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With hundreds of prep student athletes from throughout Washington qualified for the WIAA 2A/3A/4A State Track & Field Championships — including 25 from the Edmonds School District — it’s sometimes difficult for family, friends and fans seated in the grandstands to spot their favorite competitor during the large, three-day meet.
But one Meadowdale senior should be easy to find; she’ll be the one doing handstands, backbends and other “random stuff” over at the high jump competition.
Zoe Grant is one of more than 12 athletes from Meadowdale, Edmonds-Woodway, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace High Schools heading to Tacoma this week for the state championships. And the senior is hoping that all the training she has put herself through will pay off in a big way.
“I really want to do well at State,” Grant said. “Last year, I made it to State but I didn’t do well. I really want to jump 5-4. Our school record is 5-3.”
The Mavericks’ senior is also counting on an unusual pre-jump routine to give her an edge over her competitors.
Keen observers will often catch Grant doing far-reaching backbends and gymnastic-style handstands prior to her run-up to the high jump bar. She said the practices are a way to both limber up her body and calm her spirit during competitions.
“The handstands — it just makes me feel like I’m ready to jump over the bar because I’m going upside down,” Grant explained. “(The backbend), it helps me go over the bar. It helps me work on my actual over-the-bar motion.”
And as for dealing with the anxiety that comes with competing, Grant admitted her pre-jump antics — which sometimes includes singing and random jumping — are used as a coping mechanism.
“I get really nervous when I jump, so I get really in my head. So when I feel like whenever I do stuff like that, I sing to myself and I jump around. The whole time I’m walking in circles. It just kind of calms me down,” she said.
Grant knows that her actions are a little unorthodox and nothing ever advised to her by a coach or supporter. “That’s just me. I think it helps,” she said.
“Sometimes my friends will be up in the stands and send me videos of me doing the most random stuff,” Grant added. “Or people will post running videos, and I’m just over here running in circles, doing handstands and I’m like, ‘What am I doing?’”
What Grant has been doing lately is earning top spots at postseason meets, including a first place in the Wesco League 3A South Conference meet on May 15 and a third place in the WIAA 3A District 1 meet last week.
Now heading back to the WIAA state meet where she placed 20th last year, Grant will be hoping for a career-best leap of 5 feet 4 inches and a top-eight podium finish this year — and a legacy in Meadowdale girls high jump history.
There could be a few more local student athletes earning their way onto the championship podium at this year’s WIAA state meet. Contenders include Mountlake Terrace’s Allison Mervin in the 3A girls triple jump, Lynnwood’s Ena Dodik in the 3A girls discus throw, Meadowdale’s Jakule Williams in the 3A boys triple jump, Mountlake Terrace’s Sierra Swan in the 3A girls javelin throw and Mountlake Terrace’s Brynlee Dubiel in the 3A girls 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles.
Competition in the WIAA 2A/3A/4A State Track & Field Championship meet at Mount Tahoma High School begins at 1 p.m. Thursday, May 28, and will continue through Saturday, May 30.
2026 WIAA 2A/3A/4A State Track & Field Championships, May 28-30 (Edmonds School District student athletes)
Thursday, May 28
– Ena Dodik (Lynnwood); 3A girls shot put, 1 p.m.
– Jaklye Williams (Meadowdale); 3A boys triple jump, 1:15 p.m.
– Brynlee Dubiel (Mountlake Terrace); 3A girls 100-meter hurdles preliminaries, 2:35 p.m. (3A girls 100-meter hurdles final, if qualified, on Friday, May 29, 11:15 a.m.)
– Edward Misomali (Meadowdale); 3A boys 100-meter dash preliminaries, 3:10 p.m. (3A boys 10- meter dash final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 11:25 a.m.)
– Nabie Sumah (Lynnwood); 3A boys 100-meter dash preliminaries, 3:10 p.m. (3A boys 100-meter dash final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 11:25 a.m.)
– Allison Mervin (Mountlake Terrace); 3A girls 100-meter dash preliminaries, 3:45 p.m. (3A girls 100-meter dash final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 11:40 a.m.)
– Haruna DiPippo (Mountlake Terrace); 3A girls 100-meter dash preliminaries, 3:45 p.m. (3A girls 100-meter dash final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 11:40 a.m.)
– Jane Miceli, Rayna Halloran, Kayla French, Aliah Karl (Edmonds-Woodway); 3A girls 4×200-meter relay preliminaries, 5 p.m. (3A girls 4×200-meter relay final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 10:30 a.m.)
– Zoe Grant (Meadowdale); 3A girls high jump, 5:30 p.m.
– Ava Van Horn (Edmonds-Woodway); 3A girls high jump, 5:30 p.m.
– Isabella Offerman, Rayna Halloran, Brooklyn Maxey, Aliah Karl (Edmonds-Woodway); 3A girls 4×400-meter relay preliminaries, 6:45 p.m.(3A girls 4×400-meter relay final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 4:45 p.m.)
Friday, May 29
– Allison Mervin (Mountlake Terrace); 3A girls long jump, 10 a.m.
– Monet Winfield-Sullers (Lynnwood); 3A girls long jump, 10 a.m.
– Tommy Brennan (Edmonds-Woodway); 3A boys 800-meter run preliminaries, 11:30 a.m. (3A boys 800-meter run final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 10:50 a.m.)
– Aliah Karl (Edmonds-Woodway); 3A girls 800-meter run preliminaries, noon (3A girls 800-meter run final, if qualified, on Saturday, 11:05 a.m.)
– Haruna DiPippo, Brynlee Dubiel, Crystal Garza, Allison Mervin (Mountlake Terrace); 3A girls 4×100 meter relay preliminaries, 1 p.m. (3A girls 4×100 meter relay final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 12:40 p.m.)
– Ali Schell, Rayna Halloran, Jane Miceli, Kayla French (Edmonds-Woodway); 3A girls 4×100-meter relay preliminaries, 1 p.m. (3A girls 4×100-meter relay final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 12:40 p.m.)
– Emily Rust (Edmonds-Woodway); 3A girls pole vault, 2:15 p.m.
– Ena Dodik (Lynnwood); 3A girls discus throw, 2:45 p.m.
– Kaydence Hanse, (Edmonds-Woodway); 3A girls discus throw, 2:45 p.m.
– Kevaughn Steich (Meadowdale); 3A boys 400-meter dash preliminaries, 2:45 p.m. (3A boys 400 meter dash final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 12:50 p.m.)
– Evan Laburguen (Mountlake Terrace) 3A boys 400-meter dash preliminaries, 2:45 p.m. (3A boys 400-meter dash final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 12:50 p.m.)
– Aliah Karl (Edmonds-Woodway); 3A girls 400-meter dash preliminaries, 3:15 p.m. (3A girls 400-meter dash final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 1:05 p.m.)
– Rayna Halloran (Edmonds-Woodway), 3A girls 400-meter dash preliminaries, 3:15 p.m. (3A girls 400-meter dash final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 1:05 p.m.)
– Nathan Schlack (Edmonds-Woodway), 3A boys 300-meter hurdles preliminaries, 3:45 p.m. (3A boys 300-meter hurdles final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 2 p.m.)
– Brynlee Dubiel (Mountlake Terrace), 3A girls 300-meter hurdles preliminaries, 4:15 p.m. (3A girls 300-meter hurdles final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 2:15 p.m.)
– Nabie Sumah (Lynnwood), 3A boys 200-meter dash preliminaries, 5:30 p.m. (3A boys 200-meter dash final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 3:10 p.m.)
– Kayla French (Edmonds-Woodway), 3A girls 200-meter dash preliminaries, 6:00 p.m. (3A girls 200-meter dash final, if qualified, on Saturday, May 30, 3:25 p.m.)
Saturday, May 30
– Sierra Swan (Mountlake Terrace), 3A girls javelin throw, 11 a.m.
– Reilly Brookhard (Mountlake Terrace), 3A boys 3200 meter run, 2:30 p.m.
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