Two standout athletes made big news last week in Oregon.
Barlow (Gresham, Ore.) senior Ryan Crouser bounced back in a big way from a two-week layoff caused by back trouble to set state records in the shot put and discus during a home dual meet against Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.).
Ryan Crouser is back from injury andback to putting up spectacularmarks.
Photo courtesy of Lisa Crouser
After being forced to miss the prestigious Arcadia (Calif.) Invitational, Crouser fired the discus 213 feet, 7 inches - the best in the country this year - and the shot put 70 feet, 4 inches. His discus effort smashed cousin Sam Crouser's state record by almost 8 feet.
Crouser's shot put mark also was No. 1 in the nation until
Morristown (N.J.) senior Nick Vena went 70 feet, 4½ inches during the 23rd Blue Devil Classic in Westfield, N.J. Vena now holds indoor and outdoor New Jersey class records for each of his four years in high school.
Also, best known for helping
Aloha (Beaverton, Ore.) win a state football title as a running back, sophomore speedster Thomas Tyner ran 100 meters in a sizzling state-record (wind-legal) 10.43 seconds during the Aloha Relays.
MT. SAC RELAYSAvione Allgood of
Legacy (North Las Vegas) threw the javelin 176 feet – No. 2 all-time and a junior-class record – during the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. Also, the
Saugus (Calif.) distance medley relay team of Kaylin Mahoney, Alex Hampton, Karis Frankian and Stephanie Bulder set a state record with a clocking of 20:09.51.
MEYERS DOUBLES AT PASCONorthwest (Seattle) junior Maddie Meyers won the 1,600-meter race in 4:49.02 and the 3,200 in 10:18.46 during the 50th annual Pasco (Wash.) Invitational. The Most Outstanding Female Athlete award, however, went to
Othello (Wash.) senior Christine Kirkwood, who broke her own state record with a javelin throw of 166-9.
Kentwood (Covington, Wash.) senior B.J. Arceneaux was named Most Outstanding Male Athlete after long jumping a wind-aided, meet-record 24-4¼ on his final attempt. He also was third in the 100 and fourth in the 200.
The wildest finish materialized in the boys Golden Mile. Nathan Weitz of
Shadle Park (Spokane, Wash.) led most of the way before
White River (Buckley, Wash.) junior Marcus Dickson passed him on the final straightaway.
Kamiakin (Kennewick, Wash.) junior Anthony Armstrong then nipped Dickson at the finish line, 4:14.96 to 4:14.97.
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Trabuco Hills (Mission Viejo, Calif.) senior Jantzen Oshier took over the national lead this spring by winning the 1,600-meter race in an outstanding 4:04.24 during the Orange County Championships in Mission Viejo, Calif.
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Cornwall Central (New Windsor, N.Y.) senior Aisling Cuffe took over the nation's lead in the girls 1,600 with a time of 4:45.46 during the Red Raider Relays in Thiells, N.Y.
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San Marcos (Texas) junior Allex Austin is following in the footsteps of his 1996 Olympic high jump gold medalist father, Charles Austin. Allex high jumped a career-best 7-2 last week during the Class 5A district meet to take over the national lead.
* Distance runner supreme Lukas Verzbicas, running unattached this spring, missed winning the prestigious Boston Athletic Association invitational mile by a mere one-tenth of a second. He was clocked in 4:16.8. Defending champion Andrew Badderley of Great Britain, who has a personal best of 3:49.38, won in 4:16.7.
* Despite windy, cold weather,
Culver Academies (Ind.) senior Waverly Neer won the girls mile in 4:55.82 at the Flashes Indy Showcase in Indianapolis. Austin Mudd of
Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) won the boys mile in 4:12.88.
* Kaitlin Petrillose of
McNeil (Austin, Texas) pole vaulted 13-8 (No. 10 all-time) during the District 16 championships.
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Kell (Marietta, Ga.) sophomore Kendell Williams set three meet records during the McEachern Invitational in Powder Springs, Ga. They were in the 100-meter hurdles (13.62), 300-meter hurdles (41.91) and the high jump (5-10).
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Bronxville (N.Y.) freshman Mary Cain ran this year's fastest 800 meters (2:06.44) at the New York Relays in Randall's Island, N.Y.
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Thompson Falls (Mont.) star Hope Reid won five events during the Bluehawk Invitational on her home turf. She captured the 100-meter dash (13.86), 100-meter hurdles (17.55), 300-meter hurdles (50.21), pole vault (8-6) and high jump (4-8).
