Prep girls track and field: Bravo, buoyed by faith, waiting for 'her time' in discus

May 9—RIDGEFIELD — She dons a glass crucifix necklace, never shying away from displaying it. Zaylee Bravo doesn't mince words when it comes to her faith.

Even though the Rainier High School senior is aiming for her third trip to the state track and field championships in Yakima — and already has a state medal — Bravo understands neither trip was meant for her to leave with a state title.

"God will provide when the time is right and when it is my time, I will succeed," the Rainier High School track and field star said. "It will come when it is deserved. When the time is right, He will make everything happen."

The time may be sooner rather than later.

Bravo uncorked a toss of 119 feet, 11 inches to reset her personal best in the discus and come away as the lone area girl to win an event at Friday's Spudder Invite held at Ridgefield High School.

After throwing 110-09 to win the Chehalis Activators nearly a month ago — which at the time was a PR — all Bravo has done since is break that mark four times and be on the verge of getting over 120-feet.

She now has the third farthest throw in Class 2B, behind District 4 foe Emalie Jacoby of Onalaska and Freeman's Logan Pecht.

"It is definitely amazing; I've been hitting PR's all practice and it is nice to finally see it translate to meets," Bravo said.

Her winning toss came on her second throw and three of her other throws were also over 110-feet. Bravo's technique continues to be honed in with league, district and state meets on the horizon. Friday's win was the seventh of the year.

Still, she believes her experiences at Zaepfel Stadium her freshman and sophomore seasons will prove beneficial in an expected return trip at the end of May. Especially after missing out last spring.

Despite the district being loaded for girls discus, Bravo left with a 'heartbreaking' feeling by not having her season continue. She placed fifth even with a mark of 106-08, three feet short of the 2025 best mark.

"Seeing the results that I'd placed at state, it sucked," Bravo said. "I knew I'd use it as motivation this year."

The Mountaineers finished inside the top-10 in the team race with 36 points, the second-highest 'B' program behind Naselle. Komarie Robles was their next highest finisher, second in the 3,200 in 12:00.62.

The sophomore also ran a PR in the 1,600 with a time of 5:22.38 in a loaded field. She led for much of the two-mile before Hockinson's Lyla Taylor ran a 1:24 sixth lap to break away.

Robles, consistently in the 1:20s for the first mile, crept into the 1:30s in three of her final four laps.

"I've been battling shin splints for the two-and-a-half weeks, especially wearing spikes isn't very helpful," Robles said. "I am proud of the growth I've made this season."

Friday marked just the fifth time she's run the longest race of a meet, but she did confirm she'll run the event in districts as well as state. Robles' primary goal is to place higher at state this year than she did last spring, which was eighth in the mile and fifth in the 3,200.