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By René Ferrán 

Form held mostly true on Day 1 of the OSAA track and field championships at historic Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene. 

The first day of the three-day meet is reserved for the small schools, and the Class 3A, 2A and 1A athletes reveled in their time spent at the freshly renovated facility, which will hold the World Athletics Championships this summer.

“I was hoping to come to Hayward, and it’d be everything that people had talked about,” said Columbia Christian senior Makena Houston, who broke the 2A girls meet record in winning the 3,000 meters. “The energy here, it really is just a magical place.” 

In all, 21 of 28 top seeds won their events Thursday, and all but two advanced to Friday’s finals.

De La Salle North Catholic sophomore Mia Rhodes sustained an injury in her Class 3A 100 prelim and had to drop out of the 200 as well.

Coquille senior Gunnar Yates was disqualified from the Class 2A boys meet after winning his 100 prelim when he cut short his 400 prelim after aggravating a hip injury in the 100. The (Coos Bay) World reported that he received faulty advice before the race that led to his disqualification.

3A Boys

Harrisburg took an early lead after four events with 25 points, thanks in large part to sophomore Terek Logan leading a 1-4-5 finish in the pole vault by clearing 12 feet, 6 inches, on his final attempt to win the competition.

La Pine sits in second with 21 points, with senior Stephen Machin getting the first of what he hopes will be two titles with a dominant victory in the shot put.

Machin saved his best for last, going 50-3 in the fifth round before going 50-6¼ on his final throw.

“It was raining, the nerves were kicking in, and the ring was slick,” Machin said. “I just wanted to get a good mark and then have fun the rest of the day. The last one, I was thinking (how) it was the last throw of my high school career, so just to go after it.”

Other Day 1 champions were Warrenton senior Zander Moha in the 3,000 and Riverdale senior Sam Veverka in the long jump.

Pre-meet favorite Catlin Gabel did nothing to hurt its chances, advancing seven runners out of prelims into Friday’s finals. 

2A Boys

Twin brothers Hunter and Trevor Angove gave Bandon the early lead in the competition, with Hunter winning the pole vault and Trevor the long jump to help the Tigers post 26 points on Day 1.

Regis senior Cameron Diacetis threw a four-foot personal best to win the shot put in 50-0¾, and Enterprise senior Zac Knapp broke the meet record in winning the 3,000.

1A Boys

Glendale senior Elijah Wytcherley went 1 for 2 in his bid for four state titles this week, coming from behind to win the high jump but falling one inch shy of beating Days Creek junior Keith Gaskell in the long jump.

Trout Lake freshman Sawyer Dean became the first Washington athlete to win an OSAA state title by clearing 13-2 in the pole vault. Trout Lake is one of several Columbia Gorge schools to join the OSAA in 2019.

Days Creek senior Greg Reedy won the shot put to help his school share the overnight lead with Joseph. St. Stephen’s Academy senior Colin Friend won the 3,000 in meet-record time. 

3A Girls

Megan Cover maintained Catlin Gabel’s dominance of the distance events by cruising to victory in the 3,000, helping the Eagles hold the lead by a half-point over Sutherlin after the first day. A Catlin Gabel girl has won at least one distance race in every OSAA state meet since 2017. 

She was joined atop the medals podium by freshman Caroline Mauro, who beat pre-meet favorite Mallory Turner of Sutherlin in the high jump on a tiebreaker after both cleared 5-3.

Willamina junior Hallee Hughes won the discus and javelin titles and will go for a sweep of the throwing events in Friday’s shot. Cascade Christian junior Autumn Murray won the long jump.

2A Girls

Coquille junior Trinidy Blanton won the javelin on her final throw, climbing from third with a toss of 122-7 to help the Red Devils grab the lead after the first day.

Blanton, who won the 1A javelin at the culminating-week event last spring before transferring from Powers over the summer, also took fourth in the long jump behind Regis senior Whitley Stepp and made the finals in the 100 and 200.

Other first-day champions were Monroe senior Laura Young in the discus and Gervais sophomore Olivia Boyd in the high jump.

1A Girls

As expected, Damascus Christian took advantage of Day 1 being a field-heavy event day to build an overnight lead.

The Eagles amassed 28.5 points as freshman Ava Mai won the long jump and senior Emily Powers won the javelin.

Also winning titles on the first day of competition were Condon senior Kallyn Wilkins in the 3,000, Crane sophomore Kortney Doman in the high jump and Sherman sophomore Sophie Hulke in the discus.

Earlier: 

Oregon high school state track and field preview: Storylines, favorites, what to watch (boys)

Oregon high school state track and field preview: Storylines, favorites, what to watch (girls)