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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (May 25, 2016)
Polk County Sports 12A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 25, 2016 Leap Ahead Pirates: Clark reaches state podium in two of three events Continued from Page 10A Clark qualified for state in 2015 as well, but she was eager to put those memo- ries behind her. “Last year, I was really nervous,” Clark said. “I was so scared that I didn’t do well at all. I wasn’t as fo- cused as I should have been. This year, I was ready to compete.” Clark, who also compet- ed in the 300 hurdles and just missed out on earning a spot in the finals for that event, threw her second- best marks ever in the javelin and shot put. As the Pirates left Hay- ward Field after a successful trip to state, the seniors were more than happy with how their final event as Pi- rates came to a close. “I’m glad it ended this way,” Clark said. LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer Perrydale senior Sarah Clark prepares to throw the shot put during the state track and field championships at Hayward Field in Eugene on Friday afternoon. Falls City sophomore Jeremy Labrado competes during the boys triple jump on Fri- day at the OSAA Class 1A state track and field championships at Hayward Field in Eu- gene. Labrado scratched on his three attempts. Senior Ryan Macnab finished 11th in the finals of the boys shot put with a throw of 36 feet, 10 ½ inches. DALLAS BASEBALL Dragons place in seven events By Lukas Eggen The Itemizer-Observer EUGENE — For some, arriving at the state track and field meet for the first time can be intimidating. Dallas junior Jenifer Webb knew the moment would be awe-inspir- ing, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from performing at her best. “It was unbelievable,” Webb said. “To go out here, it’s so over- whelming how huge it is. When I got here, I was just ready to go. I wasn’t nervous at all.” Webb finished fifth in the finals of the girls 100-meter hurdles, fin- ishing in 16.19 seconds — a new personal record. “I ran a PR in the prelims and I was ready to push even harder in the finals,” Webb said. “The track felt so fast.” As Webb celebrated a top-five finish at state, the moment was a culmination of countless hours of training and dedication. “It feels awesome,” Webb said. “All the hard work — all those awful workouts — paid off. I’m happy.” Fellow hurdler and junior Ste- fani Tallon also competed in the 100 hurdles, but fell short of quali- fying for the finals. Senior Naomi Howe placed sixth in the 300 hurdles, finishing in 47.18 seconds. “It was quite an experience,” LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer Dallas’ Jacob Deming attempts to clear the bar during the pole vault competition at the state track and field meet on Saturday. Howe said. “I was really nervous. Going into it, I was freaking out, but I always remind myself it’s just a race and I’ve done this race a thousand times.” Although she hoped to set a new PR, the senior was grateful for the chance to experience state before her high school career was done. “I’m definitely proud I got on the podium,” Howe said. “I’ve im- proved my PR by two seconds since last year. I put a lot of work into it.” Senior Kyleen Benz placed 10th in the shot put with a throw of 34 Dallas senior Naomi Howe clears a hurdle during the finals of the 300-meter hurdle run at Hayward Field on Friday afternoon. feet, 1 ½ inches and 11th in the discus with a mark of 100-10. Jacob Deming led the boys with an eighth-place finish in the pole vault (12-6). Aaron White took ninth in the triple jump (41-9 ¼) and Trevor Cross took 12th in the 3,000-meter run (9:37.70). The boys 4 x 100 relay team of Deming, Cody Webb, White and Justin Huxel finished 11th (44.27). With nearly all of Dallas’ state qualifiers set to return next season, the Dragons find themselves in a strong position, coach Bill Masei said — one that may see Dallas have success at the state meet for years to come. Panthers: Altamirano places third in 400 finals Continued from Page 10A “God was showing me it’s time to finally appreciate coming to this track,” she said. After an up and down ca- reer, the senior was thankful for one last opportunity to experience state — the right way. “It’s an unbelievable meet,” Hoffman said. “I just enjoyed it and soaked it in. I wouldn’t have appreciated this if I didn’t have to go through all the hard stuff. Of course it wasn’t fun, but it’s paying off now.” Sophomore Bethanie Al- tamirano was the Panthers’ top finisher, placing third in the girls 400-meter run. Mid-race, Altamirano felt pain in her right leg, but with her teammates, coaches and, most importantly, her mom in the stands cheering her on, she wasn’t about to let an injury stop her. “I just thought I have to keep pushing myself,” Al- tamirano said. “I need to do this for everyone.” Altamirano and Hoffman were also part of the girls 4 x 100 relay team, along with Elizabeth Chavez and Alex LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer Central senior Kyle Miller prepares to throw a javelin at the OSAA 5A state track and field championships on Saturday afternoon. Miller finished ninth. Alvarez, that placed fourth with a time of 49.77 seconds. “It was insane,” Chavez said. “It’s such a great feeling to be out there. It was in- credible.” The relay team mixed un- derclassmen — Chavez is a freshman and Altamirano a sophomore — and experi- ence, Hoffman and Alvarez are seniors. That combo led to successful results throughout the season. “This was a dream come true,” Hoffman said. “I love the 4 x 100 and I wanted a fast team for a long time. We’ve had decent teams, but we weren’t super competi- tive. That happened this year. In a sport so based on personal achievement, I love having that camaraderie. You’re not feeling the stress all by yourself.” The chance to get on the podium put an amazing end to their season. “I’m glad my last track meet was with them,” Al- varez said. The boys also found suc- cess with its relay teams. The 4 x 400 relay team of Isaac Burgett, Joshua Peterson, Juan Rivera and Nick Burgett finished fifth in 3:27.83, while the 4 x 100 team of Casey Brown, Isaiah Abra- ham, Jaxon Hutchinson and Nick Burgett took seventh in 43.55 seconds. “It’s a whole different feel- ing at state,” Brown said. “It’s not like any other meet.” Stepping onto the track in Eugene for the first time was an awe-inspiring mo- ment, but not one that the Panthers would let over- whelm them. “I was pretty nervous, but once you get the baton, you don’t think about anything,” Nick Burgett said. “You just run.” For runners like Abraham, state provided a unique challenge. “It was my first year doing track, so it was a pretty cool experience to get here,” Abraham said. Hutchinson, who finished 10th in the prelims of the 200, was out to make his dad, who recently passed away, proud. Despite the thousands of fans in atten- dance, he, along with his teammates, was dialed in on running as fast as possible. “One reason why I love track is right before the gun, I’m not thinking about any- thing,” Hutchinson said. “It’s the one time my head is empty and is peaceful.” Samuel Cole took seventh in the shot put with a throw of 49 feet, 5 ¼ inches. Kyle Miller placed ninth in the javelin (168-8) and Peter Mason took 12th in the long jump (20-8 ¾). Alec Barba scratched in the high jump. Josh Dickson finished 10th in the prelims of the 300 hurdles.
