High-school athletes cannot letter in two sports during one season.
But that essentially is what Riley Dopps has attempted.
The South Kitsap junior has balanced track events with club soccer throughout the spring. Wolves coach Joanne Warren said that has left Dopps fatigued, but now she mostly is able to focus on track.
“It’s just a matter that she’s rested now,” Warren said. “I still think there’s more in her.”
Dopps placed first in the girls 400-meter dash in 58.24 seconds Wednesday during the first day of the Narrows League Championships at South. She narrowly outlasted Shelton’s Brenna Thompson, the defending league champion, who finished in 58.28.
“She kicked my butt at the dual meet (April 29) at Shelton,” Dopps said. “I knew she was my biggest competition.”
Her time might have broken the school record when it is adjusted against the old hand-timed marks. Wolves athletic director Ed Santos said he planned to examine it.
Dopps said the league’s new format made it easier on her. Instead of having preliminaries and finals, runners were seeded in two heats and the top six placers qualify for the West Central District meet next week at Mount Tahoma.
“It’s definitely nice knowing I don’t have to go out there and do it again until districts,” Dopps said.
It was the only first-place finish for South, but the team could have had more. Multiple sources confirmed that three boys — seniors Leon La Deaux and Kadir Perez and junior Isaiah Davis — and one girl, senior Karinne Nelson, were suspended for the meet because of a violation of the school’s athletic code.
La Deaux was the defending league champion in the 300 hurdles and also placed second last year in the 110 hurdles. Davis won the long jump and placed second in the high jump at the same meet. All four participated on relay teams this year.
Warren declined to comment on the disciplinary action and whether the athletes would return this season — West Central District rules could allow them to compete in relays as alternates — but did address its impact on the program.
“It’s a great learning opportunity for the kids who are going to here next year,” she said. “We have a really, really young group. We had some kids really come on strong and it’s really going to be a pleasure to work with them.”
Junior Bethany Sanchez was the only South competitor who placed two individual events. She was third in the long jump at 16 feet, 8 inches and was fifth in the 100 dash in 12.92. She also runs on the relay team that finished fourth in 50.31.
“I beat my record by six inches,” said Sanchez, referring to the long jump. “I knew I had a good jump, I just didn’t know it was that good.”
Most of the Wolves’ success came in field events. Junior Dana Goularte was second in the high jump at 5-02, while sophomore Kelsie Forcier was third in the discus at 104-10.
Senior Erika Copeland also advanced to districts after placing fourth in the 800 run in 2:21.78.
“With my girls team, there’s talent all over the place,” Warren said.
Only two boys advanced to districts during the league meet’s first day. Senior Andrew Crock was fourth in the 800 run in 1:59.74, and junior Nathan O’Guin was sixth in the 400 dash in 51.52.
More competitors will have an opportunity to advance when the meet concludes Friday.
Narrows League Championships
Day 1 at South Kitsap High School
Top six to West Central District meet
Girls
100: 1, Iesha Holt (CK) 12.49; 2, Ebony Barnes (MT) 12.52; 3, Tasia Baldwin (F) 12.65; 4, Nyzhe Primas (BP) 12.91; 5, Bethany Sanchez (SK) 12.92; 6, Shaniece Latham (W) 12.93. 400: 1, Riley Dopps (SK) 58.24; 2, Brenna Thompson (She) 58.28; 3, Alexis Fesenbek (Oly) 59.31; 4, Kelsey Tracy (Sta) 59.57; 5, Maria Abando (Sta) 59.69; 6, Primas (BP) 60.77. 800: 1, Kelly Williams (GH) 2:19.23; 2, Daryl Phill (BP) 2:19.62; 3, Shannon Moskowitz (CK) 2:19.96; 4, Erika Copeland (SK) 2:21.78; 5, Kara Sherman (Oly) 2:21.79; 6, Mariah Steen (Oly) 2:22.52. 3,200: 1, Maureen Tremblay (GH) 11:26.3; 2, Izze Arens (BP) 11:32.22; 3, Erin Hull (GH) 11:33.73; 4, Cara Saxon (GH) 11:34.52; 5, Sarah Johnson (She) 11:34.87; 6, Clare Kane (Oly) 11:36.58. 100 hurdles: 1, Caitlyn Rowland (GH) 15.09; 2, Ashleigh Chambers (MT) 15.52; 3, Tayler Fettig (Oly) 15.72; 4, Emily Walters (Oly) 16.21; 5, Tiara Mays-Neal (L) 17.17; 6, Suzanna Barnett (Sta) 17.26. 400 relay: 1, Olympia 49.28; 2, Gig Harbor 49.38; 3, Central Kitsap 49.86; 4, South Kitsap 50.31; 5, Mount Tahoma 50.39; 6, Lincoln 50.86. High jump: 1, Fettig (Oly) 5-02; 2, Dana Goularte (SK) 5-02; 3, Sarah Stoker (Oly) 5-0; 4, Tara Ramsey (She) 5-0; 5, Lexi Marriott (L) 5-0; 6, Courtney Jost (BP) 5-0. Long jump: 1, Walters (Oly) 17-10.25; 2, Brittany Werner (GH) 17-01; 3, Sanchez (SK) 16-08; 4, Kentara Brown El (L) 16-06.25; 5, Kristy Coughlin (She) 16-03; 6, Nkeiruka Medani (BP) 16-0. Discus: 1, Michelle Davis (She) 108-05; 2, Kellie Lind (GH) 104-11; 3, Kelsie Forcier (SK) 104-1; 4, Hannah Fabert (GH) 102-05; 5, Briana Carlin (BP) 102-02; 6, Siatunuu Tuupo (F) 98-06.
Boys
400: 1, Marcus Chambers (F) 48.84; 2, Derek Titus (BP) 50.41; 3, Calvin Chandler (BP) 50.43; 4, Austin Roth (Oly) 51.25; 5, Nick Lanier (GH) 51.43; 6, Nathan O’Guin (SK) 51.52. 800: 1, Zackery Weber (CK) 1:58.46; 2, Spencer Payne (GH) 1:58.69; 3, Brendan Franz (BP) 1:59.09; 4, Andrew Crock (SK) 1:59.74; 5, Will Drinkwater (GH) 2:00.03; 6, Sam Fleckenstein (Oly) 2:00.46. 3,200: 1, Shane Moskowitz (CK) 9:35.7; 2, Brent Felnagle (BP) 9:39.23; 3, Conner Peloquin (GH) 9:39.92; 4, Nate Brennand (Oly) 9:40.15; 5, Casey Peloquin (GH) 9:40.83; 6, Michael Thorsen (CK) 9:43.57. 110 hurdles: 1, Isaiah Bennett (GH) 15.42; 2, Chris Herron (GH) 15.93; 3, Charlandez Powell (MT) 16.29; 4, Zigquille Mabry (W) 16.41; 5, Martese Hightower (BP) 16.54; 6, Isaiah Martin (W) 16.71. 400 relay: 1, Lincoln 43.48; 2, Olympia 43.55; 3, Wilson 43.85; 4, Central Kitsap 43.89; 5, Gig Harbor 44.01; 6, Shelton 44.11. Pole vault: 1, Jay Watermeyer (BP) 13-03; 2, Matt Hankins (Oly) 12-06; 3, Bryton Rodgers (She) 11-06; 4, Brandon Waters-Morales (W) 11-0; 5, Anthony Noakes (BP) 11-0; 6, William Hoza (Oly) 11-0. Long jump: 1, Hunter Trunk (GH) 20-01; 2, George Roberts (She) 20-0; 3, Brandon Gagliardi (GH) 19-08.5; 4, Aaron Sullivan (MT) 19-01; 5, My’Kyeke Cheatham (W) 19-00.5; 6, Steven Gee (Oly) 18-11. Shot put: 1, Dan Henehan (W) 51-05; 2, Kyle Peart (W) 50-06.5; 3, Griffin Boudia (Oly) 48-0; 4, Cody Tarver (She) 46-02; 5, Quincy Gray (L) 45-03.75; 6, Phoung Troung (MT) 44-11.25. Javelin: 1, Quinn Hale (BP) 196-1; 2, Nick Laketa (GH) 171-1; 3, Jon Ownby (She) 164-01; 4, Zac Fennel (She) 159-08; 5, Tommy Joyce (BP) 158-0; 6, Doug Parker (BP) 156-07.
