High hopes ahead as BHS track season gets underway
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 11, 2026
The Bainbridge High School track and field team enters the 2026 season with more than 100 athletes on the roster and a strong group of returning state competitors. The Spartans will look to build on last year’s success as the girls aim to repeat as league and district champions and the boys seek to improve on their third-place league finish.
Jena Winger, in her first year as head coach after five years as an assistant, says the sport’s wide range of events creates opportunities for many different types of athletes.
“Track and field is unique because it’s a place where all kinds of athletes and talents can thrive,” Winger said. “Our goal is to build a culture where every athlete has the opportunity to pursue excellence at their own level.”
The girls’ team returns several league and district champions. Leading the group are returning state competitors Cate Torrell in the sprints, Evelyn Shutske and Savai Esarey in the middle and longer distances, and hurdler Sabine Hartenstine. Maya Zick also returns after competing on state relay teams last spring. Sophomore Maya Jimenez, the Bainbridge school record holder in the triple jump and last year’s state runner-up, is expected to contribute in multiple events this season.
On the boys’ side, the Spartans return several state competitors while welcoming an influx of new talent, especially in the sprint events. Distance runners Ignacio Llorens and Ryan Dodge both competed at the state meet last season, while Milo Kilby returns after competing in the pole vault. The sprint group is led by returning 4×400 relay athletes Seth Burke and Emmett Berg. Burke is a two-time state competitor who previously qualified in the 800 meters as a freshman.
The season opens March 14 with the Logan Relays, an early-season jamboree featuring Kingston, Olympic, Sequim, East Jefferson, North Kitsap, Port Angeles and Bainbridge. The meet offers a relaxed way to begin the season, with all running relays contested as co-ed events.
The top co-ed teams across running relays and field events earn the coveted Logan Relays T-shirts, provided each year by Cindy Logan in honor of her late husband, Pat Logan, who coached BHS track and died after suffering an apparent heart attack in November of 2008.
“Logan helped build a culture of excellence within the Bainbridge program and was especially known for developing standout 4×400 relay teams that became a hallmark of Spartan track,” a news release says.
Bainbridge will host its first and only home league meet March 19 against Sequim and North Mason. The meet will also serve as the program’s annual Senior Spotlight, recognizing the team’s 23 graduating athletes.
