SHELTON — If it seems like Ashlyn Hufana and Amahle Foster are inseparable, they are.
The Tumwater High School juniors were neck-and-neck to win the long jump and both were on the 400 and 1,600-meter relays. They were the last two jumpers as part of the finals and no matter the measurement, they were in lockstep after leaving the sand pit.
A hug, a high-five and plenty of smiles.
“It has always been cheering each other on,” Hufana said. “We feed off each other’s energy.”
Hufana and Foster each posted career-bests in the long jump to finish first and second on Saturday the 66th rendition of the Shelton Invite. In addition to Hufana’s win in the 100-meter dash and four other victories, Tumwater posted 105 points to take home the team trophy.
It marks the first time since at least the 2010 season where the T-Birds walked into Mason County and left on top. They were second to Bishop Blanchet last spring and completely flipped the script.
Gone were a stable of leaders like Reece Heryford, Ava Jones and McKayla Clary. It’s now been bestowed to Hufana, Alexandra Broome, Paige Henderson and Cassidy Hedin. That quartet all came away with at least one victory on Saturday.
“My leadership has gotten very much involved,” Hufana said. “Having Reece and Ava and all of them to look up to helped my leadership. As a team, we’re all super close.”
The bond between Hufana and Foster dates back to their freshman year. They’ve been joined at the hip ever since, warming up together and even in the midst of competition, still pulling for one another.
The duo even took a picture together on top of the awards podium.
Admittedly, Hufana feels it is a “rare” type of friendship.
“A lot of people would have some jealousy towards each other, but Amahle is one of my best friends,” she said. “We’ve built a lot of chemistry through relays and jumping, it is super rare to have a friend in your event who is always cheering for you and always wanting the best for you.”
Foster was in front with two leaps to go and on her fifth attempt, increased her PR distance from 17 feet, 2 inches to 17-03. Hufana promptly one-upped her bff with a PR of her own, jumping 17-06.50 on her last attempt.
The returning state medalist in the event eclipsed her previous career-best mark from last year by a full inch. It’s also the second straight year she’s won the long jump at the invite.
“I was varying on where my foot was from the board,” Hufana said. “I wasn’t doing all the techniques that I’ve been training. Honestly, it just kind of clicked.”
In the open 100 earlier in the day, Hufana clipped Ridgefield’s McKenna Calkins by .07 seconds to be victorious. She finished second and third in the fastest event in her previous Shelton Invites, but came away on top as a junior.
She also joined Foster, Hedin and Abigail Kummer to triumph in the 400 relay in a season-best time of 49.24 seconds.
Hedin’s individual event victory was the 300 hurdles while Broome won the open 800. Henderson rebounded from three straight foul marks in the discus to win with a new PR toss of 120-01.
The senior was dealing with sweaty hands that didn’t allow for a proper grip. Once she dried off and switched discs, everything changed. Her fifth throw of 116-08 was the second-farthest amongst the entries.
“I made sure I turned all the way,” Henderson said. “That was really big. I’ve been wanting it for two years and it was like a huge relief. Just really happy.”
Henderson was a first-time state qualifier a season ago and left Mt. Tahoma High School with a sixth place state medal in discus. Now, her goals have elevated to placing top-three. Throws like Saturday only aid the belief.
“I’ve learned more about myself and (how to) make quick adjustments,” she said.
Abigail Krause secured top-five finishes in the shot put and discus while Wendy Ferrell took fifth in the pole vault with a PR clearance of 9-06 for Tumwater.
Winlock’s Victoria Sancho, in her Shelton Invite debut, triumphed in the triple jump with a season-best leap of 34-08.50. She clipped Timberline’s Paityn Gagnon by one-half of an inch. It was a reunion of shorts for the top-two finishers.
Sancho and Gagnon went to the same elementary school, Chambers Prairie in Lacey, and hadn’t seen each other since, until Saturday.
“It was surprising to see her; that was cool,” Sancho said.
The reigning Class 2B state champ in the 200 finished top-eight in her two sprints. Yet the triple jump has taken a new level and she’s now won it four times. One aspect of her marks hovering around 32 feet has been re-learning her technique and training.
Four of her six jumps on Saturday were north of 33 feet. The senior does feel close to breaking her current personal best of 35-feet even.
“I hope this meet does lift my confidence,” Sancho said. “With what I’m learning right now, I can definitely get 35 (feet), maybe even 36 (feet).”
Black Hills and Centralia each had one top-four finisher. For the Tigers, senior hurdler Desiray Crockett took third in the 100 hurdles in 15.92 while the Wolves’ Ambrielle Wallace placed fourth in the high jump, clearing the bar at 4-10.
Tenino’s Kendall Bowe nabbed third place in the javelin while Napavine’s Stephanie Camacho Chaves recorded a 10th place finish in the same event. Onalaska’s lone placer was Sommer Hammer, 16th in the high jump. All three of Oakville’s relays placed in the top-12.
