 | | Photo By Garrett Rudolph | | David Ferguson throws the discus at the Meet of Champions Saturday in Salem at Willamette University. He placed 17th overall in the event. |
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By Garrett Rudolph
SALEM - Fifty-six teams from Class 1A through 4A brought their top athletes to the Meet of Champions on Saturday, at Willamette University.
Since the Meet of Champions only accepts a certain number of the top qualifiers in each event, the meet sees some of the top contenders in the state, and some of the toughest competition at any track meet of the entire season.
Local teams were well-represented at the Meet of Champions, as North Marion, Gervais and St. Paul all had a number of athletes given the opportunity to match skills amongst the state's elite.
St. Paul junior Julie Drescher walked away with first place in the high jump, with a lifetime best 5 feet, 5 inches. Last year, Drescher won the Class 1A state title, with a jump of 5-1, and looks to be the top contender again this year. She currently has the third-best mark of any girl in the entire state, regardless of classification.
Drescher also placed 11th in the long jump (15-2.5).
The only other St. Paul athlete, who placed in the top 10 was Michelle Wilson, who took seventh in the javelin (108-7), and ninth in the discus (103-11).
Gervais sophomore Mary Dewar took 10th in the shot put (33-10.5), while North Marion had several top-10 finishes from girls.
Brittany Garinger took fifth in the 800 meters (2 minutes, 25.81 seconds), Michelle Dubenko took fifth in the 100-meter high hurdles (17.15), and Lauren Johnson took ninth in the triple jump with her best jump of the season (32-5.25).
On the boys side, North Marion sophomore Klint Pippert was the highest placing local athlete. Pippert cleared 6-0 in the high jump, matching his career best, which was good enough for fifth place.
Zack Burton of Gervais had top-10 finishes in three different events, and should be one of the Cougars' best hopes for a state title. He took seventh in the 100 (11.53), ninth in the triple jump (40-9.5), and 10th in the long jump (19-6.25).
Currently, Burton is in third place in the 3A classification in both the triple jump and long jump.
Other top-10 finishers included North Marion sophomore Julien Frolov who placed eighth in the 110 high hurdles (16.57), North Marion junior Matt Merritt, who placed ninth in the 800 (2:02.73), and North Marion senior Levi Cooper, who placed 10th in the discus (129-01).
Cooper also finished 14th in the shot put (43-0).
Rounding out the local competitors at the Meet of Champions were St. Paul sophomore Ryan Pierson (11th in the 300 intermediate hurdles, 16th in the 110 high hurdles), North Marion sophomore Molly Gunther (14th in the 200, 22nd in the 100), St. Paul junior Jeff Annen (16th in the javelin), St. Paul sophomore David Ferguson (17th in the discus), North Marion freshman Tony Dubenko (18th in the 300 hurdles), and Gervais freshman Cynthia Guajardo (20th in the 200).
The North Marion girls 4x100 relay team of Garinger, Gunther, Dubenko, and Caitlin Feldman placed 15th.
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