Track and field athletes compete at nationals

Tahoma High School’s Brock Eager wins national title in hammer throw with a 67.98 meter toss.

Track and Field athletes from Kentwood and Tahoma competed at the USA Track and Field Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships last week outside Houston, Texas.

To qualify for the event, athletes had to finish in the top five at the regional championships that were held in Spokane.

Brock Eager, who graduated from Tahoma High School in June and competed for the team Seatown Express, won the men’s hammer throw with a throw of 67.98 meters.

Seatown started in 1999 and Eager was coached by his dad, Keith Eager.

Four athletes from Kentwood High School competed with Xtreme Speed Track Club which practices at Kentwood.

Keetaan DeWitz, a second year national qualifier who will be a sophomore in the fall, competed in the 400 meter hurdles, finishing 37th overall.

TJay Mason is heading into his senior year and made his first trip to nationals, finishing 34th in the 400 meter hurdles and 17th in the high jump.

Samantha LaRue will be a junior at Kentwood this year and also made her first trip to nationals. Despite competing on a fractured foot she finished 40th in shot put.

Rounding out the group from Kentwood, junior Corey Tullio was also competing for the first time and finished 26th in shot put.

Xtreme Speed was founded in 2010 and is led by head coach Rob Thomas, throws coach Isan Goldwire, jumps coach Mekco Caldwell, hurdle coach Kaid Tipton, and hurdle coach Jo-Nathan Thomas.