The Crook County Cowboys capped off their season in impressive fashion, with a dominant win at the 4A state track and field championships, which were held Friday and Saturday at Hayward Field in Eugene.
The Cowboys finished with 96 points to more than double the score of second-place Marshfield, 46, and third-place Pendleton, 45. It was the first boys state track championship in school history.
“Yes, the boys won, and it's the first boys win in program history,” said head coach Ernie Brooks following the meet. “I think the biggest thing is it's not just the boys. We train together. We run together. Our motto is one team, one goal, one track mind. If we win, it's not just for the boys. Yes, the boys won, but it's also the girls, and it's for Prineville and Crook County.”
Crook County was led by Gabe Love and Eli Oelkers, who together accounted for 52.5 of the teams 96 points. Oelkers was named the most valuable athlete at the Tri-Valley District meet. Love was on the 4x100 relay team, so the points from that event were split between four runners.
However, at state Love, earned the most valuable athlete award as his share of the points for the first-place performance from the 4x100 relay team were just enough to push him over the top to earn the award.
“I think the team did amazing,” Love said. "We won by a lot, and a lot of people did a lot better than they were expecting. I was hoping to receive this award by winning a few more points, but I'm really thrilled with this. I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't do better, but I'm excited to do better next year.”
Love won the javelin with a personal record performance of 188-02. He finished second in the 200 with a personal best time of 21.70 and took third in the 100 with a time of 11.09. In addition, Love, along with Cooper Nelson, Jace Jonas and Julian Lopez, won the 4x100 in a time of 43.29.
Meanwhile, Oelkers had four personal best performances as he took first in the long jump, 21-08.75, third in the 110 hurdles, 16.01, and fourth in both the triple jump, 43-01, and 300 hurdles, 41.17.
“I'm so proud of everyone,” Oelkers said. “We came in expecting to win the title and everyone did better than they were seeded. Everyone moved up. It was awesome. I'm really excited. I pr'd in all my events and the long jump was amazing. I'm so thankful that the Lord has given me this talent. Give all the glory to the Lord.”
Although Love and Oelkers scored a huge share of the team's points, they were far from the only Cowboys to perform well at state. The Cowboys advanced at least one runner to the finals in every running event, except the 400, and had individuals place in every field event except for the discus.
“We've been close before,” Brooks said. “Twenty years of trying to put puzzles together. We talk about there is a big puzzle that we are trying to put together that makes a beautiful picture at the end if everyone does their part. We have to spread the net and cast it for any points. It all balances out. It's sort of the ying and yang of everything. Alex Jerrell finished seventh in the high jump, that's two points we didn't count on and then Gabe in the 100, we are four points down there. It all balances out.”
Even without Love and Oelkers, the team would have still been competitive as a number of other competitors stepped up.
Jerrell's seventh-place finish in the high jump was a clearance of 6-01.50. Impressive, as the opening height of 5-11.25 was above his previous pr, and only seven jumpers even cleared a height. Also in the jumps, Joel Rice finished third in the pole vault with a clearance of 14-01.25. In the throws, Ayden Gulseth finished fifth in the shot put with a heave of 48-07.25 and Luke Grogan was sixth in the javelin with a toss of 158-07.
On the track, Adam Radabaugh was third in the 800, 1:58.37, and fifth in the 1,500, 4:11.45. Kiernan Teasdale was seventh in the 800 in 2:02.09, while Gavin Humphreys finished sixth in the 1,500, 4:12.08, and seventh in the 3,000 in 9:15.97. The Cowboys' 4x400 relay team of Jacob Mckinnon, Radabaugh, Jonas and Lopez finished fifth in a time of 3:30.98. The team was seeded just ninth heading into the state meet and accomplished the solid placing despite running in the slow heat, which they easily won.
Crass leads Cowgirls
The Cowgirls did not have the firepower at state this year that the Cowboys did, but they were still competitive, scoring 30 points to finish ninth out of 29 teams in the girls competition. Philomath won the girls meet with 74 points, while Cascade and North Bend were tied for second with 51 points.
“I think state went well,” said Natalia Crass of the girls team performance. “I think we all showed up and we might not have all done exactly what we wanted to, but we did the best we could, and we all put 100% effort into it and left nothing behind. Where we lacked in team scores it was made up for in team bonding, team cheering and team support for one another. We all were just there for everyone, and everyone was excited for everyone else.”
Crass was the highest finishing Cowgirl at the state meet, with a second-place finish in the 400 with a time of 59.19. Crass was also third in the 800 in 2:21.18. She ran even faster in the prelims, with a time of 2:17.79, fast enough to have won in the finals, but with two prelim races on Friday, and both the 4x100 relay and 400 races occurring prior to Saturday's 800 meter finals, she was unable to run as quickly on Saturday. Still, both places were higher than her seed entering the state meet.
The Cowgirls 4x100 team of Dylanne Smith, Crass, Chantai George and Salma Sacco finished seventh with a time of 50.79, while the 4x400 team of Onia Segura Lopez, Chalis Bueckert, June Conner and Crass finished eighth with a time of 4:12.37.
The final Cowgirl to score on the track was Jane Rice, who finished eighth in the 300 hurdles with a time of 50.33. In the throws, Lucy Brooks finished fourth in the discus with a toss of 108-08, while Sammy Miller was sixth in both the javelin, 109-07, and shot put, 34-04. The final Cowgirl to place was Paige Wood, who finished eighth in the shot put with a heave of 33-03.25. Wood's place was noteworthy, because she only qualified for state in the event with an at-large berth, given to the thrower who had the best throw at any of the district meets who did not finish in the top two or meet the state qualifying mark. Wood also competed in the javelin but did not place.
Five Crook County athletes competed in the state meet who did not place. They were Emily Rice in the pole vault, June Conner in the long jump, Makenna Duran in the triple jump, Michael Estes in the discus and Quinten Harsh-Bearden in the 110 hurdles.
In addition to her eighth place in the 300 hurdles, Jane Rice also competed in the pole vault but like her sister, did not place. Several members of the CCHS relay teams also competed in individual events but did not reach the finals in their events. Jace Jonas ran the prelims in the 400, while Sacco was in the 100 and Conner competed in the long jump.
“Our leadership is important,” Brooks said. “We are still a younger group. We had some senior guys and they lead. We tell them we are on the bus. We are steering it, but you guys are the ones pushing it and we will go wherever you guys want because you are the ones that are pushing. The biggest thing is the team effort. Just guys and girls pushing together, and our team is absolutely gelling together. In a two-day window, they stepped up, and you look, and the majority of our crew is back.”
In other classifications, Adrian won the girls 1A championship, while Imbler won the 1A boys. Bandon took first in the 2A girls meet, while Delphian was first in the boys 2A meet. Coquille won the girls 3A competition with Valley Catholic taking first in the boys 3A. Summit took first in both the boys and girls meets at the 5A level, with Lake Oswego winning the 6A girls meet and Sheldon and Sherwood tying for first in the 6A boys meet.
OSAA Class 4A Track & Field Championships
Friday and Saturday, May 17-18 at Hayward Field in Eugene
Boys team scores – 1. Crook County, 96. 2. Marshfield, 46. 3. Pendleton, 45. 4. La Grande, 40. 5. Henley, 40. 6. Cottage Grove, 35. 7. Baker, 30. 7. Philomath, 30. 7. North Bend, 30. 10. Newport, 27. 10. Phoenix, 27. 10. Seaside, 27. 13. Madras, 26. 14. Junction City, 23. 14. Klamath Unior, 23. 16. Hidden Valley, 16. 17. The Dalles, 14. 18. Astoria, 11. 18. Estacada, 11. 18. Molalla, 11. 21. Sweet Home, 10. 22. Ontario, 9. 22. Scappoose, 9. 24. Marist Catholic, 8. 24. Marist Catholic, 8. 25. Tillamook, 6. 26. Cascade, 5. 27. St. Helens, 4.
Girls team scores – 1. Philomath, 74. 2. Cascade, 51. 2. North Bend, 51. 4. Scappoose, 41. 5. Molalla, 41. 5. La Grande, 41. 5. Mazama, 41. 8. Marist Catholic, 33. 9. Crook County, 30. 10. Astoria, 19. 10. Henley, 19. 12. North Marion, 18. 12. Pendleton, 18. 12. Estacada, 18. 12. Hidden Valley, 18. 16. Stayton, 17. 16. Ontario, 17. 18. The Dalles, 14.5. 20. Klamath Union, 13.5. 21. Newport, 13. 22. Tillamook, 12. 23. Baker, 10.5. 24. Madras, 9. 25. Cottage Grove, 8. 26. St. Helens, 6. 26. Marshfield, 6. 28. Phoenix, 3.5. 29. Seaside, 2.
Boys individual results (top 8 plus all Crook County state qualifiers) 100 – 1. Jason Padgett, North Bend, 10.82. 2. Ryder Jackson, Seaside, 11.06. 3. Gabe Love, Crook County, 11.09. 4. Cody Martin, Phoenix, 11.18. 5. Matteo Walker, Ontario, 11.25. 6. Warwick Bushnell, Philomath, 11.26. 7. Korey Newman, La Grande, 11.35. Andres Aguilar, Madras, did not start. 200 – 1. Jason Padgett, North Bend, 21.50. 2. Gabe Love, Crook County, 21.70. 3. Bodey Lutes, Marshfield, 21.83. 4. Matteo Walker, Ontario, 22.20. 5. Warwick Bushnell, Philomath, 22.34. 6. Ryder Jackson, Seaside, 22.49. 7. Korey Newman, La Grande, 22.75. 8. DayQuan McKay, Klamath Union, 22.81. 400 – 1. Bodey Lutes, Marshfield, 47.97. 2. DayQuan McKay, Klamath Union, 49.59. 3. Warwick Bushnell, Philomath, 49.78. 4. Christopher Janney, Henley, 51.03. 5. Trey Boston, Pendleton, 51.47. 6. Andrew Wintersteen, Astoria, 51.67. 7. Quinton Kloster, Marshfield, 51.77. 8. John Thatcher, Pendleton, 53.09. Jace Jonas, Crook County, ninth in prelims in 52.39. 800 – 1. Austin Uhl, La Grande, 1:53.64. 2. Jaron Long, Baker, 1:54.32. 3. Adam Radabaugh, Crook County, 1:58.37. 4. Juan Gomez, Tillamook, 1:58.69. 5. Carter Harmon, Klamath Union, 1:59.22. 6. Simon King, Philomath, 1:59.25. 7. Kiernan Teasdale, Crook County, 2:02.09. 8. Micah Hanke, Cottage Grove, 2:02.44. 1,500 – 1. Austin Uhl, La Grande, 4:01.20. 2. Finn Collson, Newport, 4:03.54. 3. Kael Feeley, Phoenix, 4:04.20. 4. Carter Bengtson, Cottage Grove, 4:06.03. 5. Adam Radabaugh, Crook County, 4:11.45. 6. Gavin Humphreys, Crook County, 4:12.08. 7. Samuel Iversen, Henley, 4:12.25. 8. Josef Simonis, La Grande, 4:12.88. 3,000 – 1. Finn Collson, Newport, 8:35.36. 2. Carter Bengtson, Cottage Grove, 8:37.77. 3. Kael Feeley, Phoenix, 8:52.92. 4. Samuel Iversen, Henley, 9:04.19. 5. Conor Thompson, Marist Catholic, 9:11.04. 6. Lukas Hernandez, Philomath, 9:13.07. 7. Gavin Humphreys, Crook County, 9:15.97. 8. Corbin Sage, Marist Catholic, 9:21.93. 110 hurdles – 1. Rasean Jones, Baker, 13.96. 2. Hayes Valley, Cottage Grove, 15.16. 3. Eli Oelkers, Crook County, 16.01. 4. Kaz Mitchell, Newport, 16.06. 5. Cameron Cox, St. Helens, 16.06. 5. Cameron Cox, St. Helens, 16.22. 7. Bennett Fink, Scappoose, 16.65. 8. Bryson Montag, Henley, 16.67. 11th in prelims, Quinten Harsh-Bearden, Crook County, 17.25. 300 hurdles – 1. Rasean Jones, Baker, 37.38. 2. Thaiden Cannin, Pendleton, 40.14. 3. Matt Iversen, Henley, 40.15. 4. Eli Oelkers, Crook County, 41.17. 5. Kyle Sieminski, Sweet Home, 41.20. 6. Samuel Bennett, Henley, 41.54. 7. Hayes Valley, Cottage Grove, 41.91. 8. Terran Stewart, Cottage Grove, 46.07. 4x100 relay – 1. Cooper Nelson, Gabe Love, Jace Jonas, Julian Lopez, Crook County, 43.29. 2. Madras, 43.62. 3. Pendleton, 43.84. 4. The Dalles, 43.94. 5. Phoenix, 44.46. 6. La Grande, 44.74. 7. Hidden Valley, 44.87. 8. Scappoose, 44.90. 4x400 relay – 1. Marshfield, 3:24.69. 2. Henley, 3:29.18. 3. Scappoose, 3:30.02. 4. Philomath, 3:30.87. 5. Jacob Mckinnon, Adam Radabaugh, Jace Jonas, Julian Lopez, Crook County, 3:30.98. 6. Marist Catholic, 3:33.34. 7. Sweet Home, 3:33.98. 8. North Bend, 3:34.40. Shot put – 1. Kaleb Moore, Junction City, 54-01.25. 2. Bekham Hibbert, La Grande, 51-01.50. 3. Aiden Fiske, Hidden Valley, 50-03.50. 4. Eli Williams, Cottage Grove, 49-10. 5. Ayden Gulseth, Crook County, 48-07.25. 6. Nathan Neveau, Pendleton, 47-08.25. 7. Dylan Sharp, Sweet Home, 46-09. 8. Hayden Slaughter, Estacada, 46-05.50. Discus – 1. Hayden Slaughter, Estacada, 175-04. 2. Kaleb Moore, Junction City, 156-06. 3. Brogan Hedgepeth, La Grande, 151-09. 4. Eli Williams, Cottage Grove, 150-03. 5. Nathan Neveeau, Pendleton, 150-02. 6. Aiden Fiske, Hidden Valley, 143-03. 7. Luke Chase, Henley, 141-02. 8. Noel Gutierrez, Tillamook, 138-01. 11. Michael Estes, Crook County, 126-02. Javelin – 1. Gabe Love, 188-02. 2. Brandon Roberson, Molalla, 172-00. 3. Josiah Peters, Philomath, 162-08. 3. Josiah Peters, Philomath, 162-08. 4. Benton Moore, Astoria, 162-03. 5. Wyatt Smith, North Bend, 160-05. 6. Luke Grogan, Crook County, 158-07. 7. Brooks Rasmussen, Cascade, 153-05. 8. Kaleb Moore, Junction City, 149-02. Pole vault – 1. John Parks, Marshfield, 14-09.50. 2. Danner Wilson, Marshfield, 14-06.75. 3. Joel Rice, Crook County, 14-01.25. 4. Julian Morehouse, The Dalles, 13-05. 5. Joshua Pong, Junction City, 13-02.25. 6. Eli Atiyeh, Cascade, 12-08.25. 7. Reeve Damschen, Baker, 12-08.25. High jump – 1. Kyler McCleary, Seaside, 6-05. 2. DayQuan McKay, Klamath Union, 6-04. 3. Brayden Decker, Phoenix, 6-02.75. 4. Miles Baxter, North Bend, 6-02.75. 5. Derek Goulart, Astoria, 6-01.50. 7. Alex Jarrell, Crook County, 6-01.50. 8. Nolan Mead, Pendleton, 5-11.25. Long jump – 1. Eli Oelkers, Crook County, 21-08.75. 2. Nolan Mead, Pendleton, 21-04.75. 3. Kyler McCleary, Seaside, 21-01.25. 4. Kelton Davis, Hidden Valley, 20-10.50. 5. Jeremiah Brumick, Henley, 20-10.50. 6. Andres Aguilar, Madras, 20-06.25. 7. DayQuan McKay, Klamath Union, 19-11.75. 8. Luke Bennett, Henley, 19-10.75. Triple jump – 1. Nolan Mead, Pendleton, 45-01.50. 2. Gavin Williams, Madras, 44-08.25. 3. Andres Aguilar, Madras, 43-00. 4. Eli Oelkers Crook County, 43-01. 5. Aidyn Bokuro, Newport, 42-11. 6. Bobby Call, Molalla, 42-02.25. 7. Colin Nicholson, Sweet Home, 41-07. 8. Danny Easterling, Madras, 41-07.
Girls individual results (top 8 plus all Crook County state qualifiers) 100 – 1. Alice Davidson, Scappoose, 12.32. 2. Janice Hellesto, Philomath, 12.54. 3. Isabella Chiara, Ontario, 12.64. 4. Bella Bubrud, Marist Catholic, 12.82. 5. Ellie Morton, Philomath, 12.84. 6. Kaylie Collman, La Grande, 12.95. 7. Sara Ruiz, Baker, 13.05. 8. Quinlynn Spivey, Mazama, 13.27. 10th in prelims, Salma Sacco, Crook County, 13.08. 200 – 1. Alice Davidson, Scappoose, 24.97. 2. Janice Hellesto, Philomath, 25.38. 3. Isabella Chiara, Ontario, 25.57. 4. Lillian Pickett, Cascade, 25.83. 5. Bella Gubrud, Marist Catholic, 26.02. 6. Kylie Brown, La Grande, 26.25. 7. Allison Course, Cascade, 26.32. 8. Sophie Saarheim, Astoria, 27.03. 400 – 1. Lillian Pickett, Cascade, 57.97. 2. Natalia Crass, Crook County, 59.15. 3. Madelyn Harrison, The Dalles, 1:00.04. 4. Sophie Saarheim, Astoria, 1:00.16. 5. Sonja Fischer, Molalla, 1:00.28. 6. Mattie Wolcott, La Grande, 1:01.44. 7. Quinlynn Spivey, Mazama, 1:01.52. 8. Natalie Dunn, Ph9ilomath, 1:03.53. 800 – 1. Haley Butenschoen, Stayton, 2:18.37. 2. Macallan Cutsforth, North Marion, 2:20.37. 3. Natalia Crass, Crook County, 2:21.18. 4. Sonja Fischer, Molalla, 2:22.00. 5. Tori Sherman, Marist Catholic, 2:23.09. 6. Taylor Bourgoine, Scappoose, 2:23.87. 7. Charlotte Gardner, Newp0ort, 2:24.08. 8. Cecillia Villagomex, La Grande, 2:27.28. 1,500 – 1. Macallan Cutsforth, North Marion, 4:49.67. 2. Adele Beckstead, Philomath, 4:50.18. 3. Brooke Perry, La Grande, 4:50.66. 4. Emily Tubbs, La Grande, 4:54.35. 5. Cecilia Villagomez, La Grande, 4:55.29. 6. Emily Picard, Madras, 4:56.21. 7. Isabella Coffman, Klamath Union, 4:56.82. 8. Alaina Casady, The Dalles, 4:57.56. 3,000 – 1. Brooke Perry, La Grande, 10:30.87. 2. Ellie Massey, North Bend, 10:34.58. 3. Isabela Coffman, Klamath Union, 10:44.79. 4. Alaina Casady, The Dalles, 10:46.49. 5. Emily Tubbs, La Grande, 10:47.44. 6. Adaile Beckstead, Philomath, 10:47.78. 7. Charlotte Gardner, Newport, 10:48.43. 8. Anika Jenson, Molalla, 10:52.93. 100 hurdles – 1. Peyton Craven, Molalla, 15.30. 2. Sydney Baker, Mazama, 15.96. 3. Drew Hood, North Bend, 16.18. 4. Shayla Hillstrom, Tillamook, 16.20. 6. Randi Benson, Henley, 16.57. 7. Kelcee Nichols, Henley, 16.79. 8. Alexandra Newton, Cascade, 18.55. 300 hurdles – 1. Peyton Lennos, Scappoose, 46.25. 2. Joey Clark, Hidden Valley, 46.40. 3. Layla Newell, Newport, 47.08. 4. Evelyn Welch, Stayton, 47.09. 5. Sydney Baker, Mazama, 47.61. 6. Shayla Hillstrom, Tillamook, 47.62. 7. Randi Benson, Henley, 49.93. 8. Jane Rice, Crook County, 50.33. 4x100 relay – 1. Ph9ilomath, 49.37. 2. Marist Catholic, 49.44. 3. Cascade, 50.26. 4. Molalla, 50.29. 5. Ontario, 50.37. 6. Astoria, 50.67. 7. Dylanne Smith, Natalia Crass, Chantai George, Salma Sacco, Crook County, 50.79. 8. Junction City, 51.12. 4x400 relay – 1. Scappoose, 4:04.94. 2. Cascade, 4:05.63. 3. North Bend, 4:10.18. 4. Philomath, 4:10.31. 5. Henley, 4:10.79. 6. The Dalles, 4:11.05. 7. Marist Catholic, 4:12.11. 8. Onia Segura Lopez, Chalis Bueckert, June Conner, Natalia Crass, Crook County, 4:12.37. Shot put – 1. Kalina Saechao, Cascade, 39-11.50. 2. Abby Behrman, Estacada, 39-02.50. 3. Lily Meadows, Astoria, 36-04.25. 4. Addison Kennedy, Pendleton, 35-03.25. 5. Samantha Nyseth, Henley, 34-04.25. 6. Sammy Miller, Crook County, 34-04. 7. Kaitlyn Edmonds, Pendleton, 34-01.50. 8. Paige Wood, Crook County, 33-03.25. Discus – 1. Abby Behrman, Estacada, 126-06. 2. Kalina Saechao, Cascade, 117-09. 3. Daphne Scriven, Marshfield, 112-09. 4. Lucy Brooks, Crook County, 108-08. 5. Samantha Nyseth, Henley, 105-08. 6. Nessa Neveau, Pendleton, 105-01. 7. Alexie Nussbaumer, Stayton, 103-08. 8. Rylee Huerta, Tillamook, 103-04. Javelin – 1. Ahnika Tryon, Philomath, 123-08. 2. Makya Aleup, Cottage Grove, 121-08. 3. Drew Hood, North Bend, 121-05. 4. Ryann Paulsen, Baker, 113-06. 5. Nessa Neveau, Pendleton, 113-06. 6. Sammy Miller, Crook County, 109-07. 7. Bella Meuchel, St. Helens, 109-04. 8. Olivia Frizelle, Cascade, 106-06. 12. Paige Wood, Crook County, 89-07. Pole vault – 1. Abby Woodruff, North Bend, 10-08.25. 2. Roxy Day, North Bend, 10-02.75. 3. Elaina Deming, Junction City, 10-00. 4. Mada Lee, Mazama, 10-00. 5. Sofia Kaaen, Baker, 8-04. 5. Laurelin Jansen, Phoenix, 8-04. 7. Hanna McDaniel, Philomath, 8-04. No height, Jane Rice, Crook County. No height, Emily Rice, Crook County. High jump – 1. Peyton Craven, Molalla, 5-04.50. 2. Anneka Steen, Philomath, 5-03.25. 3. Hanna McDaniel, Philomath, 5-01. 4. Hazel Squibb, Klamath Union, 4-11.75. 4. Aspen Gambee, Junction City, 4-11.75. 6. Avery Reeder, Tillamook, 4-11.75. 7. Taryn McIlmoil, La Grande, 4-11.75. 8. Anid Harmon, Klamath Union, 4-11.75. Long jump – 1. Cloe Chase, Marist Catholic, 18-02.75. 2. Sydney Baker, Mazama, 17-00.75. 3. Peyton Craven, Molalla, 16-11.50. 4. Mada Lee, Mazama, 16-03. 5. Hazem Case, Pendleton, 15-11.75. 6. Aspen Gambee, Junction City, 15-09.50. 7. Maddie Menke, Seaside, 15-09.50. 8. Isabelle Higgins, Ontario, 15-02.75. 9. June Conner, Crook County, 15-02.75. Triple jump – 1. Aja LaPan, Hidden Valley, 36-04. 2. Mada Lee, Mazama, 36-03. 3. Daelynn Adams, Madras, 35-10.50. 4. Lauren Efraimson, North Bend, 34-11.25. 5. Maevri Bergerson, Astoria, 33-09.25. 6. Andiah Johnson, Newport, 33-07.25. 7. Drew Hood, North Bend, 33-06.75. 8. Anneka Steen, Philomath, 33-02.50. 13. Makenna Duran, Crook County, 31-05.25.
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