really, what I’m excited about is cheering on my teammates and seeing them do well.

“And them cheering me on.”

It’s bittersweet for Gero-Holt. The junior’s is in her final year at Emerald Ridge. She will graduate early to attend the University of Illinois. Saturday marked her last day in a Jaguars uniform. The same went for Gardley, a senior.

“It was so much fun for us last year… This year, It’s kind of sad, because so many of us that are helping to win the state title are graduating,” Gero-Holt told reporters. “To be able to share that with my team… and represent E-R, it’s exciting.”

KAMIAKIN CLAIMS 4A GIRLS 4X200 RELAY

Overwhelmed by emotion and perhaps struggling for air, Kamiakin’s championship quartet embraced for a four-way hug beyond the finish line, job finished.

Happy tears ensued. Kamiakin’s 4x200-meter relay battled the wind and outlasted Mount Si (1:40.54) for Saturday’s 4A girls title at Mount Tahoma, a narrow finish the Braves (1:40.33) survived.

Louesa Gledhill, Emaunii Sims, Aubrey Herrin, and Adelyn Mitchell soon stepped atop the podium at Mount Tahoma Stadium. Very clearly did they want to win it all for Mitchell, the final leg and lone senior of Kamiakin’s relay.

“It’s Adelyn’s senior year,” Gledhill told reporters. “We just wanted to get a win.”

Mitchell’s final stretch was the difference, pitted against Mount Si’s Hailey Weir. It was decided by Mitchell’s last stride. Gledhill, the opening leg, conquered headwinds to put Kamiakin in winning position.

“It’s great,” Mitchell told The News Tribune. “We built a great team bond. You need that for a relay team.

“It’s just us. it’s just us,” she repeated. “We run together.”

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Emerald Ridge’s 800-meter relay, featuring Gardley, Derricks, Bernice Biembongo, and Meggie Kilcup, finished third (1:40.93) and just six-tenths of a second behind Kamiakin.

Gardley, Derricks, Kilcup, and Reese Nader capped the weekend with a championship run (3:53.83) in the 4x400 relay.

Curtis senior Eliza White earned a runner-up finish in the 4A girls 3200-meter run (10:23.15) behind Skyline’s Rebecca O’Keefe (10:18.87).

In the 4A girls 400-meter dash, Sumner’s Amara Brown grabbed third place (57.97) and Rogers’ Rowan DeForrest finished fifth (58.86).

Tahoma junior Effie Armstrong reached the podium with a seventh-place finish in the 4A girls pole vault (11-6).

Bears junior Ava Foy dashed to an eighth-place finish in the 100-meter run (12.85), then joined Callie Almli, Sofia Guevara, and Capri Hollenbeck for third place in the 4x100 relay (49.09).

Puyallup’s Amelia Guardipee earned a third-place medal in the 4A girls high jump (5-4), and Ifechi Okoye finished eighth in the 4A girls 800-meter run (2:18.62). Vikings sophomore Hadley Skaug placed sixth in the 300-meter hurdles (47.00).

TEAM CHAMPIONS

4A GIRLS

Emerald Ridge (102)

3A GIRLS

Walla Walla (72.5)

2A GIRLS

East Valley of Spokane (67)