Meadowdale’s Grant wins 3A state hurdles title

TACOMA — Meadowdale senior Christapherson Grant may be just as good of an actor as he is a hurdler.

Grant’s state-championship performance in the boys Class 3A state 110-meter hurdles final Friday started with an equally good performance in the doctor’s office prior to the Wesco championships just over two weeks ago.

Grant, who broke his collarbone at the Eason Invitational on April 18, was told he would be out six to eight weeks and would need up to 12 weeks to fully recover. Somehow, less than a month after his injury, he convinced his doctor he was ready to run.

Grant visited his doctor on May 13. The doctor asked him to do five push-ups. Of course, Grant did the push-ups “pain free” and the rest is history.

“I lied to him, though, because it really did hurt a lot, but I really wanted to get in this thing,” Grant said referring to the state meet.

His acting performance might not have been Oscar worthy, but it did the trick — something that didn’t surprise Meadowdale hurdles coach Phil Hodges.

“He’s a determined kid,” Hodges said. “He had a vision.”

Grant wanted to get back to the state meet because it was his senior year and he knew this was his best chance at a championship. He entered this year’s state meet with the top 3A times in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles.

He took some of the pressure off with his victory on Friday.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Grant said. “To be honest, when I got injured I thought that I wouldn’t come back. I thought it would be too hard. It’s still broken right now. Just the feeling of coming back and winning a championship, it’s a really dang good feeling.”

Grant put in the hard work this season, in part, because of the disappointment that came before. He had been to the state meet in past years, but never to the finals.

He made the most of his first opportunity.

“I choked the past two years … and I finally made the finals one time and I finally won,” Grant said.

Grant’s winning time of 14.41 seconds was higher than the season-best 14.06 he ran in March, but it was still good enough for a championship. “I could’ve had a better time, but I’m just happy I won a championship,” he said.

According to Hodges, Grant is the second hurdler to win a state championship in Meadowdale school history. Bill Mahan did it in 1981.

It was an emotional moment for Hodges to see Grant cap off his career with a state title.

“He was completely new to hurdling four years ago,” Hodges said. “I’m going to go home and have a cry. It will sink in.”

Grant will attempt to make it two-for-two Saturday when he competes in the 300 finals.

“I don’t want one title, I want two titles,” Grant said. “I worked hard for both.”

Lytle second in javelin

Everett’s Griffey Lytle earned a second-place finish in the 3A boys javelin with a throw of 188 feet, 10 inches. Central Kitsap’s Hudson Keffer took first place with a throw of 198-1.

Lytle entered the state meet with the sixth-best 3A throw in the state this season at 185-8, but bested that mark by better than three feet to earn second place.

Pair of third-place finishes

Mariner senior Jordan Scarborough and Everett junior Nicholas Blair each earned third-place finishes in their respective events on Friday.

Scarborough took third in the 4A triple jump with a mark of 46-2. The winner, Federal Way’s Mason Sallee, finished with a jump of 47-7. Scarborough had the fourth-best 4A jump in the state this season coming into the event at 45-3¼, which he bested by nearly a foot Friday.

Blair took home third place in the 3A boys discus with a throw of 160-11, just over six feet behind Mount Spokane’s Trevor Payne, who won the event with a throw of 167 feet. Blair has a chance for another top-five performance Saturday. He enters the shot put finals with the third-best 3A throw in the state this season.

Aaron Lommers covers prep sports for The Herald. Follow him on Twitter at @aaronlommers and contact him at alommers@heraldnet.com.

BOYS

4A State Meet

At Mount Tahoma H.S.

Friday’s Finals

110 hurdles—1. Nick Johnson, Gonzaga Prep 14.19

Triple jump—1. Mason Sallee, Federal Way 47-7. Local players: 3. Jordan Scarborough (Mariner) 46-2

Discus—1. Nolan VanAmen, South Kitsap 165-0, 6. Tim Beard, Kamiak 156-4

High jump—1. Noah Martin, University 6-8. Local placers: none

Pole vault –Larry Still, Richland 15-6. Local placers: 8. Chase Reid, Lake Stevens 14-0

3A State Meet

At Mount Tahoma H.S.