Lake Washington Invitational: Meet record falls in 800

KIRKLAND — Becca Noble envisioned the race, then ran it to perfection.

Noble, a senior from Rogers of Spokane who won the 200 meters at the Class 4A state meet last year, established herself as the state's best 800 runner yesterday at the Lake Washington Invitational. She clocked a meet-record 2:06.75 — the seventh fastest time in state history — and topped a highly touted field that included Bellarmine Prep's Brie Felnagle, a two-time state champion in the event.

Noble roared past Felnagle with 100 meters to go and won going away — just as she had pictured it two days earlier.

"I imagined winning coming down the homestretch and just powering," she said. "I imagined passing her right where I did."

Felnagle, who won the 4A state title as a freshman and again her junior year, could not respond. It was her first high-school loss since finishing a close second to Amanda Miller of Eastmont in the 800 final her sophomore year.

"I'm just kind of upset that I didn't give her a race, that she just blew right by me," said Felnagle, a two-time state cross country champion who ran a respectable 2:08.99. "That's never really happened before."

She had hoped Everett's Cori Moore would push the pace early. But Moore held back and finished third in 2:12.84.

Lake Washington's Meagan Ferguson was a surprise entry in the 100 meters but couldn't sneak up on Princess Joy Griffey. Griffey, who won the 4A state title as a Decatur sophomore last year, jumped to an early lead and cruised to victory in 11.72, lowering her state best. Ferguson, fifth at state a year ago, was second in 12.09.

Griffey, who has never lost a high-school race in the 100, said she was happy when she heard Ferguson had decided to enter the event after earlier indicating she would be taking the SAT.

"I got ready," said Griffey, who later brought Decatur's 800-meter relay from behind for a victory.

Ferguson, also a junior, said she decided Friday to postpone taking the test so that she could get a look at Griffey. Last year, the two didn't race until state.

"It's just a learning experience," said Ferguson, who did not run the 200 as originally planned. "You don't see that many girls that run as fast as Princess."

Notes

• Whitney Hooks of Cascade and Christina Tupper of Skyline were double winners. Hooks uncorked a toss of 146-4 in the discus, her personal best and the best throw in the state this season. Her 44-7 in the shot was well short of her state-leading 46-5, but good enough for an easy win. Tupper increased her state lead in the long jump, leaping 19-1 to better Rainier Beach's Jacqua Williams by nearly a foot and a half, but was short of the 40-foot mark in the triple jump (39-5).

• Devin Brooks defended her title in the 100 hurdles, running 14.74, just off her state-leading 14.49. The Holy Names sophomore, who is also the defending 3A state champion in the event, turned around and ran the 100 meters minutes later and placed fourth. She later added a sixth-place finish in the 300 hurdles.

• Decatur's Amanda Stewart cleared a personal-best 5-4 in the high jump, same as Meghan Dahl of Ferndale, but Dahl won based on fewer misses.

• Laura Vogel of Mercer Island used a strong surge down the stretch to finish second in the 400 in 59.12, not quite catching Wenatchee's Kristin Ballinger.

• Seattle Prep's Dominique Daba cleared 10-3 to win the pole vault.

• Jane Larson of Cedar Park Christian, the 1A state champ in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 as a sophomore last year, won the 3,000 in 10:13.5.

• Bellarmine fell short in its effort to better the state record of 9:28.7 in the 3,200 relay, but did run a meet-record 9:30.58. The Lions finished second to Wenatchee in the team standings, 57-50. Skyline was third (40).