Class 1A events, athletes to watch out for at the upcoming track and field state championships

The track and field state championships get underway on Thursday for the state’s smaller schools at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Here’s a quick preview of the Class 1A track and field state championships:

Boys: 3 to Watch

100 meters

St. Stephen’s junior Josiah Gaither took over the state lead from Adrian senior Colten Bayes with an 11.17-second run at the District 1 meet, but Bayes, McKenzie senior Aytan Brown and Damascus Christian sophomore Gavin Anderson all are within a tenth of a second.

110 hurdles

Bayes looks to become the first 1A sprinter to win the 100 and 110 hurdles in the same year since Sean Lewis of Damascus Christian in 2009, but again, he’ll have to get past the state leader — in this case, another Damascus hurdler in sophomore Elijah Davidson.

High jump

A trio of jumpers have gone over 6 feet, 4 inches this spring, led by last year’s runner-up Jayden Churchwell of Yoncalla, who cleared 6-6 in mid-April and has consistently gone over 6-4 in winning all but one meet this year.

Boys: 3 to Cheer

Jett Leavitt, Joseph, senior

The two-time champion in the 3,000 will get pushed by teammate Jonah Lyman, then he’ll target adding the 1,500 title that eluded him in a close finish a year ago.

Amos Lewis, Union, senior

Lewis arrives at Hayward Field as the No. 2 shot putter in 1A history with his 55-2 ¾ at last week’s District 4 meet and No. 3 all-time in the discus with his 168-6 at district.

Sawyer Dean, Trout Lake, senior

Dean grabbed family bragging rights when he broke the 1A state pole vault record by clearing 16 feet at the Jesuit Twilight Relays last month — his uncle Jesse holds Washington’s 1B record of 15-6¼, which he cleared for Glenwood in 2001 — and now he’ll look to join La Pine’s Justin Petz (2013-16) as the only four-time OSAA state pole vault champions.

Girls: 3 to Watch

200

Adrian senior Addy Martin will look to complete a third consecutive sweep of the state sprint titles (she comes to Hayward a 10-time state champion), but like last year, the 200 will be the biggest test after losing the district final to Harper sophomore Lindsay Talbot.

1,500

Freshmen Lilly Weer of Joseph and Lindsey Brown of Pine Eagle have raced each other three times this season, with Brown winning in a state-leading 4:48.23 at the Buck Track Classic, but Weer owning a district title by 1.4 seconds last week.

Javelin

Imbler freshman Olivia Haddock threw an 11-foot personal-best at district to take over the state lead by three inches over Powers sophomore Danika Bushnell, last year’s state runner-up — with 2024 champion Feirin McConnell (now at Crow) also in the field.

Girls: 3 to Cheer

Lindsay Talbot, Harper, sophomore

Besides challenging Martin in the 200, she’ll look to defend her state titles in both hurdles races — she broke the 1A state records in both this spring— and triple jump.

Ella Randall, Pine Eagle, senior

The two-time state champion in the shot put seeks redemption this weekend after finishing third last year at Hayward — she broke the 1A record by throwing 41-4¼ two weeks ago at the Uriarte Invitational.

Annie Rose Miller, Joseph, junior

She was runner-up to Tayanah Balensifer in the pole vault last year, and with the former Damascus Christian vaulter now at West Linn, that leaves Miller — just the third 1A girl ever to clear 11 feet — ready to stand atop the medal podium.

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