Horizon senior Valerie Bruggeman springs from the blocks at the start of a relay race. Bruggeman won the pole vault and was on the winning 4x400 relay as well.
Horizon senior Valerie Bruggeman springs from the blocks at the start of a relay race. Bruggeman won the pole vault and was on the winning 4x400 relay as well.
Mark B. Gibson photos
One of the Gorge’s top sprinters from White Salmon appears to be working her way into shape, a distance runner from The Dalles looks in mid-season form and the school traditionally with the largest spring sport turnout awaits its first competition.
Track and field is underway in some shape or form for all Gorge-area schools, most of which have either competed in their first meet or will do so this week. Area coaches note that turnouts overall are below average, but those competing in the COVID-shortened season have enjoyed favorable weather thus far.
Columbia High got an early jump on the season, as Washington schools started a couple of weeks earlier than their counterparts to the south. The Bruins participated in their fourth meet Friday, a three-way affair at Vancouver’s Seton Catholic, which also included Goldendale.
Columbia’s Hannah Polkinghorn led the highlights by lowering her personal best in the 200 meters to 26.37 seconds. The junior sprinter also won the 100 (13.05 seconds) and ran legs on the Bruins’ first place 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays.
Senior Makayla Fries joined Polkinghorn on the long relay and also ran a leg on the winning 4 x 200 relay. Fries finished second behind her teammate in the 200 and won the 400 in a season-best 1:04.27. Junior Chanele Reyes also ran long and short relay legs and won her individual specialties, the 100 hurdles (17.6) and 300 hurdles (49.76) — both season-best times.
On the boys side, seniors Juan Acosta and Angel Sanchez were double winners for Columbia. Acosta won the shot put and discus, the latter in a personal best 113-foot, 3-inches. Sanchez won the 100, long jump and ran legs on the Bruins’ 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 first-place relays. Versatile thrower Kevin Medina finished second in the shot, discus, and javelin; his 105-7.5 discus throw was a personal best.
Columbia will compete Friday in the Trico League Championships, also at Seton Catholic, followed a week later by the District 4 meet at the same location. The Bruin girls were fifth at the 2019 district meet and the boys sixth.
The Dalles opened its track and field season at home Friday, hosting Horizon Christian, Lyle and Klickitat. Distance runner Juan Diego Contreras, coming off a runner-up finish in the IMC district cross country meet earlier this month, looked in good form with personal bests in the 1500 and 800. He led teammates Nick Caracciolo and Leo Lemann to 1-2-3 finishes in both races, timing 4:18.4 in the 1500 and 2:08.71 in the 800.
Other notable boys efforts were by: The Dalles pole vaulter Taylor Morehouse, who won his specialty at 11-6; and the triple jump duel between two other juniors, Lyle’s Aaron Smith and Horizon’s Josh Rogers. Smith defeated Rogers 35-11.25 to 35-5 in the hop, step and jump.
Topping the girls results was Zoe Dunn’s 16-1.25 long jump for the host Riverhawks. Teammate Emily Johnson matched Contreras’ distance double, with a 2:46.39 in the 800 and 5:32.43 in the 1500. Horizon senior Valerie Bruggeman won the pole vault at 8-6, and teamed with Olivia Nickson, Sarah Winters and Grace Schreiber to win the long relay. Schreiber added a first place in the low hurdles.
Hood River Valley, and its 50-member squad, opens its season April 21 with a meet at Redmond High, along with The Dalles. The Eagles are led by 2019 Class 5A state champions, Poppy Miller and Henry Buckles. Miller won the pole vault and Buckles the shot put at the May 24-25, 2019, finals at Mt. Hood Community College.
For smaller Gorge schools, a series of Big Sky Conference meets begins Friday at Trout Lake, followed by another the next day at Arlington.
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