The Pleasant Hill boys won the state 3A boys track title. TOM PAGE/FOR THE CRESWELL CHRONICLE
Heading into the final event, the 4x400m relay, Pleasant Hill boys had a 59-54 lead over Salem Academy in the team standings at the state 3A track meet Friday at Hayward Field.
Based on district qualifying times, the Billies ran against three other teams in the slower heat, which the team of Henry Stowell, Callan Stowell, Hunter Murphy and Garrett Phelps won in 3:34.58.
The Crusaders had a higher-rated team in the faster heat.
”Going into the relay, we knew that if Salem Academy got second we’d need at least fifth,” said P-Hill senior Hunter Murphy.
The Billies ended up fifth, but the Crusaders managed only a third in 3:29.38, allowing the Billies to edge Salem Academy 62-60 in the team race.
”It has been a fun ride. We have a great group of kids who gave everything they had and it paid off,” said Coach Gary Smith.
”It was the best way we could have ended it. I couldn’t have expected anything more,” added Murphy. ”Everything couldn’t have worked out better; it was a great year for Coach Smith and it worked out perfectly.”
”This was a special team,” said Callan Stowell, another senior.
The Billies scored 62 with wins in only two events, but scored points in 10 of the 17 events.
Murphy successfully defended his state 3000m title, winning in 9:02.54 while Phelps added a first in the long jump at 21-4.5, with his winning effort coming on his final jump. He had three prior jumps of 20-10.75, 20-2.75 and 20-0.25 along with two fouls.
Dylan Hammond was seventh in the long jump at 19-9.75 and eighth in the triple jump at 39-8 on his fourth attempt after advancing to the finals with a 39-6.5 effort.
Murphy also finished third in the 1500m in 4:12.49 while Callan Stowell followed him to the 3000m finish line, fourth in 9:29.93.
The 4x100m relay team of Henry Stowell, Hammond, Phelps and Colton Hazel crossed the finish line second in 43.33.
Hazel returned to take fifth in the 100m (11.41) and the 200m (23.39). Hazel had placed third in his preliminary heats with 11.49 in the 100m and 23.50 in the 200.
The Billies also added points in the throwing events with Reece Hardy taking sixth with a 137-0 PR effort on his second throw and sophomore Milo Harmon-Maurer was sixth in the javelin with a 151-7 personal best.
Also competing were Kirk Everett in the high jump (5-8) and high hurdles (17.20) and Henry Stowell the 400m (54.19).
The Billie girls also came home with a state trophy, tying LaPine for fourth with 37 points.
”We have a lot of talent and had a lot of PRs,” said Rachel Chambers.
Their highest finish was a second by Maddy Woodward in the 3000m in 10:39.08 due to a late kick that edged an Oregon Episcopal runner who was timed in 10:39.14, and Alicia DuChateau’s second place in the 300m hurdles in 47.86 after winning her qualifying heat and recording the second-best overall time of 47.79.
Woodward added a fourth in the 1500m (4:47.92) and DuChateau was eighth in the 100m (13.31).
The 4x400m relay team of Jaesa Ruchti, Woodward, DuChateau and Chambers concluded the meet by placing fifth in 4:14.01.
Ruchti was also seventh in the 800m (2:33.35).
Rounding out the scoring were Rebecca Peasley, fourth in the discus with a 124-10 personal best and Chambers, fifth in the long jump at 15-10.5 on her fifth attempt. It was one of three jumps she had over 15-8.
Peasley popped her PR effort on her final attempt to increase her previous best of 113-3 among five previous throws. She improved from seventh as a sophomore to fourth as a senior.
Other marks were Chambers, 1:03.39 in the 400m; Sarah Peasley, 2:47.45 PR in the 800m; and Ruchti, 5:11.85 in the 1500m.
