Those silly weather prognosticators around the state were predicting warm and sunny skies to open the Oregon State Track and Field Championships in storied Hayward Field and even last Sunday found me smiling and envisioning everyone in shorts and tee-shirts and flip flops to celebrate the states best preforming as 'true thinclads.'  Fast forward...The Oregon State Track and Field State Championships opened today in Eugene at Hayward Field and it was business as usual as a good turnout showed up all adorned in earmuffs, big sweatshirts and blankets as a biting chill and threatening clouds proved the local meteorologists are nothing more than media gamblers who know how to bluff a TV audience. From the look of it, the OSAA shatterred the previous record of 892 sweatshirts sold over the three day event by selling out all 2500 in the first three hours of the meet.

Nobody enjoyed the cooler weather more than the 3000 Meter runners and right off the bat fans got to watch the queen herself as Henleys Taylor Wallace laid down the flag for the 4A by posting the only sub 10:00 race among the three girls divisions. Now a junior, she knocked 20 seconds off her last years winning time.  It seems she's been running forever as she was stellar as a freshman when she ran with that youthful exuberance only frosh seem to have. Her running style has changed the past few years and if someone 'not in the know' would profile her, they'd most likely assume she was a collegiate runner. Still a graceful stride but now with  strength and power.

     Later in the day, junior Elliot Jantzer of Phoenix would run an impressive 8:40 to win the boys 4A title. Like Wallace, he too would run much the race alone. Jantzer also has the look of a runner with tremendous upside. If I could use two words to describe the way he runs I'd say 'gliding minimalist' comes to mind as he wastes little motion. He'll run the 400M on Friday and comes into the meet with one of the top times. Try to think when the last time a runner came away with a 400M-3000M double? I don't even think I've ever seen a kid doubling these two races. I came away today thinking if these had been an 'open field' rather than segregated into classifications, that Wallace and Jantzer would have won hands down.

There is nothing that makes a statement like coming out of the scoring gate as the Jesuit girls did by grabbing 18 points and telling the rest of the 6A Field "Catch us if you can." Senior Adrienne McGuirk and sophomore Sarah Bridges went 1-2 to lead the powerful Crusaders out of the block and pointing to a team title. While the Jesuit boys had been strong over the past few years, this girls team evokes memories of the South Eugene boys dynasty back in the 70's and 80's. They have such a deep stable of runners than some of their runners who'd have placed at state were left off the district team because of sheer numbers.  

If the winds are calm and the sun decides to peep through on Saturday, the 6A Boys 4X100 Meter Relay should be a doozy with Lincoln and Barlow running in the low 42's. Barlow showed great stick work and looked effortless breezing in at 42.23 and Lincoln moved it around fine before getting it to stud Jordan Polk who brought them home in 42.17. Benson looked shaky and is capable of a much better time and Southridge looked quick.

Marshfield's Caleb Kruse was favored to win the 5A Boys Triple Jump and going into the final he was tied for the lead with Sherwood's Curtis Fisher with both popping 45'0 foot jumps. Nothing changed going to their last jump of the day when the senior from Sherwood got off a monster 45'11.5 leap. Kruse's last jump fell short and Fisher grabbed the gold. "I'd been watching his jumps online all season and figured it would come down to us two in the final. He's a good jumper and we're both consistent so it was going to be close.' When asked about his chances of doubling he offered "Newsom of Silverton has been on top all year, after him we're all bunched so it will be a fight. I've only really been focusing on long jumping a short time but got a 22'10 at district last week so its coming together."

If there is one thing thats fun about track and field, its all the kids who are all-state on the football or basketball team. The Sister's Outlaws sewed up a 4X400 boys relay win behind Cory McCaffrey's 49.3 anchor leg. West Albany's Anthony LaCoste seems to be in every event except serving hot dogs and Polish Sausages in the snack booth. Lincolns Jordan Polk looks like one of the favorites in the 100 Meters . On the girls side, Michelle Coomb's of Hermiston is one of the best in the state in the javelin and the long jump looks like a roster of all star guards with Ali Worthen of Marshfield, Bryanna St. Paul of Silverton and Dani Kastrava of West Albany. Amanda Luna of Molalla is favored to win the 4A Triple Jump. If I had a dime for every kid I recognized off a roster from another sport this past season, I could have bought several of those nice OSAA sweatshirts.

Another race that sets up nicely for Friday's final is the Boys 800. It could be a fast one under 1:52 with the field that advanced. Leading the pack will be Lake Oswego's Elijah Greer; Lincoln's Nathan Mathabane and last years winner, Central Catholic's Taylor Morgan and Jesuit's Tim Kessler. If the winds can remain calm and someone tries to break the pack with a quick first lap and the rest keep contact, look out. Morgan won with a 1:52.6 and I think tomorrows will be faster.

Trying to think of the last time a brother and sister won the same event at a State Meet on the same day. Lane and Brooke Davison of North Bend succeeded yesterday and Lane cleared 15'9 to win the boys title and earlier Brooke started the Davison Medal parade when she won with a vault of 10'9. Now thats impressive.

The Crouser "Generation Next" started with a bang when sophomore Sam Crouser of Gresham captured first place with a winning toss of 199'6. Something tells me we'll be hearing that name in the winners circle quite a few times over the next coming years as oldtimers Dean, Mitch and Brian unleash a hoard of new Crouser-throwers about to lay waste on the school, district and state throwing records.

The touches they are doing to get Hayward Field ready are impressive. Already gone and replaced is "Splinter Heaven" (the old wooden bleacher) that sat just south of the West Grandstand looking down the straightaway. Now there are two new giant bleachers on the south side sandwiching in a huge state of the art electonic timer screen that no doubt has replay cabability as well. It did a great job with flashing the times of the contestants on the screen quickly as they came across. Kevin Costner got his sport totally confused and messed up when he did "Field of Dreams" as we all know for track and field, Hayward is the field of dreams.

A poignant and somber reminder as we head into Memorial Day Weekend. It seems that the State Track and Field Championships have always been held on this weekend. Today I'm sure everyone noticed, just in back of the scoreboard, flying at half mast was the Stars and Stripes sending a message what this weekend truly means.  Just a few years ago, Jessica Ellis was out for track and field at Lakeview High School and now she becomes Oregon's second female soldier to lose her life. Oregon Govenor Ted Kulongowski had the state lower their flags this weekend to honor Ellis. It seems implausible that these kids I watched today may soon be in a similar predictament. As a youngster, I think we all enjoyed this weekend as nothing more than an extra day away from work or school. Yet as we grow older, it seems we begin to grasp what the "Memorial" is all about. For all of us watching the new scoreboard with a new and blazing red, white and blue flag waving at half mast we shouldn't need reminding.