The W.I.A.A. State Track and Field meet was held May 23 and 24, at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.

In her senior season, Jacqueline Jewell represented the entire Vashon High School track program. She competed in both her distance events, the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.

In the 3,200 final on Friday, Jewell came in as the Tri-District champion from the West Central Districts 1, 2 and 3. For the first half of the race, Jewell was up near the lead pack, running behind eventual State Champion Chanda Romey from Forks and runner-up, Kayloni Jones from Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls).

As the race settled, Jewell kept up with even splits, then picked up her pace in the final 400 meters to take seventh place overall and medal in the girls 3,200 with a personal record time of 11:43.35.

This race also moved Jewell into the second-fastest time in Vashon High School history in this event, passing Carrie Chambers from 1983, who had run an 11:43.6.

The second day of the state championships found Jewell competing in the 1,600 in front of a busload of teammates who made the trip over to support her in her quest to seek a second medal on the podium.

From the gun, the pace was frantic in the 1,600 with Jewell trying to move her way through the pack during the first two laps. Being the experienced veteran that she is, Jewell ran a smart race by not making desperate surges as some of the other girls started to fade.

Instead, she calculated and picked her spot with a lap and a half to go and started picking off the competition by moving past Sara Vasquez from Mabton and then Evangeline Renwaldt from Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) to claim eighth place and her second medal from the podium in the time of 5:26.25.

Jewell plans to attend a four-year college and study to become a veterinarian.

When asked what she enjoyed most about competing at the state track meet, she replied, “I had a lot of fun, and it was a great opportunity to stand on the awards podium and receive my two medals.”