Mullen Leavitt Invite kicks off track and field season

Athletes from 16 (mostly) Gorge-area schools competed under occasional sunny weather at the Wahtonka track complex. No team scores were kept, but Hood River and The Dalles were by far the two largest schools at the invite and that showed in most event results — especially on the track. Each school had four event wins in both girls and boys competition.

Dunn won the long jump and triple jump, was second in the 100 meters and ran a leg on the Riverhawks’ first-place 400 relay.

The senior’s performances hinted she is in more mid-season form vs. season-opening form. Her 34-foot, 7.5-inch triple jump was a personal best, as was her 13.74-second 100. Dunn’s best mark in the long jump for the day was 17-4, less than an inch off her personal best.

Contreras, a junior, dominated the 1500, winning by 15 seconds over Goldendale’s Alden Williams, and doubled back two hours later to win the 800 in 2:03.4. His 1500 time was 4:13.71.

Burns edged teammate Ethan Rhoads to win the 100 — both were timed in 12.08 — while Anthony Jara of The Dalles was third in 12.09. Burns, a junior, also won the long jump at 20-4 (a personal best) and was third in the triple jump at 37-7.75.

Woodruff, a sophomore, doubled in the 1500 and 800, winning the longer race in 5:19.37 and came back later in the 800 in 2:35.31.

Two of Woodruff’s teammates, Simone Tillman and Ximena Santillan, also were event winners. Tillman won the 200 in a personal best 26.64 and she finished second to Santillan in a fast 400, 1:01.79 to 1:01.95. The one-lap girls race featured a one-through-five HRV finish. Santillan was fourth in the 200 and ran a leg on the Eagles’ second-place (to The Dalles) 400 relay.

Hood River had two other boys winners: Aiden Cantrell in the 400 (57.14) and Kalvin Young in the 110 high hurdles (19.99). Other top marks or times for the Eagles included senior Sophie Kaden’s distance double; she was second in the 800 in 2:46.7 and third in the 1500 in 5:44.8. Freshman Logan King was second behind Contreras in the 800 in 2:15.8. Junior Lauraine Smith was third in the long jump at 14-4.75.

The Dalles boys won two other events: senior Taylor Morehouse won his specialty, the pole vault, at 13-feet; he also ran a leg on the Riverhawk 400 relay, which placed first at 46.46.