2026 WCD3/SWD4 Districts Day 1 Recap: 1600m Battles at French Field
Capital’s Jae Walz locks in during the 1600m at French Field.
2026 West Central Districts Recap, Day 1: 1600m Runners Clash Under the Sun at French Field
The toughest obstacle of the day would prove to be the parking — again.
A Wednesday afternoon at Kent-Meridian High School, right before the bell rings and the crowds pile in for day one of the West Central District championships, is a chaotic parade of cars circling for anywhere to ditch a vehicle. Down on the infield, the sun is harsh, casting deep, dark shadows from the surrounding trees. French Field essentially sits in a hole — a unique setup that's notoriously difficult to navigate, and even harder to park near.
3A heavyweights Mana Voss (Central Kitsap) and Gavin Mckeegan (Gig Harbor) share a quick moment after going toe-to-toe in the 1600m.
My day started trackside with the 3A Boys 1600m, where Mana Voss (Central Kitsap) and Gavin McKeegan (Gig Harbor) went toe-to-toe. Bellarmine Prep's Luke Saalfeld tried to disrupt the showdown, with David McClain (Central Kitsap) hot on his heels. Ethan Huff (Central Kitsap) and Joshua Minner (Gig Harbor) rounded out the top six. The dominance of Central Kitsap and Gig Harbor in this race was undeniable — but both programs are about to face a far heavier field next week at State.
The 4A Heavyweights
The giant and the phenom: Rogers senior Amin Fidaar and Olympia freshman Quenton Lanese battle it out in a highly anticipated 4A Boys 1600m showdown.
The 4A Boys 1600m delivered the most electrifying battle of the afternoon. The final blow went to Amin Fidaar (Rogers), with Olympia's freshman phenom Quenton Lanese glued to his shoulder the entire final lap. Lanese's teammate Caden Durocher rounded out the top three in an impressive 4:07.81. Cohen Butler (Camas), Asher Pepin (Curtis), and Lord King Nana-Badu-Weah (Battle Ground) locked up the remaining qualifying spots.
Heading into State, this 4A field gives us three storylines worth watching:
The Reigning King. Fidaar is a senior who's been dominant nearly every time he toes the line. Can he hold off the Olympia Bears one last time?
The Freshman Phenom. Lanese keeps rewriting what's possible for a ninth-grader — the Project 2029 national-record holder still has one giant left to slay, and Fidaar won't make it easy.
The Comeback Kid. Durocher just keeps improving, and he's peaking at exactly the right moment. Could the senior be the one to finally take Fidaar down and close out his high school career on top?
The Girls Take the Track
Gig Harbor’s Lejla Carlsson takes control of the 3A Girls 1600m, navigating the lead pack under the harsh afternoon sun.
Later in the afternoon, the girls stepped up to sort out the 3A 1600m hierarchy. Enumclaw's Lillian Haas gave it everything she had, nearly toppling Gig Harbor's Lejla Carlsson. The two traded blows through the opening laps before Carlsson eventually took control. Haas proved she can hang with anyone at this distance, setting the stage for a major rematch next week as both seniors close out their careers.
Gig Harbor's Maya Crane ran a brilliant race to finish third, just behind the two seniors — confirming the freshman is very much in the mix, and backing up her place on the Project 2029 freshman distance rankings. Federal Way's Maya Wentworth and Abigail Collier secured fourth and fifth, while White River's Paeton Poelman closed out the top six on the way to State.
In the 4A Girls 1600m, Latham West stood squarely at the controls. The Bonney Lake standout dominated the field, crossing in 4:51.20. Union's Ella Koch navigated the lead pack to take second, with Olympia's Leah Hennen third. Curtis' Charlotte White, Stadium's Catherine Harju, and Camas' Kate Westfall rounded out the top six.
As far as the 1600m goes, the stage is set for some incredible matchups next week. Latham West will look to cap a decorated high school career with gold, while Ella Koch aims to run her best race and challenge at the front. The lingering question: can the freshmen disrupt the leaders? If you've been following Project 2029, you already know not to count them out.
