In a small, early-season track and field meet Wednesday at Cottage Grove, Philomath’s athletes turned in several winning performances, experimented in a few events and took advantage of the opportunity to compete in a meet that had been a late addition to the schedule.
For Warriors sophomore Josiah Peters, the Cottage Grove Icebreaker provided a significant result with a throw of 172 feet, 8 inches in the javelin. That’s 26 feet further than he had ever thrown in a previous meet and landed him at No. 4 in the school’s record book — trailing only Kerrick Roach (200-7.5 in 2011), Scott Fellows (176-6 in 1979) and Tom Bain (175-6 in 2002). Peters beat the runner-up thrower in Cottage Grove by nearly 32 feet.
In addition to Peters, the Warriors had three other individuals win events at the meet — sophomore Cameron McLennan in the 400-meter dash (59.85 seconds), senior Simon King in the 800 (2:12.80) and sophomore Lukas Hernandez in the 3,000 (9:38.33), who competed for the first time in that event.
Several others also had first-time results in various events. In the 1,500, junior Warwick Bushnell competed and placed second in 4:32.46. McLennan ran the 300 hurdles and was second in 49.54.
In the pole vault, sophomore Blake Hauck and junior Emmitt Gaskey both cleared 8-6 and tied for second.
Third-place finishers included sophomore Seth O’Harra in the 100 (12.74) and 200 (26.62), junior Leo Pausch in the 1,500 (4:32.83), sophomore Luke Arthurs in the 110 high hurdles (20.67)
Cottage Grove’s boys won with 136.5 points to Philomath’s 69. Glendale was a distant third with 29.5 and Yoncalla fourth with 25.
Girls score a lot of team points
Twenty PHS girls earned at least one top-three finish at the meet with 15 of those being victories — a 16th win came in the 4-by-100 relay. The performances added up to 187 team points, which was 134 more than the runner-up.
Three athletes were double winners with junior Janice Hellesto in the 200 (27.66) and long jump (15-10), sophomore Ana Candanoza in the 800 (2:33.80) and 3,000 (12:06.55), and junior Anneka Steen in the high jump (5-2) and triple jump (29-9.5).
The other winners included senior Ellie Morton in the 100 (13.40), junior Petra Hernandez in the 300 hurdles (51.87), junior Brooke McDaniel in the 400 (1:08.82), junior Aspen Russell in the pole vault (7-6), junior Adele Beckstead in the 1,500 (5:16.76), sophomore Delaney Thomas in the 100 hurdles (18.63), junior Heidi Bacho in the shot put (28-0.75), senior Madison Juhl in the discus (102-8) and senior Ahnika Tryon in the javelin (110-0).
The winning 4-by-400 of Morton, junior Natalie Dunn, Hernandez and Hellesto sprinted the oval in 51.77.
Runner-up finishes included Morton in the long jump (13-11), Hellesto in the 100 (13.41), Russell in the 400 (1:09.48), junior Hanna McDaniel in the high jump (4-10) and pole vault (7-0), Beckstead in the 800 (2:34.22), junior Melea Lattin in the 3,000 (12:06.58), Thomas in the 300 hurdles (52.91), freshman Annaleise Brown in the 100 hurdles (19.00), Juhl in the pole vault (7-0), freshman Jordyn Hood in the discus (87-3) and Tryon in the triple jump (28-9.5).
Finishing third in their events were Hernandez in the 100 (14.20), Russell in the triple jump (27-10.5), Hanna McDaniel in the 400 (1:13.26), Lattin in the 800 (2:34.39), sophomore Lucy King in the 1,500 (5:31.56), senior Sadie Francis in the 100 hurdles (19.37), junior Madison Provance in the discus (79-11) and senior Eevi Rolfe in the high jump (4-4).
The boys and girls teamed up in a coed 4-by-400 relay that the meet offered. Lucy King, Simon King, Natalie Dunn and Lukas Dunn won the event in 4:00.46.
Philomath’s next competition is not scheduled until after Spring Break with an April 5 appearance in the Therapeutic Associates Chehalem Classic at Newberg High School. The meet features several larger schools, including Corvallis, Crescent Valley, South Albany and West Albany from this region.
