Staff report
Columbia Gorge News
THE GORGE — Hood River Valley (HRV) sprinter Matt Trickey added his name atop the Eagle’s track and field record list this past season when he clocked a 10.73-second time in the 100-meter dash.
The recently-graduated senior can now also claim the title as the all-time fastest sprinter in Gorge history — and he joins a handful of other Gorge-area athletes who added their names to the history lists (top eight, as if scoring a meet, see online).
Trickey was the lone Gorge-area high school athlete who earned first-place bragging rights in one of 15 individual events and two relays this past season. In 2025, The Dalles High’s River McClure (boys 300 hurdles), Trout Lake’s Sawyer Dean (boys pole vault), and The Dalles’ 4x100 relay of David McCracken, Derek Goulart, Julian Morehouse, and McClure took over top all-time spots in Gorge history.
Trickey’s coach at HRV, Kyle Turner, said attitude had a lot to do with his sprinters’ success.
“Matt is hard-working, consistent, and has always been very coachable. To me, coachable doesn’t just mean an athlete does what the coach asks, it’s the attitude they do it with,” Turner said. “A coachable athlete asks their coaches questions on what they can do to improve versus just questioning their coaches. Coachable is the athlete that gives maximum effort every day, demonstrating with their actions a trust in their coaches and the process. This is Matt Trickey.”
Trickey finished second in the 100 and 200 at the 2026 Northwest Oregon Conference district championships. He set the school’s all-time 100-meter time of 10.73 seconds in the May 20 preliminary round at Putnam High School. Two days later in the 200-meter final, Trickey ran a personal best 22.07 (the No. 2 time in school history behind Parker Irusta’s 21.95 set in 2016).
Trickey would go on to finish seventh in the 100 and 200 at the May 29-30, OSAA Class 5A state meet at historic Hayward Field in Eugene.
“In his four years at HRV, I don’t ever remember him questioning a workout, complaining about the weather, or a bad lane draw. When we asked Mat to run in the 4x400 relay after running three events, he never said no,” Turner said. “It didn’t matter who was on the team, if we needed Matt — he was always in, whether it was a small dual meet or conference championships. Matt is a true team player.
“Trickey is easy to root for. So, when he started running really fast times this year, I think everyone was very excited for Matt. What Matt did on the track this year was pretty exceptional. It is a testament to his hard work and great attitude, and couldn’t have happened to a better young man.”
The all-time list for the 100-meter dash among Gorge-area athletes goes as follows:
• Matt Trickey, HRV, 10.73a (2026)
• Robert Tilton, TD, 10.74 (2009)
• Marty Foster, Goldendale, 10.8 (1985)
• Mike Erland, Goldendale, 10.83c (1976)
• Brandon Montoya, Lyle, 10.84c (2018)
• David McCracken, TD, 10.92a (2026)
• Childers, Stevenson, 10.94c (1969)
• Jude Travinski, Stevenson, 10.95a (2026)
As for the 200-meter dash, the ranks are:
• Joe Bryant, TD, 21.74c (2009)
• Dan Daron, Stevenson, 21.85c (1979)
• Brandon Montoya, Lyle, 21.87 (2018)
• Parker Irusta, HRV, 21.95 (2016)
• Matthew Gray, Goldendale, 22.04a (2025)
• Matt Trickey, HRV, 22.07a (2026)
• Jude Travinski, Stevenson, 22.15a (2026)
• Ceasar Rodriguez, HRV, 22.26 (2013)

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