Fenwick, Kennedy meet again in high jump at Wolfpack Invitational

High school high jumpers Donovan Fenwick and Josh Kennedy have a friendly rivalry brewing.

After jumping against each other for the first time this season at the South Sound Jamboree in March, the two met again Friday at Tumwater District Stadium.

“To know there’s someone out there who can jump with me, it just makes me want to jump higher,” said Fenwick, a North Thurston junior.

Fenwick got the best of Kennedy at the second annual Wolfpack Invitational, clearing 6 feet, 4 inches to match his personal best.

Kennedy, a River Ridge senior, finished right behind him at 6-2.

“We’ve kind of built a rivalry,” Kennedy said. “But, I think it’s more of us working together, and trying to make each other better.”

The outcome mirrored the finish at South Sound Stadium a month ago. Fenwick, who topped out at 5-4 as a sophomore, cleared 6-4 for the first time, and Kennedy hit 6-2.

“In practice, my highest was only 6-1,” Fenwick said. “Then I saw Josh, he was jumping 6-2. I was like, ‘I have to make this.’ I guess the competition really excited me, and I got 6-4.”

Kennedy has since matched that. His clearance of 6-4 at Highline Memorial two weeks ago is the top mark in Class 2A.

Fenwick’s mark is tied with three other jumpers across the state in 3A. Shadle Park senior Jakobe Ford leads 3A at 7-0.

Fenwick and Kennedy are projected to meet again this season — at the annual Shelton and Bob Shaner invitationals — before splitting classifications for the postseason.

“I really like seeing how high I can get and seeing the competition,” Fenwick said. “It’s fun.”

WOLVES SET NEW AREA BESTS

Black Hills’ boys team graduated several athletes from its 2A state title team last season, but senior Kyler Nygren, who took sixth in the high jump last season, is still confident.

“We still have a pretty strong team,” he said. “The meets that we’ve had, we’ve done really good. We’re getting better as the year goes on.”

Nygren uncorked a personal-best 21-10  3/4 to win the long jump, which also set a new area-best mark.

Nygren has the second-best mark in 2A in the long jump as of Friday.

Black Hills senior Austen Daisa improved on his own area-best mark, winning the shot put with a throw of 50-6  1/4. He is now ranked fourth in the event in 2A.

Ava Shackell, a Black Hills sophomore, is nearing the top 10 in 2A in the 1,600-meter run.

Shackell reset her own area-best mark, winning the event in 5:26.97 — that beat her previous time by nearly five seconds.

“Each time I go out, I’m not looking for some major, drastic improvement,” she said. “Even if it’s a second faster, I’m just looking for that gradual improvement for the end goal, which is state.”

Shackell also won the 800 (2:34.38) and the 3,200 (11:54.31). She is ranked eighth in 2A in the 3,200 from a time posted earlier this season (11:53.4).

Black Hills junior Madi Frampton won the 100 hurdles in 16.94. She ran a 16.32 earlier in the week, and remains the area leader in the event. Frampton also won the 300 hurdles (49.78).

TIMBERLINE GIRLS SWEEP SPRINTS

Timberline junior Makenna Hansen worked on improving her stride over the summer, and it’s paying dividends.

She set a school record in the 100 earlier in the week (12.48) and won the event Friday, posting a 12.94.

Hansen also won the 200 (26.59), and is still the area leader from a mark posted earlier this season (26.02).

“Just in general, I feel better when I run,” she said.

Hansen also ran legs of both of Timberline’s sprint relays, which both took first and set new area bests.

She combined with Rachel Izuagbe, Ashley Babkirk and Keshara Romain in the 4x100 relay (51.52) and 4x200 relay (1:48.01).

Romain reset her own area-best mark in the triple jump, winning the event with a season-best jump of 36.2.

She reclaimed the top mark in 3A with the jump, and is ranked eighth in the state in any classification.

Timberline freshman Arianna Bush jumped a personal-best 17-3 in the long jump to set a new area best and win the event.

She is ranked fourth in 3A, and one of just four jumpers in her classification to clear 17 feet.

North Thurston’s Ross Sherrer, a senior, set a new area best in the boys’ 400. He won the event with a time of 51.79.

Tumwater won both the boys (124 points) and girls (121) team competitions.

This story was originally published April 14, 2017 at 9:37 PM with the headline "Fenwick, Kennedy meet again in high jump at Wolfpack Invitational."