TRACK: Harris, Daigre, Kamara lead Kent-Meridian to another track title

Kent-Meridian High’s Brandon Harris hasn’t peaked just yet. But the senior track standout certainly is on his way.

Harris captured titles in the 100-meter dash, the triple jump and the high jump last week, helping the Royals dispatch Kentwood 95-50 and win their second consecutive South Puget Sound League North Division title.

However, Harris wasn’t quite finished with only three individual titles on the day. He wanted more.

As such, Kent-Meridian’s supreme sprinter and jumper ran a leg on the Royals’ winning        4 x 100 relay team.

Add it up, and it was a day most track athletes could only dream about. Harris, however, knows there’s more left in his tank.

“I still think I have a long way to go,” said Harris, who also was a standout wide receive for the football team in the fall. “I feel like right now, I am going off of pure athleticism.”

That might be true for Harris, especially in the high jump, where he uncorked a mark of an even six feet in an event he had not competed in since his sophomore season.

Harris added an 11.17 clip in the 100, a 43-11 mark in the triple jump and assisted the 4 x 100 relay team en route to a 43.19 finish.

Harris’ performances even left coach Ernie Ammons impressed.

“He has been a little more focused this year,” Ammons said. “He’s grown into a phenomenal athlete. The sky’s the limit for him.”

As good as Harris’ day proved to be, the same could be said for a host of Royals. Kent-Meridian won 13 of the 17 events on the day. In addition, several Royals won more than one event. David Jones snagged first-place finishes in the 200 (22.52) and also was part of both victorious relay teams. Meanwhile, Abu Kamara continued to show that he’s one of the state’s elite hurdlers. Kamara won titles in the 110 hurdles (14.59) and the 300 hurdles (39.64). Kamara’s time in the 110 hurdles is the second best mark in the state this spring. His time in the 300 hurdles is the third best in the state this season.

“He just keeps getting stronger and stronger,” Ammons said of Kamara.

University of Washington-bound senior Derrick Daigre also enjoyed a solid showing, winning the 400 meter with a time of 49.35, which is the fourth best time in the state this year. Daigre spent part of the early season nursing a tender hamstring. The win over Kentwood was the first time in more than a month that the senior has been at full strength.

“We finally got him back,” Ammons said. “We had a good two weeks of training (leading up to Kentwood), and he had a good foundation.”

Davontae Bradley added a win for Kent-Meridian in the long jump (19-10), Josh Smith chipped in with a win in the pole vault (13-0) while Kevin McCullough came through in the javelin (137-06). K-M also showed some tremendous depth as Jordan Thompson Walker and Jarey Suiter both took part in the winning relay performances.

“(The win) just shows our balance,” Harris said. “We have the best balance in the league.”

That balance was critical to Kent-Meridian securing its second straight league crown. Yet, Kent-Meridian’s success on the oval is goes beyond the last two years. While the Royals have won 13 straight league dual meets, they also have posted a 28-4 overall record in league over the last five years.

“(Winning the title) means a lot for the group of boys I have had for the last four years,” Ammons said, pointing to Jones, Daigre, Harris and Thompson Walker. “Those are the four boys who have come through.”

And while Kent-Meridian came away with the lion’s share of victories, Kentwood also enjoyed some solid performances. None, however, were bigger than those delivered by Danny Lunger, who pulled out wins in the 800 (1:59.22) and the 1,600 (4:33.25). Kasey Hattrup chipped in a win in the 3,200 (9:49.90) while Terence Grady took home gold in the discus (117-09).