The frustration was evident in Steven Warner’s voice.

One of the state’s elite track and field hurdlers, the Kentwood High senior delivered some big performances last weekend at Mount Tahoma High during the Class 4A West Central District meet. Yet, it was Warner’s misfortune in the 300-meter hurdles that still is generating a buzz.

On the final stretch of that race, an opponent in a nearby lane came in contact with Warner’s hurdle, causing it to bounce down to the ground and spring back up.

A fraction of a second later, Warner came crashing to the ground after attempting to clear the moving hurdle.

Though Warner delivered the meet’s top time during preliminaries in 39.28 seconds, he was unable to get to his feet quickly enough to finish among the top six and earn a ticket in that event to this weekend’s state meet, which also is taking place at Mount Tahoma.

“(The hurdle) fell down, hit the ground and flew back up … Steven hit it hard and did a complete roll and tumble,” Kentwood coach Steve Roche said. “He was in position to qualify for state and didn’t.”

Despite the misfortune, Warner still delivered a strong district showing, taking first in the 110 hurdles in 14.40 to grab a state spot in that race, and leading off Kentwood’s state-qualifying 1,600-meter relay team, which took sixth with a time of 3:26.84.

“I’m not done by any means,” Warner said. “It bothers me. I’d like to go out and do really well in the 110s. But it’s hard because it’s my senior year and this is my last 300 hurdles ever (in high school). It’s a terrible way to go out.”

Warner was in third place at the time of the fall.

Meet officials did not see the infraction and, as per Washington Interscholastic Activities Association policy, don’t look at any video that may be available for reviewing. A YouTube video clearly showed the infraction.

“I was going over the top (of the hurdle) and it rocked up and hit my trail leg pretty good and sent me flying a lane and a-half over,” said Warner. “I got up and was confused. I didn’t know if it was real.”

Ironically, Warner was disqualified from state in the same event last year when his trail leg came in contact with a hurdle.

Roche’s protest following the event was denied.

“It came down to their official didn’t see it,” said Roche. “They saw that he fell, but didn’t see what caused him to fall. It’s one of those circumstances in track and field, where they didn’t see something they should have.”

Warner’s time in the 110 hurdles established a new school record, one previously established in 1992 by current assistant coach Rhamu McCoy.

And Warner wasn’t the only Kentwood athlete to establish a new school mark at district. Dana Wareham took third in the 400 with a time of 58.39, rewriting the Conqueror girls standard in that event.

“Overall, if you’re sending 19 kids to state, that’s a good thing,” Roche said. “One year, when I first started, we sent no one. The next year we sent one. It’s awesome to get that many kids move on. That’s pretty special. It’s fun to see our program grow like that.”