BELLINGHAM — The Birger Solberg Invitational in Bellingham brings 20 schools from across the state to compete in high school track and field events. The invite has been running smoothly for three years now and each of those three years, the girls track team of Marysville-Pilchuck has won the team title.

Coach Randy Davis was impressed with his team’s confidence.

“What always stands out to me is the way our athletes, male and female, compete and the confidence they have in their abilities,” said Davis. “Our team seems to be realistic enough to know that with good training comes a good performance given good competition.”

On the track, junior Alisha Oden took first in the 400 meters with a time of 16.26. In the 100 hurdles, Alexandra McDonald took first while Kiely Cordon placed sixth. McDonald came back for the 300 hurdles and placed second, while teammate Laina Weber followed behind in fourth place.

What really stood out was how effectively the girls relay teams executed. With a time of 51.21, Cordon, Oden, Cali Cull and Dacia Heckendorf won the 4×100 relay. The girls’ smooth handoffs had obviously been practiced extensively. The 4×200 relay team of Cull, Cordon, Farrah Bradley and Nicole Garcia took third with a time of 1:52.49. And finally the 4×400 relay team of Bradley, Heckendorf, Oden and Summer Cull produced a first-place finish with a time of 4:10.83.

In the field events, Jenna Welsh placed second with her throw of 126-02, and Sarah Clark registered a 9-06 mark for the pole vault to give her a second-place finish as well.

The boys placed ninth as team with solid performances by second-place finisher Mark Pangilinan in the 110 hurdles, Travis Sanderson’s second place in the 300m hurdles, the third-place 4×800 relay team of Ryan Lanphere, Steven Utt, Josh Rasmussen and Dillon Christensen, and Ryan Isbelle’s second-place mark in the high jump at 6-2.

Davis has been blessed with talent that keeps replenishing itself after a senior class has graduated.

“Track and field is hard work and only those athletes willing to sacrifice tend to hang in. We have been fortunate enough to have athletes who are willing to work hard and test themselves,” Davis said. “These kids have a great competitive spirit, so anything is possible by the end of the season.”