Matea Candanoza took first place in the 3,000-meter run on Friday at the Wally Ciochetti Invitational at Cottage Grove. (Photo by Hollyn Kampfer)
Several Philomath High track and field athletes turned in notable performances during Friday’s Wally Ciochetti Invitational at Cottage Grove.
Warriors senior Alivia Pittman continues to turn in exceptional times in the 100 and 300 hurdles. Pittman took first in both at Cottage Grove with times of 16.78 seconds in the 100 and 49.77 in the 300. Pittman currently ranks third in Class 4A in both events.
Junior Sage Kramer in the javelin and senior Amey McDaniel in the pole vault also had winning performances at the meet. Kramer had a throw of 111 feet, 4 inches in the javelin, a personal record for her that also ranks No. 4 in the state. McDaniel cleared 9 feet to win the pole vault and is tied for first in all of Class 4A.
Senior Mia Rust threw the shot 35-5.5 for third in the shot put. She still ranks third in the state with the 35-11 she had at the Philomath Invite.
Philomath had a 2-3 finish in the 1,500 with junior Kaeleigh Houchin second (5:30.42) and freshman Alexa Eckhold third (5:38.66).
Melia Morton hands the baton off to Alivia Pittman during the 4-by-400 relay. (Photo by Hollyn Kampfer)
The 4-by-400 relay of Haviland Eves, Melia Morton, Pittman and Ingrid Hellesto placed second in 4:24.03 and that time ranks Philomath fifth in the state. Coach Joe Fulton pointed out that Morton’s split of 1:01.8 represented a comeback of sorts for the senior.
The 4-by-100 relay placed third in 54.10 with Pittman, Hellesto, Eves and Morton.
The girls’ competition was fairly tight with Hidden Valley’s 138 points, Crook County’s 131 and Philomath’s 105.
Brody Bushnell battles down the stretch of the 4-by-400 relay, which Philomath won with a state-best time. (Photo by Hollyn Kampfer)
Sophomores Brody Bushnell and Mateo Candanoza both had first-place finishes individually for the boys.
Bushnell ran the 1,500 at Cottage Grove and easily won with a time of 4:03.04, which is the fastest time this season in 4A. Bushnell now has the state’s fastest times in the 800 and 1500, and he ranks fourth in the 400. Candanoza had another win in the 3,000 with a PR time of 9:10.01. In 4A, Candanoza’s time ranks fourth.
The 4-by-400 relay has the top time in the state so far this season with the 3:28.74 that was good for first at the Ciochetti Invite. The race was a thrilling one with the Warriors holding off Hidden Valley, which finished second in 3:28.91 (and has the second-fastest time in the state). Seniors Levi Knutson, Justin Enghauser and Sean Cummings, and Bushnell are on the relay.
Elsewhere individually, Cummings placed second in the 400 in 51.89, a PR for him that ranks third in the state. Sophomore Micah Matthews had a pair of second-place performances in the 100 hurdles (17.41) and the high jump (5-8). Senior George House was third in the triple jump (37-8.5). Senior Grant Hellesto was third in the 300 hurdles (46.00).
Grant Hellesto placed third in the 300 hurdles at Cottage Grove. (Photo by Hollyn Kampfer)
Also of note, Knutson placed fifth in the 800 in a very fast field with a PR time of 2:03.68, which ranks seventh in Class 4A.
Hidden Valley took first in the boys’ competition with 173 points, Siuslaw was second at 133 and Philomath third at 95.
Philomath athletes also participated in the Oregon West Junior Varsity District Meet at Cascade High School.
The Warrior girls had three wins — Phoebe Coen in the 1,500 (6:05.19), Ally Todd in the javelin (71-10) and the 4-by-400 relay team of Danielle Harris, Coen, Todd and Allison Neelands (5:28.63).
Other top-three performers for the girls were Harris in the 1,500 (second, 6:08.39), the 4-by-100 relay of Madison Schaffer, Emery Boutilier, Sadie Francis and Neelands (second, 1:00.73), Brooke Moade in the javelin (second, 65-0), Boutilier in the 100 (third, 15.16), Todd in the 1,500 (third, 6:16.27), and Schaffer in the 100 hurdles (third, 20.96) and javelin (third, 61-4).
For the boys, Casey McDaniel placed second in the javelin (86-4) and third in the discus (76-11), and Jared Gerding took third in the shot put (30-2).
The teams now turn their attention to the Oregon West Championships, scheduled to run Friday and Saturday at Stayton High. The state meet follows on May 21-22 at Siuslaw.
Wally Ciochetti Invitational Friday, May 7, at Cottage Grove HS BOYS
Team Scoring
1, Hidden Valley 173; 2, Siuslaw 133; 3, Philomath 95; 4, Cottage Grove 77; 5, Crook County 76; 6, Klamath Union 38; 7, Junction City 20; 8, Sisters 18; 9, Elmira 13.
Winners & PHS Results
100-Meter Dash
1. Zachary Guthrie, Crook County, 11.65
6. Lucas Ainsworth, Philomath, 11.98
8. Caleb Jensen, Philomath, 12.22
200-Meter Dash
1. Jeremiah Noga, Hidden Valley, 23.30
400-Meter Dash
1. Jeremiah Noga, Hidden Valley, 51.10
2. Sean Cummings, Philomath, 51.89
8. Grant Hellesto, Philomath, 55.13
800-Meter Run
1. Alec Carne, Crook County, 1:59.75
5. Levi Knutson, Philomath, 2:03.68
6. Justin Enghauser, Philomath, 2:09.11
1500-Meter Run
1. Brody Bushnell, Philomath, 4:03.04
6. Ben Hernandez, Philomath, 4:21.10
3000-Meter Run
1. Mateo Candanoza, Philomath, 9:10.01
110-Meter Hurdles
1. Gabriel Burchfield, Hidden Valley, 16.49
2. Micah Matthews, Philomath, 17.41
300-Meter Hurdles
1. Alec Carne, Crook County, 43.10
3. Grant Hellesto, Philomath, 46.00
4×100-Meter Relay
1. Hidden Valley (Brian Musack, Jeremiah Noga, Theo Bergman, Ronan Hodge), 44.45
4. Philomath (Lucas Ainsworth, Sean Cummings, Caleb Jensen, Isaac Workman), 46.59
