Lindbergh boys cross country
The Lindbergh boys cross-country team has a great history over the past decade, but 2008 was a new high. The Eagles placed fourth at the 3A state meet last fall.
Lindbergh’s state performance was buoyed by senior Matt Miland and junior Trevor Thompson. Miland placed 10th, while Thompson finished 14th. Junior Nate Reitz placed 44th and senior Joseph Patti placed 45th. Rounding out the team were junior James Cornell at 72nd, junior Thanh Nguyen at 78th and sophomore Nate Tandecki at 102nd.
That performance at state came after the Eagles easily took the West Central District title, with 49 points. North Kitsap finished second with 86 points (lower scores are better in cross country).
Here are some team highlights since 2001:
- 2001 – 6-1 record, second at districts, 11th at state
- 2002 – 6-1, district champions, ninth at state
- 2003 – 7-0, league champions, district champions, 10th at state
- 2004 – 4-3, Sam Ahlbeck individual state champion
- 2005 – 7-0, league champions, eighth at state
- 2006 – 5-2, league champions, second at districts, sixth at state
- 2007 – 7-0, league champions, second at districts, eighth at state
- 2008 – 8-0, league champions, district champions, fourth at state
The team has just one season since 2001 with more than two dual-meet losses and in that season (2004) the Eagles had the individual state champion, Sam Ahlbeck.
The Lindbergh cross country team was so deep with talent that if the Eagles’ JV team had competed in the varsity race, they would have placed fourth — good enough to qualify for districts.
“Tradition makes a big difference,” said Lindbergh coach Jef Rettmann after the Eagles’ district championship. “New kids come in knowing nothing but winning.”
The Eagles are working on a four-year league championship streak and have placed in the top 11 at state seven out of the past eight seasons.
Renton boys track and field
Similar to the Lindbergh boys cross-country program, the Renton High boys track and field program has been great for years. But the Indians certainly hit a high point this season with a second overall finish at state this May.
Seniors Armin Basic and Ronnielle Kelly-Battles did some of the heavy lifting for the Indians. Each took a state title (Basic in the discus, Kelly-Battles in the long jump) as well as another state medal. Kelly-Battles earned fourth in the triple jump, while Basic finished second in the shot put. Senior Tevin Ponders also earned points with a fourth-place finish in the 110-meter high hurdles.
The boys stormed through the regular season and finished a perfect 8-0. It was the seventh time in the past eight years the Indians have finished undefeated. The Indians won the Arnie Young and Larry Eason Invitationals and finished fourth in the Shoreline Invitational.
Renton has made a habit of finishing well at the state meet. The Indians placed 11th, seventh, third, fifth, seventh, 39th and second since 2003.
Before the state track meet, Renton coach Lance Winmill said history plays a big role for the team’s success.
“When you have something that’s already established, there’s kind of an expectation from the kids,” Winmill said. “They really want to keep that tradition going.”
Other state results from Renton: Ponders also ran in the 300 hurdles at state (10th in preliminaries). Renton’s 4X100 team of Ponders, Kelly-Battles, Robert Reeves III and Marcus Clinton placed 10th in the preliminaries. Renton’s 4X400 team of Gary Hay, Kelly-Battles, P.J. Benedictus and Ponders placed 14th in the preliminaries. Benedictus finished 12th in the long jump.
