South Pasadena thrower has unique motivation at State
CLOVIS » Nikolas Iwankiw admits the war in Ukraine is not as personal for him as it is for his family. But he maintains a sense of pride and a desire to perhaps providing something positive for himself, and his family.
Iwankiw, a senior at South Pasadena High School, continued an impressive season Friday, the first day of the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Buchanan High School. His discus throw of 179 feet, 10 inches qualified seventh and advanced him to today’s final, thrusting him into the thick of a competitive field.
“Discus has recently been not great,” Iwankiw conceded. “But this last week has been feeling good. Yesterday, I threw the discus, and it felt really good.”
Iwankiw lives with his grandparents, both of whom were born in Ukraine and came to the United States in their youth, he said.
“Their whole culture is (intertwined) with me,” he said. “I witness my grandma looking in the news all day about it and being really sad about it.”
So, while detached from the situation … he’s really not.
“It’s kind of funny because every day I leave for a meet, she’s like, ‘Do it for Ukraine,’ ” Iwankiw said with a smile.
Today’s discus field will be loaded. His throw Friday gave him an excellent chance of advancing in both the shot put and discus. Golden Valley’s Terraine Wiggins had the day’s top throw at 195-3; JSerra’s Brendon See and Elsinore’s Elijah Ignacio marked 191-3 and 187-8, respectively, for second and third.
Hesperia’s Jordan Franco qualified fifth in the discus at 185-10, and Murrieta Mesa’s Cade Moran qualified sixth at 181-11.
Friday marked the first time the CIF State Track Championships had been contested in three years, following two COVID-related cancellations. Most athletes who figured to make it to today’s final did so, and some did in eye-popping fashion.
One who did was Upland junior Kai Graves-Blanks, who blistered the first heat of the 100 hurdles in a personal-best time of 13.69 seconds. Afterward, he put any thought of saving energy for today to rest. And this was still with his 300 hurdles competition to go.
“It’s just like it was in (the) Texas (Relays),” he said of the invitational earlier this season. “I can go back to back. We train like this. It’s nothing new.”
Ignacio’s wasn’t the only solid effort from Riverside County, which saw a long jump sweep. Great Oak’s Jc Stevenson equalled a personal best as the top qualifier in the long jump at 249¼. King’s Alyssa Hope topped the girls long jump qualifying at 20-3¾.
In the 800 meters, J.W. North junior Mackenzie Browne qualified second and won her heat in a time of 2:11.89. Her qualifying time trailed only that of Ventura standout Sadie Engelhardt, who clocked 2:10.13.
“I feel like the time at 2:11 was fine,” Browne said. “I didn’t want to go out too crazy. I feel like a 2:11 is a good, relaxed, fast rhythm. I was shooting for a 2:10, a low 2:10. But I’ll go with the 2:11. It’s a good workout before finals tomorrow. I feel good going into finals.”
Also qualifying in the 800 was Chino’s Mia Chavez, who ran a 2:14.08. She’ll also run today in the 1,600, where she qualified third Friday with a time of 4:50.58.