Staff report
Columbia Gorge News
THE DALLES — The Dalles High School kicked off its 2026 track and field season by hosting the Mullen Leavitt invitational at the Wahtonka campus March 19, an opportunity to showcase almost three weeks worth of training.
For The Dalles and first-year head Coach Jill Pearson, that meant 64 athletes (out of a total of 78) earning times or marks at this season’s first meet. A dozen teams competed on the enjoying a windy, rainless, cloudy day, and it was a long one. The final event — the 4x400-meter relay — took place under stadium lights.
Pearson said the Riverhawk coaching staff is trying to “build a stronger team mentality in what otherwise can feel like a very individual sport.”
“Today is just kind of a good day to get marks and continue to build general good habits,” she said while encouraging some of her 200-meter runners.
“There’s a lot of excitement. The fact that the boys podiumed (top four teams) last year at state, I think was a surprise; it wasn’t anything they even had on their radar,” Pearson said. “And, so, the ones that have returned, I think that they’ve returned with a sense of like ‘Oh, I think collectively we might be able to do something more’.”
The school has a sports collective with Dufur, which means the schools can practice together and share coaches, which is benefiting both programs, according to Pearson.
The Dalles boys, who tied for fourth place at last spring’s OSAA Class 4A state meet, won four track events and one relay at Mullen Leavitt. Senior Tyson long, the runner-up at the 2025 state meet in the 800, continued his dominance, winning the race in 2 minutes, 4.8 seconds. Later in the meet, he also won the 3,000 meters in a personal best 9:30.81.
Teammate Derek Goulart won the 200 in 23.82 and was second in the high jump. Goulart, Patrick Rankin, Raul Rosales-Garfias and Nathan Corson-Burnett combined to win the 4x100 relay in 46.32. Rankin came back to finish second to teammate Noah Preston in the 400 and later ran a personal best in the 300 hurdles.
Junior Adam Trosper had two personal bests in the field events: he was third in the discus at 127-3 and fifth in a competitive shot put at 37-6.
The Riverhawk girls won six of the 14 individual events and one of two relays — the 4x100 — where four teams finished within less than a second of each other.
Among the individual winners for The Dalles were Willow Ziegenhagen, who ran a leg on the short rely, winning the high jump at 4-10, and the javelin in a personal best 127-8 as well. Additionally, she took the 400 in a lifetime best of 1:03.62.
Laura Black also ran a relay leg on the 4x100 and won the 100 in a personal best of 13.71, edging teammate Gabriela Dominguez (13.74). Black added another personal best in the pole vault at 8 feet. Sophomore Flamingo Duyck won the 800 in a PR 2:30.87.
Ziegenhagen’s high jump win paced a 1-2-3-4 Riverhawk sweep in the event, which included personal bests from Rozlyn Elliott, Alondra Romero, and Eliza Vaught. Evelyn Rogers, who finished third in the javelin behind runner-up Bryce Newby, won the shot put at 30-5.75. Lillen Vaught won the 100 hurdles (18.91).
Also of note were the winning throws in the boys javelin and discus. Christopher Humphreys of 2A Heppner won the javelin in a personal best 191-1 (a 13-foot PR); Miguel Guiterrez of 3A Umatilla won the discus at 150-9 (a 12-foot PR).
Pearson said the district meet (Tri-Valley Conference) will be much different this season without perennial contender Crook County in the field. (The school was moved up to the Class 5A ranks this past fall because of enrollment gains.)
“The league outlook? Crook County is not in the league any more,” Pearson acknowledged. “Speaking of building a strong team mentality, nobody does it better. That’s one of our goals this season.”
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