The Philomath High School boys and girls track teams had several winners at the 20-school Rob Frank Invitational Saturday at Banks.
The Philomath girls dominated by winning 12 of 17 events and the boys had five first-place finishes at the meet, which was not scored to determine team standings.
Fifteen Warriors had top-three finishes for the girls. Junior Ellie Morton and sophomore Anneka Steen were double winners. Morton won the 100-meter dash (13.44 seconds) and the long jump (15 feet, 4.75 inches) while Steen took first in both the high jump (5-0) and the triple jump (31-11). Morton finished second behind Steen in the high jump (4-8).
Elsewhere in the sprints, sophomore Janice Hellesto won the 200 (27.15) by a second-and-a-half over the runner-up. Sophomore Natalie Dunn easily won the 400 (1:01.60) by a margin of 5.2 seconds.
Long-distance runners also performed well with sophomore Adele Beckstead in the 1,500 (5:05.50) and freshman Ana Candanoza in the 3,000 (11:34.30). Both victories were by good margins — Beckstead by nearly 6 seconds and Candanoza by nearly 7 seconds. Sophomore Melea Lattin was second in the 3,000 (11:41.10).
Also on the track, senior Ingrid Hellesto was the winner in the 300 hurdles (49.65).
Steen was named the outstanding field athlete at the meet and Dunn earned the outstanding track athlete award.
In the field events, joining Steen and Morton as a winner was junior Madison Juhl, who tied Corbett junior Sophie Bergkvist for first place at a height of 7-6. Juhl also placed second in the discus (92-2).
Both of Philomath’s relays took first place. The 4-by-100 of Morton, Ingrid Hellesto, Dunn and Janice Hellesto blazed to a win of more than 2 seconds with a time of 51.41. In the 4-by-400, Steen, Ingrid Hellesto, Dunn and Janice Hellesto overwhelmed the field with a 4:17.80, which was more than 17 seconds ahead of the runner-up.
Third-place finishes included sophomore Petra Hernandez in the 100 (14.01), sophomore Brooke McDaniel in the 400 (1:07.30), freshman Maggie King in the 800 (2:38.90), freshman Lucy King in the 1,500 (5:29.50), sophomore Hanna McDaniel in the pole vault (7-0) and freshman Aspen Russell in the triple jump (31-0).
In the boys’ portion of the meet, PHS senior Micah Matthews was responsible for two of the team’s five wins. Matthews took first in the 110 high hurdles (16.43) and in the high jump (5-10) and settled for second in the 300 hurdles (42.41).
Sophomore Warwick Bushnell sprinted to victory in the 200 (23.58), senior Nixon Mooney edged a Banks runner for first in the 400 (52.22) and senior Mateo Candanoza won the 3,000 (9:18.10) by 5 seconds over the runner-up.
In the 1,500, senior Ben Hernandez placed second (4:18.50).
Philomath’s short and long relays both had second-place finishes. The 4-by-100 of freshman CD Nuno, Mooney, senior Brody Bushnell and Warwick Bushnell turned in a 45.61. Junior Simon King, Hernandez, Mooney and Warwick Bushnell covered the 4-by-400 in 3:34.50.
Third-place finishes included King in the 800 (2:06.70), Nuno in the long jump (17-11.75) and senior Seth Arthurs in the triple jump (37-4.5).
Philomath now turns its attention to the Meet of Champions this coming Saturday at Sweet Home. The meet begins at 11:30 a.m. with the field events and 1 p.m for the track events.
