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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (June 14, 2017)
Wednesday, June 14, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 5 Running commentary zy Charlie Kanzig Correspondent Eugene, Oregon hosted the most high-caliber track and field meet in America last week as world-class ath- letes jumped, threw, and ran world-leading marks at the annual Prefontaine Classic, a Diamond Level meet that honors Oregon’s own Steve Prefontaine, considered one of the finest American dis- tance runners of all time, who died in a car accident in 1975 at the peak of his career. Mo Farah of Great Britain, who trains under Alberto Salazar’s Nike-sponsored Oregon Project, was the crowd favorite among all entrants. The two-time 5,000- and 10,000-meter Olympic champion did not disappoint, taking control in the final two laps of the 5,000 meters to beat a world-class field in a world class time of 13:00.7. Farah says this is his last season on the track before turning to marathon racing. Seeing him for the last time on the track made it worth the trip to historic Hayward Field. To be sure, every event included Olympic medalists competing, but to my sur- prise, four teenagers turned out to give the most memora- ble performances of the meet. Friday evening featured seven events, including two official Diamond League contests, but it was the high school girls’ 200-meter race that got the evening off to a surprising start as Tamari Davis, 14, who is actually not in high school but is an eighth-grader, won the race in 23.21, the fastest time ever recorded by someone of that age. For comparison, the fast- est high school girl in Oregon this year ran 24.58. More impressive yet, Celliphine Chespol of Kenya, who turned 18 just three months ago, won the wom- en’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in 8:58.78 defeating both the Olympic champion Ruth Jebet and American record- holder and Olympic bronze- medalist Emma Coburn in the process despite having to pause to put her shoe back on in the second-to-last water jump. On Saturday, teenage pole vaulting sensation Armand Duplantis, 17, who has dual citizenship here in the U.S. as well as Sweden, faced off with both the world record- holder Renaud Lavellenie and the American Olympic bronze-medalist Sam Kendricks, where he finished fourth. Kendricks won with a mark of 19 feet 2.7 inches while Duplantis finished at 18 feet 8.8 inches. Earlier this season the young vaulter broke the world age group record when he cleared 19 feet 1 inch. For comparison, the Olympic winner in 2016 cleared 19 feet 9.4 inches. Not to be outdone by his teenage counterparts, Jakob Ingebritsgen of Norway became the youngest person ever to break the four-min- ute-mile barrier as he clocked 3:58.07 in the International Mile. Jakob’s two brothers are both world-class mil- ers — Henrik ran 3:53.79 in the same race as Jakob, while Filip ran 3:53.23 in the Bowerman Mile, which con- cluded the meet. In the press area after his race, he spoke in fluent English about his record and how the cheering crowd spurred him on to the finish. The remainder of the meet included a slew of Olympians, world record-holders, and national and world champi- ons making it the most high- powered track and field meet on American soil this year. Five men ran under 13:05 for 5,000 meters, two men jumped over 59 feet in the triple jump, four men broke 3:50 in the mile, six women cracked two minutes in the 800 meters, a shot-putter tossed the metal ball over 73 feet, the women’s 200 was faster than the Olympics, and six men dipped under 10 seconds in the 100 meters. PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG Non-stop, high- level action all Kenyan 18-year-old Celliphine Chedpol wad one p a c k e d i n t o of four teenagerd who dtole the dhow at the an amazingly Prefontaine Claddic in Eugene. She ran a world- efficient time leading time and beat the world record-holder, Ruth Jebet, aldo pictured, in the procedd. schedule. The Dia- mond League schedule this right in our own backyard. season started in early May If you didn’t make it this with meets in Qatar and year put it on your calen- China and includes 11 more dar for next year. If the idea throughout the summer, all of attending a high-caliber but one in Europe, and con- track and field meet is attrac- cludes September 1 in Brus- tive, tickets for the NCAA Division 1 Championships set sels, Belgium. In other words, this meet for Hayward Field June 7-10 provided Oregonians with the may still be available. If you love track and field, chance to experience a gather- ing of some of the finest ath- we’ve got the best America letes this side of the Olympics offers just over the hill in or World Championships Eugene. 20th Annual Outlaw Open at Aspen Lakes June 25, 2017 at 12:30 p.m. Scramble Golf & Catered Barbecue Don’t Golf? Join us for dinner at 6 p.m. Outlaw Booster Club 3rd Annual Outlaw Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony September 16, 2017 5:30 p.m. Social Banquet & Ceremony 6:30 p.m. at SHS 2017 Inductees: Jody Henderson (Band and Choir Director/Teacher) Sisters Folk Festival, Inc. (Community Organization) SHS Fall 1957 Football Team • Brad Bulloch (Coach) Shelly Greene (Class of ’98) Ron Olmstead (Class of ’56) • Cortney Ellis (Class of ’99) Willis Winkle (Class of ’57) • T.K. Phelps (Class of ’96) All Proceeds Benefi t All Sisters Schools Co-Curricular Activities. www.shshalloffame.org • 541-617-0707 • Registration and sponsorship at www.birdeasepro.com/OBCOutlawOpenandHOF Outlaw Booster Club is a 501(c)(3) ( )( ) organization. g