Swept away in Grants Pass
Published 8:45 pm Sunday, May 7, 2023
- Nettle Grey of Grants Pass celebrates a personal best time after finishing the 3,000-meter run at the Grants Pass Rotary Meet Saturday.
Swirling winds, churning stomachs and a healthy dose of home cooking — the 73rd annual Grants Pass Rotary track and field meet had it all Saturday at Grants Pass High.
It even had a couple impressive meet records, with Thurston senior Breanna Raven reaching 18 feet, 7 inches to set a new standard in the girls long jump and Churchill freshman Addison Kleinke soaring higher than any girl in the state has before to set an all-time record in the pole vault at 13-1.
What it didn’t have, though, is drama.
Grants Pass essentially doubled up its nearest competitors in the boys and girls meets to win going away, posting 138.5 points in the boys meet to finish ahead of North Medford (66) and 120.5 points in the girls meet to cruise by runner-up Thurston (64).
“Kudos to Grants Pass, it was a good day for them,” said Black Tornado head coach Piet Voskes. “It really was a great showcase of Southern Oregon talent, through and through.”
There were a few setbacks after rampant illness filtered through the North Medford camp and the team had to adjust on the fly, along with South Medford opting not to field most of its squad, including star sprinter Andrew Walker.
David Fuiava provided a highlight for the second-place North Medford boys, winning the discus in 158-1 and placing an understandable second in the shot put (48-5.75) after Grants Pass senior Parker Jarvis uncorked a mammoth 60-6.75 effort during his throws.
“I thought that was just a concrete day for David Fuiava,” said Voskes. “That was a 6-foot PR in the shot by Jarvis and he was already leading the state. That’s a monster throw. He was throwing 52, 53, 52, and then unleashes a 60-footer.”
Crater enjoyed a strong day in the boys meet, tying South Medford for third overall with 53 points.
Sophomore Josiah Tostenson supplied a pair of marquee moments, rallying to edge Ashland’s Nathan Stein in the 800 meters in a time of 1 minute, 55 seconds and also claiming the 3,000 in 8:33.
Stein came in second during the 800 in 1:55.53, pushing Tostenson to the end.
“Stein took the lead and I think it kind of caused Josiah to have to chase,” said Voskes. “Some kids just benefit from chasing, but Josiah’s just a star. As good as (fellow Comet Tyrone Gorze has) been running, Josiah’s been kind of hidden, and what he’s doing as a sophomore is unbelievable.”
Crater got another first-place effort from Scott Price, who won the triple jump in 42-3, while Houston Klug was the only other North Medford boy to win an event with his mark of 6-2 in the high jump.
South Medford’s Benjamin Krebs swept the 100 (11.23) and 200 (22.85) to highlight his team’s effort in the boys meet.
Cascade Christian senior Autumn Murray and junior Sierra Samhammer swept the hurdles in the girls meet, with Murray posting a 15.84 time to win the 100 hurdles and Samhammer finishing in 47.66 to place first in the 300 hurdles.
Murray also went on to place second in the long jump at a half-inch over 18 feet.
Crater junior Lindsay Siebert was able to fend off North Medford senior Eleanor Nichol in the girls 800, with Siebert setting a personal record in 2:15.40 and Nichol coming in second at 2:24.50.
North Medford junior McKenna Donovan was also able to shake off a false start in the 100 to win the 200 in 26.59 seconds and also set a PR by placing third in the long jump (17-0.50).
For the South Medford girls, Paige Schiffer led the way by placing second in the high jump at 5-1, while St. Mary’s saw Sidney DeBoer finish runner-up in the triple jump (35-11).
BOYS
TEAM SCORES: Grants Pass 138.5, North Medford 66, Crater 53, South Medford 53, Roseburg 52, North Bend 49, Henley 46, South Eugene 43, Marshfield 40.5, Thurston 29, Ashland 25, Klamath Union 18, Phoenix 16, Gold Beach 11, Hidden Valley 11, Churchill 8, Cascade Christian 2, Douglas 1, Mazama 1.
100 — 1, Benjamin Krebs, SM, 11.23; 2, Jason Padgett, NB, 11.28; 200 — 1, Benjamin Krebs, SM, 22.85; 2, Jason Padgett, NB, 23.35; 400 — 1, Bodey Lutes, Mar, 49.61; 2, Ben Antley, GP, 51.11; 800 — 1, Josiah Tostenson, Cra, 1:55.00; 2, Nathan Stein, Ash, 1:55.53; 1,500 — 1, Timothy Johnson, Ros, 4:18.72; 2, Raul Verges, SE, 4:18.96; 3,000 — 1, Josiah Tostenson, Cra, 8:33.00; 2, Timothy Johnson, Ros, 8:59.67; 110 HURDLES — 1, Jayden Jessee, GP, 15.03; 2, Matthew Jenson, GP, 16.18; 300 HURDLES — 1, Jayden Jessee, GP, 41.28; 2, Gideon Batya, SE, 41.49; 4×100 RELAY — 1, North Bend (Nathaniel Folsom, Andrew Efraimson, Brody Justice, Jason Padgett), 43.81; 2, Grants Pass, 44.01; 4×400 RELAY — 1, Grants Pass (Jared Hatt, Quaid Kelly, Ben Antley, Mason Bennett), 3:27.89; 2, Crater, 3:28.37.
SHOT PUT — 1, Parker Jarvis, GP, 60-6.75; 2, David Fuiava, NM, 48-5.75; DISCUS — 1, David Fuiava, NM, 158-1; JAVELIN — 1, Nelson Wilstead, GB, 169-0; 2, Keegan Young, NB, 167-10; HIGH JUMP — 1, Houston Klug, NM, 6-2; 2, Jayden Jessee, GP, 6-2; POLE VAULT — 1, Brody Justice, NB, 14-0; 2, Francis Anderson Blankenship, SE, 13-0; LONG JUMP — 1, Tony Matheney, KU, 21-5; 2, Grant Gober, Ros, 20-9.50; TRIPLE JUMP — 1, Scott Price, Cra, 42-3; 2, Aiden Dietz, GP, 41-6.50.
GIRLS
TEAM SCORES: Grants Pass 120.5, Thurston 64, North Medford 60, Cascade Christian 48, South Eugene 37, Marshfield 35, Coquille 30.5, Churchill 29, St. Mary’s 27, North Valley 26.25, Hidden Valley 26, Henley 24, Roseburg 22, North Bend 18, South Medford 14.5, Crater 14, Klamath Union 14, Brookings-Harbor 12, Ashland 8.75, Bandon 8, Phoenix 8, Illinois Valley 6, Douglas 5, New Hope Christian 3.5, Eagle Point 2.
100 — 1, Breanna Raven, Thu, 12.65; 2, Brooke Anderson, GP, 12.85; 200 — 1, McKenna Donovan, NM, 26.59; 2, Callie Brandes, GP, 26.89; 400 — 1, Riley Yunker, HV, 1:02.14; 2, Lexie Newman, BH, 1:02.39; 800 — 1, Lindsay Siebert, Cra, 2:15.40; 2, Eleanor Nichol, NM, 2:24.50; 1,500 — 1, Cameron Gupta, SE, 4:59.15; 2, Elizabeth McCart, SE, 5:03.66; 3,000 — 1, Madison Zemper-Prill, SE, 10:43.07; 2, Nettle Grey, GP, 11:00.35; 100 HURDLES — 1, Autumn Murray, CC, 15.84; 2, Lauren Robinson, GP, 16.42; 300 HURDLES — 1, Sierra Samhammer, CC, 47.66; 2, Lauren Robinson, GP, 48.49; 4×100 RELAY — 1, Grants Pass (Zanai Vainuku-Johnson, Callie Brandes, Ava Hickman, Brooke Anderson), 49.36; 2, North Medford, 50.05; 4×400 RELAY — 1, Grants Pass (Zanai Vainuku-Johnson, Callie Brandes, Ava Hickman, Brooke Anderson), 4:10.71; 2, Hidden Valley, 4:15.46.
SHOT PUT — 1, Bailey Tovey, Thu, 38-11.25; 2, Samantha Nyseth, Hen, 35-7.50; DISCUS — 1, Addison Hull, GP, 121-5; 2, Daphne Scriven, Mar, 118-3; JAVELIN — 1, Kate Miles, Mar, 124-1.50; 2, Trinidy Blanton, Coq, 118-1.50; HIGH JUMP — 1, Callie Brandes, GP, 5-2; 2, Paige Schiffer, SM, 5-1; POLE VAULT — 1, Addison Kleinke, Chu, 13-1; 2, Abby Woodruff, NB, 11-0; LONG JUMP — 1, Breanna Raven, Thu, 18-7; 2, Autumn Murray, CC, 18-0.50; TRIPLE JUMP — 1, Breanna Raven, Thu, 36-8; 2, Sidney DeBoer, StM, 35-11.