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Lopez at inaugural Orcas track meet

Published 1:30 am Friday, May 15, 2026

Gene Helfman photos. Left: Senior Lobo Andris Meissner edges out an Orcas competitor to win the 400-meter run in a personal best time. Meissner also ran in both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. Right: Senior Elija Somers hurls a personal best javelin at the Orcas High meet. Somers also placed second in the 110-meter hurdles and third in the 100-meter dash, achieving personal best times in both.

Gene Helfman photos.

Left: Senior Lobo Andris Meissner edges out an Orcas competitor to win the 400-meter run in a personal best time. Meissner also ran in both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. Right: Senior Elija Somers hurls a personal best javelin at the Orcas High meet. Somers also placed second in the 110-meter hurdles and third in the 100-meter dash, achieving personal best times in both.

By Gene Helfman

Weekly contributor

The Lobos had the privilege of being first to compete at Orcas High’s renovated track facility on April 29. Lopez took podium positions in most events, placing first in both 1600-meter runs (Jack Bullock, Lulu Velazquez), men’s 200-meter and 400-meter runs (Daniel Valencia, Andris Meissner) and women’s long jump and high jump (Iris McLean, Kylie Willemson). Second-place honors went to Elija Somers (110 hurdles), Francis Jones (1600 run), Seamus O’Bryant (300 hurdles), Huck Henderson (long jump, discus), Aliyah Shaw (100 dash), Fatima Garcia (400 run), Ava Bennett (200 dash), Lola Woodington (discus) and Betty Burt (javelin). Finishing in third place were Burt (1600 run), McLean and Ian Cankusic (javelin), Fatima Garcia (100 dash), Beau Spreine (300 hurdles), O’Bryant (110 hurdles), Benjamin Stephenson (800 run, discus), Finn Post (400 run) and Somers (100 dash). Just about every Lobo achieved a personal best mark in at least one event.

A genuine milestone, celebrated by Lopez athletes and spectators alike, was victories in both 4×100 m relays, each by just over two seconds. The women’s team, who posted their fastest time of the season, consisted of McLean, Velazquez, Willemson and Bennett; the men were represented by Valencia, Meissner, Henderson and Stephenson. The same teams took second place in the 4×400 m relays. The Orcas facility is still under construction, and the discus competition was moved to Lopez the following day.

Post-season begins with the NorthWest 1B/2B District Championship at Coupeville, May 16.

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