It was last-chance weekend for Gorge-area small schools as they prepared for this week’s District 3 track and field championships by attending meets in Oregon and Washington.
South Wasco County will host the district meet May 10-11; it will include Big Sky schools and others from Eastern Oregon. The top two finishers at district in individual events and relays will qualify for the 2024 Class 1A state meet at Hayward Field in Eugene. There are four other wild card berths statewide and qualifying standards which afford athletes another way to qualify for state.
The Trout Lake girls and boys are favored to win the district titles, based on results this season. The Mustangs and other area schools prepped for district by competing at a couple of meets this past week. Highlights by those meets include:
Watchmen Invitational May 4 at Newberg — Horizon Christian distance runners Brayden Strong and Noelle Stasak raced to personal bests at the meet at George Fox. Strong won the boys 800 in a personal best 2:10.05. Stasak won the girls 3000 in a PR 12:33.47 and then came back a few minutes later to run a leg on the Hawks’ 4x400 relay.
Sherman Invite May 4 at Moro — Sherman’s Henry Poirier won the boys discus in a PR 131-4. James Richmond cleared 9-0 to win the boys pole vault. Sophie Hulke swept the girls throws with a season best 33-3.75 in the shot, and a 103-9.5 in the javelin.
Regis Community Twilight May 3 at Stayton — Zebby Steltzer raced to a personal best in the 1500 of 4:36.33, and Cody Phillips ran the 100 hurdles in 18.32.
Pirate Invite May 3 at Bickleton, Wash. — Jason Hull of South Wasco County and Joshua Gifford of Bickleton raced to a photo finish in the boys 400 with Hull winning 56.87 to 56.89. Lyle’s Ezekiel Marble lowered his 300-meter hurdle best to 44.96. South Wasco’s Joey Holloway won the discus in a personal record 143-4. Teammate Bailey Udey won the girls triple jump in a PR 34-1.
NWOC meet at April 30 Hood River — Caleb Caldwell ran to a lifetime best in the boys 3000 of 9:38.46 for Horizon Christian. Also for the Hawks, Hannah Adams raced to bests in the girls 100 hurdles of 17.44 and 300 hurdles in 52.97, and Evelyn Tomka threw the girls javelin 96-7.
Cadet JV Invite April 30 at Yakima, Wash. — Austin Fink of Klickitat threw the boys shot 45-7 and discus 122-9. Marble won the 300 hurdles in 45.85, and teammate Lena Thiemann won the girls 110 hurdles in 18.75.
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