The Tyee and Evergreen track and field teams were at it in sleet, hail, sunshine, and rain, altogether on the Highline stadium turf, black rubber and Cintrex sand field event areas -- and let's not forget those danger-zone javelin competitors way out back in the baseball diamond area of Mosier Field all Friday afternoon.

Best at competing was Charles Seriser, a senior distance runner for the Totems who won it in 4:48.32 over his closest foe, Jan Wnek of Hazen leaning a little later, in 4:49.82.

"It was a good race but not my best race," said Serisier.

Serisier's best time is actually much faster than what he ran in this dual meet against Renton who beat the Totems, 120-24 for boys and 117-14 for girls.

"I ran a 4:26 at state," said Serisier. If one adds that time in with the state's best other times is eighth best in the state last year.

So, it was 20 some seconds off Serisier's best, but his best showings will be coming in the 3-4 dual meets left this season in the Seamount League and then the real show of talent hopefully comes out after that, in the league championship meet and then the district and then the state meet in Pasco.

"This is the beginning of the season, you want to progress," said Serisier, who has a goal for himself.

"I want to run a 4:22 this season," he said.

Why that number in particular?

"I felt good at that level last year and it is a reachable goal," he said.

He is also going to be happier when teammate, junior, Chris Stone gets back from injury.

"We run about the same time," said Serisier.

Serisier also ran the 800 meter run and took first in it in 2:11, a good seven seconds ahead of second place.

The Evergreen Wolverines' best showing was superstar in the making, Vicente Cordova, winning the high jump and clearing 6-2, and, Naomi Afereti, throwing the shot put 32-11. Also, right behind Violina Vili was putting the shot 31-9 and Seutasia Hafoka was third behind them, in 30-2.50.

"We are all in this together," said Afereti, one of these three juniors.

"It's from the Disney channel, a movie called 'High School Musical.' It's kind of like Grease," said Afereti.

Afereti, because of her religous beliefs (Seventh Day Adventist), could not do much after the season but in the discus at the league championship meet she took fifth last year and only the top two go. So, she was not missing out on getting to go. But this year she should improve.

"I am going to get a waiver signed so I can compete," said Afereti.

There was one other girl that ran over to get her picture taken, too, and being nice to the newcomer to the sport who may not throw as far as the three others. The others took in Lizzie Rasmussen for a picture of all four.

"You can't be in it," they said at first.

"Ah, come on," said Rasmussen.

"Nah, you're just a sophomore," they said.

"No, I'm not, I'm a junior," said Rasmussen.

"Oh, c'mon," they all said.

It was true what Vili said next of this threesome that became a foursome.

"We are like family," she said.

Ironically, too, it's these four that were helping make a difference in the off-season.

"We were just telling them to come out and that we have fun," said Afereti.

And Rasmussen is a newcomer, so let's ask her if she is having fun?

"Yeah," she said, smiling with Afereti, Vili, Hafoka laughing and smiling and having fun too after the quick picture.

These four are a reason why there were 16 total boys and girls last year on the Evergreen team but have a different number out this year.

"We have 36 total out this year," said coach Tyrone Curry. "It's going good. We got a big squad this year. There are some good new kids."

One good new athlete is Barci Thomas, a junior sprinter.

"Some new kids are adding to our team," said Curry.

He was 12.27 in the 100 meter run to start the season in last week's jamboree. And he's improving?

"Yeah, I am actually getting better," said Thomas

"I am running laps, doing push ups, sit ups," he said. He just missed first in the 200 meter run, he led until the stretch and couldn't hold off the Hazen runner.

Curry was watching and had some pointers as he commented after the race.

"We talked about running upright, he has got to get a little lean on that at the end," he said.

Thomas time was 24.54 and the winner was 24.26.

Jeanette Hughes is only a freshman for the Wolverines, but she was right there.

"She took second. She led out of the blocks but was not able to hold off at the end," said Curry.

Hughes knows things are different from middle school where she was very, very good at that level.

"I won every race," she said. "I never lost."

"She has real quickness,' said Curry. "She's going to be real good."

"It's new and exciting for me," said Hughes. "I plan on beating 12 seconds by next year. I plan on running all of high school."

Baylin Mills, a junior, also was mentioned as a runner and thrower and relay runner that will help out the Wolverines and Kirt Terry is having fun as well.

"Mills is a returner, and Kirt will help up in the long jump, triple jump and relays," said Curry.

The other best efforts were all those three girls, as Hafoka threw 80-11 in the javelin for second place and Vili was third in 77-7. In the discus it was Vili first in 90-07 and Afereti just behind in 90-05, fourth was Hafoka in 74.03. So, counting the shot, those girls were with two or three top three places in all those events.

Kristie Bowler was second for the girls of Tyee in the 400-meter run in 1:07.93.

Tyee coach Bob Guenther said the team was young, mentioning Josh Bonita and Nick Allegrio, throwing discus, shot put, javelin.

"We are young," he said.

Echoing that was running coach Ny'Ika Long.

"We've got a young team, that's the beauty of it. They are going to blossom into something special," he said. The track program numbers are up."

He mentioned sophomores Nancie Fantin and Ashley Grams as ones to watch in the future.