Eastlake’s Wilems wins state track championship in 800 meters

From a sixth-place finish at the state meet as a freshman to standing atop the podium as a sophomore, Eastlake’s Aubrey Wilems has quickly emerged as one of Washington’s premier distance runners.

On May 30, Wilems captured the Washington state championship in the 800 meters, crossing the finish line in a personal-best 2:08.91.

The title came less than a year after she won the Washington cross-country state championship last fall, becoming the first individual cross-country state champion in Eastlake High School history.

Entering this year’s state track and field championships, Wilems carried high expectations. She was considered the favorite in the 1600 meters and one of the top contenders in the 800 meters.

After a disappointing fourth place performance in the 1600-meter race,  Wilems was frustrated. Instead of letting the setback define her weekend, she used it as motivation.

She returned the next day to post the fastest qualifying time in the 800-meter preliminaries. Wilems entered Saturday’s 800-meter final still carrying nerves but fueled by a renewed sense of determination. From the opening gun, she took control of the race, winning by nearly two seconds.

“That capacity to come back 48 hours later from a tough race on day one is one of the most impressive accomplishments I’ve been a part of in 26 years of coaching,” said Eastlake coach Troy Anderson.

When asked what changed most over the past year, Wilems offered a simple explanation.

“Honestly, just training harder,” Wilems said. “Also, being a freshman, I had just come from middle school, so it was definitely a very different environment.”

Her training reflects that commitment. Wilems runs six days a week and logs up to 40 miles during peak training periods. She also strength trains two to three times per week to stay healthy and prevent injuries. Some workouts stretch to nine miles and demand as much mental toughness as physical endurance.

Anderson believes her greatest strength extends beyond her physical abilities.

“Her consistency and ability to work very hard when the workout calls for it and also recover when that is the plan,” Anderson said. “She has an outstanding work ethic.”

While hard work has fueled much of her success, Wilems said the relationships she has built through running have been equally important. Although she competed in track during middle school, she said she truly fell in love with the sport in seventh grade.

“I feel like I started to get better, and I also just made a ton of friends and realized there’s a community behind the actual running aspect of it,” she said.

That sense of community is why she continues to enjoy the sport. She credits Eastlake’s supportive culture with helping her manage the pressure that comes with competing at a high level.

“It would be very stressful and a lot of pressure if I didn’t have a team,” she said.

The support of her teammates, combined with disciplined training, helped fuel a breakthrough sophomore season. Between her cross-country state title and 800-meter championship, Wilems established herself as one of the state’s elite distance runners.

Despite her accomplishments, she believes there is still more to achieve. Next year, Wilems hopes to win a state title in the 1600-meter event while defending her crowns in both the 800 meters and cross country.

With two years of high school competition still ahead of her, Wilems’ rise from sixth-place finisher to state champion may be only the beginning.

“The sky is the limit for Aubrey,” Anderson said.