Staff report
Columbia Gorge News
THE GORGE – All signs are pointing to a showdown between the Trout Lake and Dufur girls track and field teams at the 2026 OSAA Class 1A District 3 championship meet next week.
The two teams are favored to finished 1-2 at district – based on times and marks so far this season. Echo, last year’s girls district meet team champion, also figures to be in the team title mix again this season.
Trout Lake won the girls team crown in 2024, two years after the Washington school joined the OSAA. Dufur won the girls title in 2022 and Echo won last season. The 2026 district meet is May 21 and 22 in Maupin.
Both Dufur and Trout Lake have two relays apiece that are ranked in the top 10 in 1A. Trout Lake junior Melody Stock is the defending district champion in the 1500-meter and 3000-meter runs – and the state leader in both events. Junior teammate Cora Sharp is ranked second in district in the 100 meters, first in the long jump, and she runs legs on the Mustang 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
Dufur has team depth in the distance races and talented sophomore Ellie Brock leads the league depth chart in the 200, 400 and 800. She won district titles in 2025 in both the 200 and 400. Thrower Hailee Pechanec is ranked second in district in the shot put and discus, and third in the javelin.
The Rangers competed at an invitational meet in Irrigon on May 5, when Brock ran a 2 minute, 27.57 800, and teammate Jacey Calloway won the 300 hurdles in 49.66 seconds. Pechanec added a PR throw of 101 feet, 1 inch in the discus.
Trout Lake had athletes at two meets last week. The Mustangs competed in the Al McKee Invite in Stevenson on May 8 and the next day at the Sherman County Invitational. Stock set a school record in the 3200 of 11:21.14 at Stevenson, and Sharp ran a season best 100 of 13.28. Senior pole vaulter Jade Mclean cleared a season best 9 feet, 9 inches.
At Irrigon, the Dufur boys had a PR day from Ian Pechanec in the 400 (54.33), and Zeb Stelzer’s distance double of a 4:26.44 1500 and 2:08.4 (PR) 800. The Trout Lake boys were led by senior Jayden Kusky, who extended his PR in the discus to 149 feet at the Al McKee Invite. He also won the shot put at 51-8.
Glenwood senior Shane Spino was an ironman for the Cougars, running a sprint triple on two days’ rest. Spino ran the 100 meters (11.94), 400 (53.78) and 200 (24.22) on May 5 at the Cadet JV Invitational in Yakima, WA. On May 8 at the Al McKee Invite, Spino once again ran the 100 (11.97), 400 (53.93) and 200 (24.40). For good measure he ran a leg on Glenwood’s 4x400 relay which clocked a season best 3:45.02. Xavier Cloud, Anthony Avila, Spino and Ciaran McCabe edged Horizon Christian School’s team of John Tu, Josh Carley, Judah Garrett, and Landon Whitaker (3:45.25). Â
McCabe ran 800s for Glenwood at both its meets - 2:11.17 and 2:09.99. Giana Jackson ran a personal best in the 200 at Stevenson of 28.43. She also long jumped 15-1 and 15-0 at Glenwood’s two meets. At the Cadet meet, Talon Cabral cleared 5-8 in the high jump and Wyatt Patterson threw the javelin 132-2.
Horizon competed twice last week, May 7 at a 5A Northwest Oregon Conference meet at Hood River Valley and a day later at the Al McKee Invite. Tu ran two personal bests at the HRV meet, including a 24.53 200. Junior Milo Bielen set a shot put school record for the Hawks at Stevenson of 46 feet, a half inch, and he also threw a lifetime best in the discus of 120-7. Carley, a sophomore, set a school record in the 1600-meter run of 4:45.33. Junior Sophia Tomka ran a PR in the girls 100 hurdles of 19.46.
Lyle-Wishram competed at Irrigon and Sherman last week. At Irrigon, horizontal jumper Jack Thiemann went vertical with a PR 5-6 high jump mark. He added a PR 19-7 long jump and 39-6 triple jump. Teammate Ezekiel Marble raced to lifetime bests in the 110 hurdles (15.89) and 300 hurdles (40.73). At Sherman County on May 9, Marble ran a PR 11.87 100 and a PR 53.59 400.
Sherman’s Renan Christensen threw the shot put a season best 47-9 to lead the Huskies in the field. On the track, Eli Pickard swept the sprints, winning the 100 meters in 11.57 and the 200 in 23.66. Sherman’s Chloe Simpson won the girls long jump at 15-0.25, the triple jump at 33-4, and the high jump at 4-10.
Simpson edged South Wasco’s Bailey Udey on fewer misses to win the high jump. Udey also was second in the triple jump (32-5) and won the 100 meters. The Redside boys were led by Ryker Thompson’s 38-8 PR in the triple jump; teammate Jason Hull won the 110 hurdles (16.28 PR) and the 300 hurdles.
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