Kent-Meridian track and field coach Ernie Ammons has talked up the sophomores on the boys team all season long.
Those sophomores, along with a bevy of other Royals, delivered big last week against Kentwood.
None, however, were as big — or fast — as Derrick Daigre.
The Kent-Meridian sophomore, who possesses plenty of speed to burn, blistered the oval in the 800, scorching the track with a time of 1:55.10.
It’s the third-best mark in the state this year and was more than a full second better than second-place Tim Pettit (1:56.56) of Kentwood.
The performance was one of the key runs that helped the Royals upend the Conquerors 77-59 in a South Puget Sound League North Division dual meet.
Daigre’s mark wasn’t only a personal best, but three seconds faster than he has ever gone in the event before.
As for Daigre’s potential …
“It’s limitless,” Ammons said. “He’s going to be one of those kids who you’re going to talk about for a while. He’s one of those kids you don’t get in a program very often.”
The same could be said for Kentwood senior Devin St. Clair, one of the state’s premier track and field athletes. St. Clair was the day’s biggest winner, bagging titles in the 100 (11.08), 200 (22.15) and taking part in both the winning 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 relay teams. His time in the 200 was the state’s best this spring and one he would break again just days later at the Shoreline Invitational. Kentwood’s 4 x 400 relay team of St. Clair, Pettit, Ricardo Tucker and Kevin Bateman also delivered a state-best time, going 3:23.67 against the Royals.
Expected to contend for a league title when the season began, Kentwood dropped to 5-2 with the loss. The Conquerors close out the season on Thursday at Federal Way.
Meanwhile, Kent-Meridian improved to 6-1 on the year and still has an outside shot of bringing home the league crown. Kent-Meridian plays host to Thomas Jefferson and Tahoma at 3 p.m. on Thursday in a double-dual at French Field.
And while Daigre uncorked one of the meet’s most eye-popping time, the Royals received a little bit of something from nearly everyone on the roster en route to the win.
Especially from thrower Marlowe Brim. The K-M senior was the Royals lone multiple winner, grabbing gold in the shot put (52-6) and the discus (143-9). Brim currently holds the state’s second-best heave in the shot put at 52-11. He’s also fifth in the state in the discus with a personal best of 144-5. Not far behind in both events against Kentwood, however, was teammate Isaiah Walker. Walker went 48-11.25 in the shot put and 130-8 in the discus, both of which garnered second-place finishes.
Kentwood’s Mike Roy kept the Royals from working a clean sweep in the throws, launching the javelin 151-6, good for fifth-best in the state.
“Of the 36 possible points in the throwing and horizontal jumps, they got 35 of them,” Kentwood coach Steve Roche said. “(Kent-Meridian) is a very talented team and has several state-level kids.”
Also picking up wins for the K-M boys were Andrew Smith (400), D.J. Jigre (3,200), Nick Lemmon (pole vault), Brandon Harris (long jump) and Louis Garmon (triple jump).
Other winners for Kentwood included: Kevin Massimino (1,600), Darrius Coleman (110 hurdles), Ricardo Tucker (300 hurdles), the 4 x 100 relay team of Tucker, St. Clair, Coleman and Tristan Askew and Cody Fishel (high jump).
“It was a very fun day,” Ammons conceded.
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