Prep track and field: Best friends Dubiel and Mervin make one last run at state titles

Mountlake Terrace seniors Allison Mervin and Brynlee Dubiel have much in common: Both started competing in track and field while eighth graders at Brier Terrace Middle School, both have excelled in the sport since then and both have lofty goals for this, their senior season, at Terrace.

There’s one more thing the two close friends have in common: Both experienced the heartbreak of just coming up short in winning individual state championships last year.

The 2025 season was stellar for Mervin and Dubiel as both qualified for multiple events at the WIAA state championship meet last May. Both earned multiple podium finishes at the meet, but it’s the just misses that have haunted both in the 11 months since then.

For Mervin, the disappointment of finishing second in the 3A state girls triple jump last May was compounded in that she and the event champion, Addison Kelly of Silas, both leaped the same distance — 38 feet, 6.5 inches — with their best efforts. Following the completion of the event, Kelly was awarded the 3A state title on the basis that her second best jump was 5.5 inches farther than Mervin’s second-best leap.

When asked now about the state triple jump competition from last year, Mervin still recalls how close she came to claiming the title. “I was hoping for at least just a quarter inch more — just a little more,” Mervin said about her best jump. “A little more and I would have got it.”

For Dubiel, it was two events — the 3A state girls 100-meter hurdles and the 3A state girls 300-meter hurdles — that were decided by the slimmest of margins, leaving her off the top spot of the podium. Dubiel placed second in the 300-meter hurdles by just over a half-a-second; Dubiel’s third place finish in the 100-meter hurdles was one-tenth of a second behind the event winner.

“Not winning last year was definitely a pretty big letdown,” Dubiel said.

Now months after their disappointing near-wins, both Mervin and Dubiel agree that their long-time friendship has been an important factor for each of them as they process what happened to them at the end of last year.

“We were in similar situations and those were really big goals we both had,” Dubiel said. “We are able to relate to each other in that way. It’s really great to have someone who is always there by my side. We’ve experienced every high and low together. We’ve been there for each other and seen it all. It’s really, really great to have such a close friend in a similar position.”

“She’s one of my best friends,” said Mervin. “I see her every single day. We definitely were a little bummed about last year (but) happy that we both came out and competed.”

“I love her,” Mervin added. “I would not be the same person without her. She’s my number one fan; I’m hers.”

Now ready to put last year behind them, Dubiel and Mervin have started their 2026 prep track-and-field season with renewed focus. Both say they want to win state titles, Dubiel in the two hurdle events (100-meter and 300-meter) and Mervin in the two jumping events (triple jump and long jump).

In addition, Mervin hopes to qualify again in the 3A girls 100 meter dash (she finished 10th last year at state) and both want to return as a part of either or both Terrace girls relay teams (last year the Hawks finished 9th in the girls 4×100 meter relay while failing to qualify for state in the 4×400 meter relay).

Dubiel said she used the second and third place finishes in the state hurdles events last year as a motivating tool as she prepared for the 2026 season. “I was really upset about it for a long time after but I was honestly able to really use it as fuel for my summer season,” she said.

Dubiel competed at a number of high-profile events last summer and turned in some of her career best times. Dubiel ran the girls 100-meter hurdles in 14.33 at the Nike Outdoor Nationals last July at Hayward Field in Eugene, more than half-a-second faster than her time at last year’s WIAA state meet.

For Mervin, the summer off-season was also productive as the senior is now consistently jumping over 18 feet in long jump competitions. “I’m feeling good,” she said. “I worked really hard during the off-season so I’m really hoping to do some good things.”

Terrace track and field Coach Archie Malloy, knowing that both Dubiel and Mervin have their sights set on individual state gold this spring, is liking what he sees out of the two right now.

“They look good,” Malloy said. “They’re ready to roll and they understand that it’s their senior year and their last shot at it. So they’re taking it in stride, literally, and they’re working hard. They’ve got some goals set for themselves and they’re going to do whatever they need to do to achieve those goals.”

So far, so good for Dubiel and Mervin during the early stages of the 2026 prep season. Both have finished first in every event they have competed in at the two three-team meets that Terrace has been a part of so far this spring. Dubiel won the girls 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles at both meets, in addition to being a part of a pair of winning relay teams. Mervin captured the girls long jump and 100-meter dash at both meets, plus was victorious in the 200-meter dash at the April 2 meet and as a member of a Terrace relay team at the March 26 meet.

Even with all the success the two Hawks are having this year, Malloy said he can still contribute to their continued growth by concentrating his coaching on the mental aspects of competing at a high level.

“A lot of times, especially in track and field, it’s that six inches between your ears that can get you more than anything else,” he said. “So there’s a lot of psychological coaching that goes on.”

Malloy noted that he also gives the two seniors some space to grow on their own and takes in their efforts much like a fan. “I get to sit back and enjoy the fruits of their hard work and their labor. And it’s just been a joy,” he said. “I remember watching those two on the track their freshman year, in preseason, doing some laps and warming up and knowing that they were something special back then.”

The coaching and encouragement that Malloy sends the way of Dubiel and Mervin doesn’t go unnoticed. “It’s nice to have someone who’s very supportive,” Mervin said. “He’s at the end of the finish line at every race, cheering us on.”

As seniors, this is the final time Dubiel and Mervin will have at winning WIAA state titles. But it is also the last year they will compete as teammates as both will fly off to separate colleges following the summer club season. Dubiel will be running at the University of Hawaii starting in August while Mervin will compete for Boise State University.

While Hawaii and Boise State are members of separate college conferences, the two schools often cross paths at large multi-team collegiate meets during the year. Dubiel is already looking forward to those opportunities to see Mervin.

“There are a couple of meets throughout the year that we will see each other at,” Dubiel said. “So that will be fun. It will be really weird not being with each other all the time but we’ll get to see each other every once-in-a-while.”

Until the two don the uniforms of their collegiate teams, Dubiel and Mervin will take in all of their final season together – pursuing big goals and enjoying their friendship — and perhaps, seeing each other win those much-sought-after state championships.

The next Mountlake Terrace Hawks meet will be a three-team affair against Edmonds-Woodway and Shorewood on April 16 at Edmonds Stadium. The 2026 WIAA 2A/3A/4A State Championship Meet is set for May 28-30 at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.