The Nike Outdoor Nationals, a national competition for high school and middle school track & field athletes, took place at Hayward Field last week.
Multiple area athletes took part in the “championship” division and “emerging elite” division.
Thurston’s Bailey Tovey competed in the girls javelin and shot put championships, finishing 20th in the country in javelin and 24th in the shot put.
Also competing was Cottage Grove’s Carter Bengtson, who finished 2nd last month in the Class 4A boys 3000m race. Bengtson finished 23rd in the championship 5000m race last week with a personal-record time of 15:06.18.
Two Pleasant Hill athletes, Ryan Thomas and Soleis Jones, competed in the emerging elite division. Thomas, who won the Class 3A girls 100m dash last month, finished 63rd with a 100m time of 12.86 in the prelims. Meanwhile, Jones finished 47th in the 400 with a time of 59.95.
Pacheco earns 2nd-team all-state for Lions
■ Cottage Grove star junior pitcher Emily Pacheco earned 2nd-team all-state honors for Class 4A softball last week. Pacheco was the only Lions player to earn all-state honors this spring after throwing 202 Ks in 20 appearances on the mound.
Cottage Grove’s Emily Pacheco throws a pitch during a Lions win over Sweet Home this season. Pacheco earned 2nd-team all-state honors for her pitching after striking out 202 batters.
Two Bulldogs commit to college teams
■ Two Creswell Bulldogs committed to continuing their athletic careers at the collegiate level on May 30. Dakota Carson, a 3rd-team all-state member who helped lead the girls basketball team to a 6th-place finish at state, committed to Lane Community College. Meanwhile Tyler Bowers, a wide receiver and cornerback for the football team, committed to play at Feather River College – a community college in Plumas County, California.
Cottage Grove rodeo July 12-13 this year
■ The annual Cottage Grove rodeo is set for Friday, July 12, and Saturday, July 13 at the Cottage Grove Riding Club & Rodeo, located at 77958 Hwy 99S. Friday night at the Rodeo will be All Cancer Awareness and Saturday will be Military Appreciation Night. Tickets for the event are $17 for adults, $14 for veterans and seniors, and $8 for kids. More info can be found at: facebook.com/cottagegrove.rodeo.
