For American athletes the major competition of the season is the US Junior National Championships and a fair number of competitors from the Northwest had the temerity to challenge America’s best. When one considers the relatively sparse population in comparison to the national total of over three hundred million, Northwest athletes acquitted themselves quite well. Just viewing the prep competitors the area managed to win one Gold Medal & four Silvers, which seems to be more than equitable.
Oregon scored the region’s only victory and it was J J Juilfs, who took home the Gold. The recent graduate of Sheldon High School in Eugene missed most of the season due to injury but he returned like a gang-buster winning the 6A State title and then the Portland Track Festival. At Hayward he soared over seventeen feet with a mark of 5.25M. J J will keep his talents in the area & compete for the University of Washington next year.
Rachel Proteau of West Albany is only a sophomore, so it makes a bit of sense that she was a late bloomer this season. For the bulk of the spring campaign she competed under the radar of most fans but she came on to win the State 5A title. Still, despite her victory with 5-07, she had not met the qualifying height for nationals but she took care of that issue with a mark of 5-09 at the Oregon – Washington Border Duel. Like Juilfs Rachel came in under the proverbial radar, yet there she was on Saturday jumping against Shanay Briscoe of the University of Texas, who was the only jumper left in the competition. Rachel, who admitted to adjusting her form towards the end of the season, ultimately placed second with 1.80M. In the high jump also was Chancey Summers of Estacada, who had a fine season with a best of 5-10 earlier. One of her PRs was good for the 4A State title. The high jump, like the pole vault, can be highly problematic and Chancey was off her best form on Saturday. Still, technically, she finished sixth in the nation.
Greg Skipper of Oregon City High did not come in under the radar but, like Juilfs, he did not have a great deal of competition under his belt. In his case the problem was not injury but the fact that the State does not hold a competition in the event. Due to that situation Skipper competed in the Discus (2nd at State in 6A) & the Shot Put (3rd at State). He even added the High Jump late in the season & nearly made it to State with his 5-10. At Hayward he threw the hammer 67.23M to earn second place and was the top prep. Greg will compete for the University of Oregon next year, where he won the Oregon Relays & placed second at the Oregon Twilight, where he placed second to a thrower from Army.
The next athlete on the list is not even a prep runner yet, as she will not attend Sheldon High School until next fall. Gracie Todd trained under the guidance of Bob Gray, whose daughter Erin was a XC State champion a number of years back. Gracie ran for Monroe Middle School this spring and followed up her third place in the Middle School Two Mile at the Portland Track Festival with a ninth place effort in the 3K at Juniors. Her time of 10:06.54, excellent for middle school, topped two State champions & challenged a third. Erin Clark of South Eugene, who continues to improve, finished tenth in the 3K with 10:07.29 and was just ahead of Oregon 5A champion Megan Fristoe of Summit. Fristoe ran 10:07.45.
Paige Rice, a freshman from St. Mary’s Academy led the Northwest contingent in the 1500 with her time of 4:39.52. Paige, who placed 2nd in the 1500 in the 6A division, finished 16th overall and was followed by Ashley Maton of Summit, who ran 4:44.65, which was good for 19th over-all. Maton was a State champion in the 5A 1500 this spring. Paige Kouba of South Eugene, who was 2nd at State in the 800 Meters & won the Border Duel, garnered 21st with a time of 4:45. Crater’s Max Runia challenged our nation’s best in the 5K and was clocked in 15:20.54 placing thirtieth.
In terms of placement Washington’s top athletes were Sean Keller and Derrick Daigre. Keller is only a junior from Heritage High School in Vancouver, but he has ranked among America’s best in the Javelin all spring. The 4A Washington champion Keller threw 67.05 to claim second and was the top prep on the day. Not to be overlooked, incidentally, is Quinn Hale of Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma. Although Quinn had taken fourth at State to Keller, he was impressive in Eugene placing third with 63.42.
Derrick Daigre is another Evergreen State athlete, who performed his best on the big stage. Daigre had been edged at State in the 4A competition by Grant Grosvenor of Henry Jackson but Thursday at Hayward he ran 1:50.05, his personal best, to claim second at Nationals.
It has been an especially strong year for female distance runners in the state, hence it is a bit difficult to be noticed. The state is blessed with an exceptional amount of distance talent & surprisingly the group is mostly made up of underclassmen. Accordingly Katie was a bit overshadowed early but she has come into her own down the final part of the season. She followed her quality time in the 3K at New Balance with a fourth place effort at that distance at USATF by taking thirteen seconds off her personal best at the distance. In that race she faced Waverly Neer, Kayla Beatty & Allison Woodward who are three of the finest seniors in the nation, so there should be no doubting her credentials now.
Adrianna Royal of Oak Harbor High School competed in the 3000 Meter Steeplechase. Her time of 12:37.86 saw her finish seventh. Alexis Fuller of Vancouver, Washington is only a Middle School competitor and in the fall she will run for Union High school but on Friday she mixed it up with some runners, who were much older and placed 20th. Her time of 4:45 is an excellent one for a middle school runner and she defeated a number of collegians along the way. Jacob Smith of Wenatchee competed in the 5K and ran a fine time of 14:57.94. He placed 20th in a strong field that was dominated by a strong field of collegians, save Ammar Moussa of California. Darian Brooks of Kennedy placed 21st in the Triple Jump with a mark of 14.16.
Although they are running in college now it does not seem right to overlook the effort of Conner Peloquin, formerly of Gig Harbor, who ran a PR of 302:58 to place fifth in the Junior 10K, and Sarah Porter, who took ninth in the Senior women’s 10K. Not to be forgotten is Jordan Arakawa of Eastern Washington, who placed third in the Hammer with 65.99. Also needing to be remembered is Derek Eager of UCLA, who won the Junior Discus title with 69.22. Derek, who had a number of the very best throws of the day, is from Tahoma High School.
Emily Nist of Bishop Kelly in Boise did a fine job of representing the state of Idaho by placing 8th in the 3K. Her time of 10:04.18 narrowly missed the magic ten minute barrier but will give the underclassman something to shoot for beyond another State championship. Emily had triumphed earlier in the two Mile at the Portland Track Festival with a time of 10:57.30
Jaymi Bethea of Kodiak, Alaska, who placed first at State in the 1600M & second in the 3200M, ran 17:24 to take eighth in the Junior meet. Jaymi has had a busy campaign having run in the Portland Track Festival & at New Balance. With Emily & Jami helping to add to the Nortwest contingent it was quality performance overall.
