The Lake Stevens High School track and field team is making waves this season, proving to the entire state that they are a powerhouse on the rise. With incredible performances across the board, the boys and girls varsity squads have established themselves as dominant forces.
The boy’s team has racked up an impressive 825 points this season, showcasing depth, speed, and skill in every event.
Not to be outdone, the girl’s team has gone even further, scoring a phenomenal 872.25 points, underscoring their consistency and championship-caliber talent. Lake Stevens is not just competing, they’re setting the standard. Keep an eye on this squad as they continue their push for greatness.
The throwers have shown a lot of promise having 3 boys shot putters in the 4A top 25. Leading the way is senior Owen McGourty, whose performances have been as impressive as his leadership. McGourty has been a steady presence in practices and meets, keeping the team focused and motivated. His positive attitude and strong work ethic have set the tone for the entire throwing squad, inspiring his teammates to push their limits and aim higher every week.
“I want to make it to state. I don’t care much about the place, but I want to go, I want to get at least 54 feet in shot put,” McGourty said.
On the girl’s side, they have 2 girls shot putters in the 4A top 15, leading them is senior Dara Olotu, who has consistently thrown in the mid-30s in the shot put, while also excelling in discus with a personal best of 107 ‘3″.
Alongside her is junior Keira Tupua, who broke a 21 year old record in discus with a throw of 135’ 4″. Their impressive performances have secured their spots among the state’s elite.
Lastly, for the throwers group, senior Nathen Nippert leads the javelin squad with a personal record of 150′ 7″ placing himself in the top 10 in WESCO. He has shown remarkable resilience this
season, making a strong comeback after recovering from a broken hand sustained during football. For the girls it’s freshman Delaney Lundquist, who still has three more years to improve and make a name for herself. So far she has done exactly that, placing in the top 5 in WESCO with a throw of 102′ 8″.
The jumpers at Lake Stevens have been a key factor in the team’s impressive performance this season. Senior Teagan Lawson has firmly established himself as one of the top 10 jumpers in Washington State, with an impressive 6’8 high jump. On the girls’ side, rising stars sophomores Whitney Bird, Laila Njie, and freshman Delaney Lundquist, along with Autumn Swobody, are all ranked in the top 50 in 4A, each clearing 4 ’10”.
In the long jump, the team is represented by two outstanding seniors, Easton Munger and Kellie Tilghman, both of whom have been soaring to new heights, delivering incredible performances that have helped elevate the team’s success. Munger has a season record of 20′ 9.75” looking to make a state run one last time. Tilghman is also seeking to make a deep run to state; he has a PR of 16′ 8″
in the long jump and a PR of 34′ 4.5″ in the triple jump to put her in the top 5 of WESCO and top 20 in Washington 4A for both her events.
“I’d love to end the year off as a state champ, but getting to take a lot of work to get that done, so just gonna keep on grinding,” Munger said.
The backbone of the track team are the runners. The team has many young and upcoming stars who have improved every meet. Freshman Max Cook has shown that there’s always an underdog story waiting to happen. Cook has solidified himself as the top 5 400-meter runner in Washington running a 49.71. Next for the girls is junior Brianna Tilghman , who comes out with blazing electric speed putting herself as a top runner on the team. As of April 19, 2025, the girls had nearly broken a 20-year record in the 4×200 meter (Shelby Clifton, Haddyjatou Ceesay, Kaysa Banks, Brianna Tilghman) race running time of 1:43.53 missing it by 3 tenths of a second. On that same day, the 4x100m relay team of Haddyjatou Ceesay, Kaysa Banks, Ginelle Sarpong, Brianna Tilghman broke the school record with a time of 48.58.
“Our goal was to beat our 4×100 meter school record, and we beat the school record at Viking Classic. So we were kind of excited about that. But for the 100, it’s not going well. I’m trying to beat my PR and get like a 12.5,” Tilghman saId.
Lastly— the ones that work day and night to make sure that they are well prepared for that intense and physical race in distance sprints and runs. Whether it’s lifting weights in the weight room, running laps around the track, or running from the high school to the lake on a sunny day, they push their limits. They embrace the grind, knowing that every drop of sweat and every aching muscle brings them closer to their goals. It’s not about talent—it’s about discipline, grit and an unbreakable mindset. These runners don’t shy away from pain; they welcome it because they know that’s where true growth happens. Junior Tavion Siu has put up great times this year, running a 1:57.61 in the 800 meter so far to show that he can compete with the upperclassmen.
The girls’ team features a young group of athletes who are ready to compete whenever their names are called. Leading the way is senior Hallie Carroll, who has been electric this season with a speedy 2:35.94 800-meter dash, ranking in the top 15 in WESCO across all of her events. Her leadership has inspired many underclassmen to step up, including standout sophomore Kenadie Pester, she has been working hard to balance academics and athletics, establishing herself as one of the team’s top four runners running a 5:58.52 in the 1600m.
The Vikings track and field team hopes to continue to top the podium into the postseason.
