With the Panthers Opener acting as a pressure-free environment to ease into the track and field season, some athletes didn’t get the memo Wednesday afternoon and picked up right where they left off last year.

More than a few from event host South Medford took advantage of the good conditions to get new personal records and put them on an early trajectory to compete later this spring at Hayward Field.

Those strong results racked up 22 first-place finishes for the Panthers and made themselves the distant winners of the meet. The boys piled up 166 points to finish well ahead of runner-up Eagle Point (46 points), while the girls produced 120 points to easily clear second-place Ashland and Eagle Point, who tied with 43 points each. 

The strong showing was highlighted in the boys field events by South Medford’s Devon Scott in the pole vault, who cleared a personal best of 13 feet, 3 inches to lead the field. That height beats his previous record by three inches from the Class 6A state championships last May.

After only having two practices in the pit prior to the meet, Scott was “without words” about his strong start.

“I started off stronger than I expected,” said Scott, “because last year I started off at like, 7-feet first. Hopefully, if the stats are right, it should just go up from here.”

Before the junior cleared his winning vault, he whipped out a blue ninja-styled headband to match a cross country uniform that he picked up over the club season that reads “Buncom Boys” on front and “BC Boys” on the back.

“It keeps the wind out of my hair,” he said with a laugh about the headband, “but it also looks super cool, so I just love that it gives me extra confidence.”

Tanner Tuggle also gave the Panthers a personal record in the boys 200-meter race with a win in 23.67 seconds before placing first also in the 400 (51.8).

Senior Kash Livdahl swept the 110 hurdles (17.03) and the 300 hurdles (45.79) for South Medford, while freshman Mason Carroll doubled up in long distance with a 4:43.62 to win the 1,500 and ran in a 9:59.62 to take the 3,000. 

Cade Siewert claimed the long jump (20-4.25) and triple jump (41-4), and Joseph Clevenger reached a personal best to win the high jump (6-2).

“We have an amazing group of young athletes that are willing to try new things and try hard events,” said first-year South Medford head coach Robyn Schiffer. “The kids are just going to excel from the start. I’m just super excited for the new season, a new start and just to see where all the kids go.”

Ashland also had a strong day for the boys with Caden Negra winning the 100 with a PR of 11.40 and helping the 4×100 relay team finish second at 46.39.

Eagle Point saw Jeremiah Cordle fend off Cascade Christian’s Tayen Landers in the boys 800. Cordle finished with a time of 2:14.63 and Landers was just behind at 2:14.71.

Kadin Anthony had a first-place effort in the shot put at 37-11 for the Eagles, while Easton Raber placed second in the 800 (53.17) and finished behind Scott in the pole vault (11-6).

Alexander Fiannaca led Cascade Christian in the javelin with a winning throw of 131-9, and Caleb Scaglione finished second in the 100 (11.70) and third in the 200 (24.07).

For the girls, Morgan Samhammer had a strong performance for Cascade Christian, with the freshman winning the 200 (29.06) and placing second in the 100 (13.76).

Ashland doubled in the girls middle distance with junior Claire Kiekhaefer winning the 800 (2:37.92) and Mackenzie Schmidt comfortably claiming the 1,500 (5:34.66).

The Grizzlies also saw freshman Wynn Pistole run a 1:05.83 to secure the victory in the 400. Kiekhaefer and Pistole helped Naia Hagemann and Flannery Lundgren win the 4×100 relay in 54.06.

For the Eagle Point girls, Thianna Deng-Gomez won the shot put with a PR of 31-1 and Vivian Shawnego threw 94-10 to win the javelin.

The Eagles’ 4×400 relay team of sophomores — Kelly McElroy, Liv Alberding, Karris Johnson and Kallie Stephenson — clocked a combined time of 4:56.98 for the victory.

South Medford sophomore Alyana Van Horn swept the hurdles with a time of 17.95 in the 100 hurdles and 54.72 in the 300 hurdles.

Adah McCracken soared out 14-5 to win the long jump for South Medford, while Edna Moala recorded a personal best of 89-7 in the discus.

BOYS

TEAM SCORES: South Medford 166, Eagle Point, 46, Cascade Christian 28, Ashland 18.

100 — 1, Caden Negra, Ash, 11.40; 2, Caleb Scaglione, CC, 11.70; 200 — 1, Tanner Tuggle, SM, 23.67; 2, Dallin Neville, SM, 24.06; 400 — 1, Tanner Tuggle, SM, 51.80; 2, Easton Raber, EP, 53.17; 800 — 1, Jeremiah Cordle, EP, 2:14.63; 2, Tayen Landers, CC, 2:14.71; 1,500 — 1, Mason Carroll, SM, 4:43.62; 2, Bezabh Stewart, SM, 4:56.36; 3,000 — 1, Mason Carroll, SM, 9:59.62; 2, Adam LeClair, SM, 10:18.50; 110 HURDLES — 1, Kash Livdahl, SM, 45.79; 2, Angel Cortes, SM, 18.84; 300 HURDLES — 1, Kash Livdahl, SM, 45.79; Chadd Holtz, SM, 47.44; 4×100 RELAY — 1, South Medford (Joseph Gomez, Dallin Neville, Landon Dufour, Tanner Tuggle), 45.14; 2, Ashland (Caden Negra, Gavin White, Noah Houchin, Cole Beneventi), 46.39; 4×400 RELAY — 1, South Medford (Tanner Tuggle, Jazz Hernandez, Kameron Rague, Joseph Gomez), 3:45.2; 2, Cascade Christian (Alexander Fiannaca, Tayen Landers, Isaac Young, Caleb Scaglione), 3:58.47.

SHOT PUT — 1, Kadin Anthony, EP, 37-11; 2, Diego Salas, EP, 36-1; DISCUS — 1, Makani Manuwai, SM, 136-10; 2, Li Moala, SM, 120-1; JAVELIN — 1, Alexander Fiannaca, CC, 131-9; Dasan Jackson, SM, 131; HIGH JUMP — 1, Joseph Clevenger, SM, 6-2; Dawson Hill, SM, 5-8 ; POLE VAULT — 1, Devon Scott, SM, 13-3; 2, Easton Raber, EP, 11-6; LONG JUMP — 1, Cade Siewert, SM, 20-4.25; 2, Michael Duclos, SM, 18-9.25; TRIPLE JUMP — 1, Cade Siewert, SM, 41-4; Kayman Rague, SM, 36-8.

GIRLS

TEAM SCORES: South Medford 120, Ashland 43, Eagle Point 43, Cascade Christian 35.

100 — 1, Hadley West, SM, 13.72; 2, Morgan Samhammer, CC, 13.76; 200 — 1, Morgan Samhammer, CC, 29.06; 2, Karris Johnson, EP, 29.19; 400 — 1, Wynn Pistole, Ash, 1:04.83; 2, Kallie Stephenson, EP, 1:07.35; 800 — 1, Claire Kiekhaefer, Ash, 2:37.92; 2, Saige Griffin, CC, 2;59.14; 1,500 — 1, Mackenzie Schmidt, Ash, 5:34.66; 2, Pepper Matichuk, SM, 5:57.68; 3,000 — 1, Gianna Jacob, SM, 12:04.37; 2, Emerson Mills, SM, 12:30.89; 100 HURDLES — 1, Alyana Van Horn, SM, 17.95; 2, Paige Schiffer, SM, 18.17; 300 HURDLES — 1, Alyana Van Horn, SM, 54.72; 2, Olivia Smith, SM, 57.05; 4×100 RELAY — 1, Ashland (Wynn Pistole, Naia Hagemann, Claire Kiekhaefer, Flannery Lundgren), 54.06; 2, South Medford (Bailie Leslie, Hadley West, Olivia Smith, Adah McCracken), 54.61; 4×400 RELAY — 1, Eagle Point (Kelly McElroy, Liv Alberding, Karris Johnson, Kallie Stephenson), 4:56.98; South Medford (Ana Krebs, Hadley West, Cheyenne Clifton, Daniela Leavitt), 5:00.57.

SHOT PUT — 1, Thianna Deng-Gomez, EP, 31-1; 2, Josephine Wewerka, CC, 30-3.5; DISCUS — 1, Edna Moala, SM, 89-7; 2, Anna Berry, Ash, 78-1; JAVELIN — 1, Vivian Shawnego, EP, 91-10; 2, Makynlee Schauffler, EP, 85-9; HIGH JUMP — 1, Paige Schiffer, SM, 5-0; Flannery Lundgren, Ash, 4-8; POLE VAULT — 1, Amelia Hall, SM, 6-6; 2, Charlie Livdahl, SM, 6-6; LONG JUMP — 1, Adah McCracken, SM, 14-5; 2, Kate-Lynn Angiolet, EP, 13-10; TRIPLE JUMP — 1, Alyana Van Horn, SM, 31-3.5.