YAKIMA — He did a backflip. He put his arms out and pumped up the crowd at Zaepfel Stadium. And once he landed in the pole vault pad for the final time, he delivered his final goodbye waves.
No Class 2B pole vaulter has been the headliner quite like Luke Barrick. Still, he’s not a complicated individual. Through the high clearances, long poles and attempts at the WIAA all-classification record, Barrick’s drive isn’t pushed by accolades or having his name in a record book.
It’s fueled by his supporters, either in his inner circle or just wishing him good luck when passing by.
“Two people came up to me and they’re like ‘Let’s go Luke, really excited for you,’” Barrick said. “The crowd really helped me out.”
Barrick’s season finale didn’t disappoint.
The Onalaska High School senior star broke his own 2B state record with a clearance of 16 feet, 4.75 inches on Saturday to cement his second consecutive state title on the final day of the state track and field championships.
It smashed Barrick’s winning mark last spring at 15-7. Ever since no-heighting at the Chehalis Activators, he didn’t lose. He set the new meet record at the Shelton Invite on May 2 by clearing 16-02.
Saturday was just the third time his registered best was north of 16 feet.
“It was awesome,” Barrick said. “I gave it my all.”
What’s motivated the Idaho State recruit since the beginning has been the all-time record in Washington State, 17-0 set by Tyson Byers in 2002 at University. Before the first attempt at 16-04.75, some news broke into Yakima.
Hanford’s Jonathan Allen, a sophomore, thrashed Byers’ mark with a clearance of 17-06. While Barrick said he can still surpass the new all-time leader this summer, he gave Allen his flowers afterwards.
“Congrats to him, it is amazing he can do that at such a young age,” Barrick said.
The announcement didn’t affect him and on his second attempt, he was just over the bar and sent the crowd into a frenzy. He moved the bar up to 17-1, a height that would have been a lifetime PR, indoor or outdoor.
His first two looks came with two different poles. He made a presumptive decision to go with one and have his standards at 30. He hit the bar on his way up.
“Those were the biggest poles I’ve ever jumped on in my life,” Barrick said. “The smallest pole I jumped on today was the biggest pole at Shelton. I was running fast, the crowd was making me run fast, the wind was making me run fast.
“I should have been a little more prepared and brought a few more poles with me, but I blew through them all.”
Wind, having the bar fall a couple times and the all-time record gone were several factors that could’ve hampered Barrick. They didn’t.
Once he was done, he gave his two coaches Carla Hoppie and Rick Baggett an embrace, went over and hugged his family and friends then dapped up the three Rainier pole vaulters. Addison Poole (12-0) and Jeffery Rice O’Leary (11-6) ended up on the podium as well.
Idaho State is next for the soon-to-be Onalaska graduate, where even more coaching will come his way with a new band of supporters. When asked how he would sum up his three-year high school career, he didn’t hesitate.
“Nothing short but legendary,” Barrick said. “Over 15 school records, cleared 16 feet 25 times in my career. Being consistent is a lot cooler than breaking a lot of records. That’s what scores points to help out the team.”
There was another multi-time state champion, except this one was a three-peat.
Oakville’s Lewis Koser stamped his legacy as one of the top discus throwers in SW Washington with his third straight 1B state championship and a winning throw of 166-02 in his final event.
Koser now has the same amount of state discus titles as graduating members of the Acorns’ senior class.
“Three-peating, especially from a small school, that is pretty cool,” Koser said. “I put in a lot of work to get here.”
His tosses to win his sophomore and junior years were 136-07 and 149-10, respectively. Those marks still would have been good for a top-five finish. Yet the self-taught thrower knew he had to raise his game in order to hold onto the crown.
“I just focussed on small things at a time and that’s one of the reasons why I’m doing so well,” Koser said. “I didn’t try to change a big thing. When there are other good throwers, everyone gets better.”
The Oakville star added the Chehalis Activators to his schedule to pair with the Shelton Invite. Those two meets were designed to push him against some of the best in 2B, 2A and even 4A. It worked.
Koser didn’t crumble in districts or state. About the only regret after the podium was taking his foot off the gas and not going for the 1B state record of 169-flat, set by former Mary M. Knight standout Ian Frost.
“Definitely going to think about that for a while,” Koser said.
College plans for Koser remain up in the air, but he is hoping to earn a walk-on opportunity at Western Washington. Regardless of where he ends up, being Oakville’s lone representative amongst the other 1B/2B/1A programs was special to him.
Koser also finished third in the shot put and Pe Ell’s Hunter Harris medaled out of the first flight, taking seventh.
“It is awesome to be at an event this big,” Koser said.
Twenty four-plus hours since not medaling in the 1,600 on Thursday, Toledo distance standout Conner Hill took second in the 3,200 on Saturday in 9:46.26, just four seconds off his PR. He talked with both his coaches, his mom and his grandma about adjusting his approach.
He turned to his faith to guide him.
“I was going off of feeling, praying in the race,” Hill stated. “All Glory to God. I wouldn't have been able to get out of my slump.”
A little drafting strategy didn’t hurt, either. It was a strong five-pack until three laps to go when Chewelah’s Emmitt Warren VIII broke away and ended up winning by nearly 20 seconds. Hill stayed with NWC’s Eli Vlietstra until the home stretch, where his kick proved to be just enough.
It’s the highest finish of Hill’s running career at a state meet.
“I was trying to pace and it worked out good,” Hill said. “I was happy.”
Pe Ell senior Eli Mason nearly came back and pulled off a stunner in the 110 hurdle final, but was clipped by DeSales’ Jason Guest 15.50-15.60. While still a PR for Mason, he knew he was on Guest’s heels.
“I clipped the third and fourth hurdle, but I just kept going; if there were one or two more hurdles, I think I could have gotten it,” Mason said. “I feel amazing.”
Still, Saturday proved to be a redemption day. Last state meet saw Mason false start in the 300-meter hurdle prelims and not make the finals in the 110s. In the span of the year, he left with two medals after placing fifth in the 300.
Teammates Liam McGrath and Blaine Howard were next to him on the podium, placing sixth and seventh, respectively.
“It felt great to compete on Saturday,” Mason said. “It has been a fun time.”
Toledo’s Trevin Gale pocketed two state medals, taking third in the open 400 and seventh in the open 200. He had the top prelim time in the 400, but didn’t think too much of it. LaSalle’s Benji Dufault broke away out of Lane 3 and won comfortably.
“In the end, it is just another race,” Gale said. “If you want to be the best, you have to beat the (best). I tried my hardest.”
Still, Gale is far from upset how his final season went. He broke the school record in the 400 and departed the Riverhawks with seven career state medals.
“It is pretty great,” Gale said. “I want to show people that even without a track (at the school), it is still doable.”
Other medalists on the boys side featured a trio of D4 800-meter runners in Rainier’s James Morrison (fourth), Adna’s Steven O’Dell (sixth) and Winlock’s Freddy Patching (seventh). Morrison broke sub-two minutes for the first time ever.
Tenino’s Jeremiah McKague (shot put), MWP’s Mathew Parvin (100), Adna’s 400 and 1,600-meter relays plus freshman Markus Miles (400) placed top-eight. As did Mossyrock’s Briar Baldwin (200) and Rainier’s Zach Hamilton (3,200).
