South Whidbey's Reed Atwood wins three state track titles in Yakima

Reed Atwood’s three-state-title sweep in Yakima said as much about South Whidbey’s program as it did about one sophomore’s talent. By winning the 800 meters, 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters at the 1A state meet, Atwood gave the Falcons a benchmark performance that reflected years of coaching, training and depth across the island school’s distance group.

Atwood finished first in all three races under difficult conditions at Eisenhower High School’s Zaepfel Stadium, where temperatures climbed to 95 degrees and thunderstorms hit on the second day. Her 800-meter time of 2:14.17 was a personal best and a school record, adding to records she already owned in the 1,600 and 3,200. The sweep showed both range and composure, the kind of weekend that can separate a gifted runner from a state champion who can sustain effort across three demanding events.

The performance also highlighted the support system around her. Atwood credited South Whidbey coach Doug Fulton and teammate Rowan Jung, a South Whidbey senior, as important influences in her development. That matters on Whidbey Island, where a standout athlete often emerges from a program that has to build its own competitive culture, event by event, without the advantages of a large-school roster.

Atwood’s run in Yakima did not come out of nowhere. She won the 1A state girls cross-country championship in Pasco in 18:51 in the fall of 2025, more than 30 seconds ahead of the runner-up, after placing fifth at state as a freshman in 2024. She had also already won the state 800 title the year before, making this spring a continuation of an elite stretch rather than a single breakout.

South Whidbey’s team results reinforced that picture. The girls placed fifth at the 2026 1A state track meet, and the boys finished third, helped by field-event strength and relay depth. That followed a 2025 season when the boys were third and the girls fourth, a result coach Mark Eager called one of the best all-around performances he could remember. Eager also said he did not remember both South Whidbey teams reaching the podium to trophy since he began coaching there in 2002.

Atwood’s 2026 outdoor marks, listed by Athletic.net at 2:14.17 in the 800, 4:53.24 in the 1,600 and 10:58.06 in the 3,200, put her among the state’s most complete distance runners. Her next stop is Nike Outdoor Nationals at Hayward Field in Eugene, scheduled for June 18-22, where the South Whidbey sophomore will carry the island’s profile onto a larger stage.