Trout Lake duo finishes 1-2 in 1A state pole vault

Trout Lake’s vaulters, under the ever-watchful eyes of Coach Joe Dean (Sawyer’s dad), took full advantage of the school’s indoor vault runway this season — especially when Gorge snow continued through mid-April. The Mustang duo also went 1-2 at the District 3-1A meet two weeks ago.

Trout Lake teammate Trevor Collins, a junior, also competed at state, and his hard work this spring paid off when he finished ninth in Friday’s 800-meter final — in a near-personal best 2 minutes, 10.5 seconds. Trout Lake’s boys scored 18 points to place 14th (tie).

The two-day meet played out on Hayward’s revamped, state-of-the-art facility under mostly partial cloudy skies with some rain showers on Thursday and a beautiful, mostly sunny 65-degree evening on Friday. The meet returned to Hayward Field after a three-year absence as the stadium was being rebuilt for an estimated $280 million.

The versatile Hulke, whose dedication to the sport included attending a summer throws camp in 2021, won the girls discus by more than four feet at 102-10 on Thursday. Hulke, a three-sport athlete, also was a non-placing 10th in the javelin Thursday. Sherman teammate Morgan Geary, a junior, popped a personal-best throw of 105-8 on her first attempt in the javelin, which placed her sixth in the event for Coach Samantha Roberts-Smith.

Other top finishes at state were those by Horizon Christian’s Alex Whitaker, Augustina (Gus) Decker and Caleb Yuan. Whitaker, a senior, finished third in the shot put at 41-8.25 on Thursday. Decker, a senior, was fourth in Thursday’s first event, the 3000, in a 13-second personal best and school record, 12:06.81. She doubled back on Friday in the 1500, finishing sixth in another school record, 5:35.8. Yuan, a junior, placed third in the 110-meter high hurdles in 17.48 seconds and fifth in the 300 intermediates in 44.93.

Lyle senior Aaron Smith was fifth in the long jump at 19-3 on Thursday and also competed concurrently in the javelin and triple jump on Friday evening. Smith threw the javelin 148-5 to finish eighth in that event and was fourth in the triple at 40-8.25. Teammate Hannah Lind was seventh in the 300 low hurdles (52.6).

South Wasco was led by senior Oscar Thomas, who was sixth in the javelin at 152-2 and eighth in the discus. Teammate Holly Miles was eighth in the triple jump at 29-7.25, and Macy Bell tied for seventh in the high jump at 4-6.

Dufur’s girls team, which won the District 3 team championship two weeks ago, placed in a tie for ninth at state  — the top finish of Gorge teams — with 22 points. The Rangers were led by senior Brooke Beachamp, who placed fourth in the javelin with a throw of 111-0, and multi-event performers Emily Crawford and Ashley Beal. Crawford was sixth in Friday’s 400 final, sixth in the long jump (14-11.75), eighth in the 200 (28.24), and anchored the Rangers’ eighth-place 4x400 relay (4:45.94). Also on the relay was fellow senior Beal, who was fourth in Thursday’s long jump final at 15-3.25, and frosh Peyton Wallace and Aileen Carrillo.

Also placing from Gorge schools were Dufur’s Marshall McLaughlin, who was eighth in the 100, and Klickitat’s Austin Fink (8th, shot put).

The Adrian boys and Damascus Christian girls won the 1A team titles.