THE DALLES — The Dalles seniors Julian Morehouse and River McClure, and junior Derek Goulart will be chasing history — in slightly different circumstances — at this week’s Tri-Valley Conference (TVC) track and field championships in Prineville.
Each athlete is favored in his specialty in the six-team district meet at Crook County High School, May 21-22. One owns a school record and is chasing an all-time state record. One is an inch shy of a school record. And the third is chasing family bragging rights. Together they formed three of the four legs of The Dalles’ fastest 4x100 meter boys relay team this season (along with David McCracken).
McClure set the school record on May 9 in the 300 meter intermediate hurdles of 37.89 seconds (No. 2 all-time in Class 4A). The all-time 4A best is 37.38, set last season by Baker High’s Rasean Jones. Goulart cleared 6 feet, 6 inches in the high jump — also on May 9 — one inch shy of the school record. Morehouse cleared 14-6 in the pole vault (four times this season, including May 9 at the same Dean Nice Invitational meet in Gresham). He is No. 2 in his family behind older brother’s, Taylor, high school best of 15-0, and No. 3 in school history.
Along with McCracken, the three athletes ran the league’s second-fastest short relay time this season of 43.21, which is No. 4 on the school’s all-time list. They’ll lead Coach Garth Miller’s Riverhawks at district, which begins May 21 at 3:30 p.m. with field events. A day later, field events are scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. and running events at 12:30 p.m.
The Dalles has numerous athletes ranked among the top 10 in the district, including McCracken, who is ranked No. 2 in the boys 100 and 200. Tyler Irving figures to score points (top eight finishers) in the 110 hurdles; Noah Preston is ranked No. 4 in the 400; and he joins a balanced group of distance runners who could score points in the 800 through 3000. Tyson Long is ranked second in each of those races; Aiden Erickson is ranked third in the 3000; and Trey Hodges is No. 4 in the 1500.
Leading The Dalles’ girls team is a deep group of javelin throwers led by freshman Willow Ziegenhagen, the top-ranked Tri-Valley thrower. Lacey Hoylman is ranked No. 3, and Kestley Hodges No. 5. Alaina Casady is ranked third or better in the 800 through 3000 and is the defending district champion and returning state placer in the 1500 and the 3000.
Senior, first-year trackster Sydney Newby is ranked second in the high jump at 5-0, and Ziegenhagen is No. 3 at 4-10. Senior Rowena Benjamin is No. 3 in the Tri-Valley in the pole vault and No. 6 in the high hurdles. Teammate Olivia Prado has the third-best long jump mark in district at 16-7 and the No. 6 mark in the triple jump.
The Dalles boys were fourth at district last season and the Riverhawk girls were second; Crook County won both titles and is favored to do the same this season — based on qualifying marks and times thus far.
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.