At 8:30am on April 26, the Gig Harbor Track and Field Team got onto a bus to drive about two hours to Arlington, Washington, for the Big 5 Invite. Some of the best high school track teams and athletes in the area were invited to this meet at Arlington High School. With temperatures in the 60s and lots of sunshine, the weather was perfect for a track meet. The great weather also inspired the boys to go out and compete.

Everyone was excited to be at a track invitational, and it helped motivate them to do well. All the athletes at this invite were very talented and competitive. Spencer Olson (12) said, “My favorite part was just being there! I was more than glad that I was invited to the invitational.” There was lots of excitement and energy in the air at the invitational. With many skilled athletes, the competition was fierce.

Many of the boys who went to the invite set new personal records. Asher Finch (11), Gregoire Saire (12), Gavin McKeegan (11), Gavin Olson (11), Jacob Wiley (10), Justin Morris (11), Anatoliy Yefimov (10), Max Dower (10), and Jack Greer (10) all set personal records at the meet. Joshua Minner (10) said, “I felt excited to reach new PRs and race with the other guys.” Whether they were throwing, running, or jumping, everyone who went to the invite worked hard and gave their best to the team.

Overall, the Tides had a great time competing as a team at the Big 5 Invite. Head Track Coach Kevin Eager said, “The competition was good, but not beyond us. This meet was far away, but it was a low-key meet among teams whose coaches are friends. We all wanted a chance for our developing athletes to get together and compete, so in that sense this was a very good competition.” The boys all competed well and gave their all in the events they did. With just a few weeks of track and field left, it is looking like the team will finish the season off strongly.