Yevhen Zhmailo, Aster Jones, Marissa Johnson Headline Invitational Sections of Spokane's Second High School Meet of Season

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Luca Gillis photo

Fresh off sweeping the long and triple jump competitions at the Spokane High School Preview last week, Yevhen Zhmailo returns to The Podium Powered by STCU to defend both events at this weekend’s Spokane High School Invitational.

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The Spokane High School Invitational is a three-day event, Jan. 23-25, hosting top talent from up and down the West Coast states, including those as far as Alaska and Hawaii.

Zhmailo, a senior at Lake Washington WA representing GLS Track, jumped a US#2 51 feet, 6.75 inches in triple jump and a US#3 24-2.25 in long jump in Spokane last Saturday, completing his dominant sweep.

Zhmailo’s wins were two of 14 won at the Spokane High School Preview by GLS Track, which will have another big presence at this weekend’s meet.

Laine McKenzie and Aliyah Khan are the top two entries in the girls long and triple jump competitions. McKenzie won the long jump and Khan won triple at Spokane High School Preview.

Eddie Bruner Jr., winner of the boys 300 meters at Spokane High School Preview, is entered in the 400 and 200. Bruner Jr. owns a personal best of 46.16 in the 400.

Bruner Jr. will be joined by his teammate, Sutton Flint, in the 200. Flint, a Nike Indoor Nationals All-American last season, is also the top entry in the boys 60 hurdles.

Bruner Jr. faces a strong boys 400 field with William Hollensteiner, Ejam Yohannes and Brady Tse entered.

Anna Schneidler, who completed the 300 sweep for GLS at Spokane High School Preview, will race 100 meters further in the 400 against Oregon state champion Sophia Castaneda. Castaneda, a University of Michigan commit, ran 53.16 last outdoor season to finish third at the USATF U20 Championships.

Schneidler is also entered in the 60 hurdles, where she will race Shelby Duah, third at UW Preview.

Aster Jones, who opened her season with a win in the girls 60 at the Spokane High School Preview, will aim to defend both her 60 and 200 titles from last year’s meet. This will be Jones’ season debut in the 200, where she ran 23.90 last year at this meet.

The last two boys 60 champions from the Spokane High School Preview and Spokane Speed Games, Joseph Donnelly and Dash Lamebull-Ingram, will match-up in the short dash. Donnelly won his 60 last weekend in a personal best 6.75 and Lamebull-Ingram won his race back in December at Spokane Speed Games in a personal best 6.81.

Donnelly is expected to appear in the long jump competition with GLS’s Zhmailo.

In distance races, Findlay Hartshorn is the top entry in the boys 800, running 1:53.81 for the win at the Spokane High School Preview. He’ll face Jackson Welsh, who’s also the top entry in the 3,000.

Sloan Dickson, a Nike Cross Nationals finalist, is making her 3,000 season debut following her mile win at the Spokane High School Preview.

Annabelle Carr, a University of Oregon commit, leads entries in the girls 800.

Top mile entries include Owen Thiel on the boys side and Latham West in the girls.

Simon Rosselli, Marissa Johnson and Kimberly Beard, members of the Nike Elite program, are the top throw entries.

Johnson and Beard are both entered in the girls weight throw, where they finished top five in last winter’s NIN. Johnson will double back in the shot put.

Rosselli, second at Nike Outdoor Nationals in discus, will compete in the boys shot put.