Class 3A 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 3A track and field state championships:

Boys: 3 to Watch

1,500

Siuslaw senior Clayton Wilson won the 1,500 and 3,000 at 2A Reedsport last year and the 3A state cross country title in the fall, but he’ll be in a dogfight with last year’s 3A titlist in the 1,500 and 3,000 in Oregon Episcopal junior Ronan Gantzos.

300 hurdles

This race figures to be a duel between last year’s runner-up, Burns senior Carsen Volle, and Valley Catholic senior Andrew Klopcic, who won four titles last year but dropped one of those events to contest the 300s this spring.

Long jump

Klopcic, last year’s champion, is out, leaving the runner-up (and current state leader) Kale Jensen of Siuslaw a slight favorite among five jumpers who are within 2 ½ inches of one another coming to Hayward.

Boys: 3 to Cheer

Andrew Klopcic, Valley Catholic, senior

He won the long and triple jumps, 400 and 4×400 last season but dropped the long jump and 4×400 to add the 200 and 300 hurdles to his repertoire. He broke the 3A state record in the triple jump with his 46-11½ leap at the Lewis & Clark district meet.

Kiyan Vrell, Amity, senior

The defending state javelin champion moved to No. 4 all-time in 3A with his 192-9 throw in March, and while he hasn’t quite approached that mark since, he’s still 17 feet ahead of anyone else in the field — and he’ll also contest the discus and long jump this weekend.

Rylan Bryant, Sutherlin, senior

Bryant entered the all-time 3A top 10 in the discus this season and has thrown 10 feet farther than anyone else, and he also has the state’s top mark in the shot put coming into the weekend.

Girls: 3 to Watch

100 hurdles

Taft junior Laney Lee ran the 200 last year, but this spring, she has not lost to a 3A rival in the 100 or 300 hurdles. She and state leader La Pine sophomore Sydney Schreiber (third in the 100 hurdles last year) are within one-hundredth of a second of each other this season.

Shot put

Coquille senior Holli Vigue won the shot and discus titles a year ago, and while she’s over 10 feet ahead of anyone in the discus field this season, she and Nyssa junior Chloe Johns are separated by less than an inch in the state rankings — with Burns senior Caitlyn Horrell just 4½ inches further back.

High jump

Catlin Gabel senior Caroline Mauro will vie to become the first girls high jumper since

Estacada’s Chancey Summers

(2008-11) and third ever to win four titles (Trisha Stevens of Philomath from 1984-87 was the first), but injuries have limited her to only three competitions this spring. Elmira junior Rylee Rice is the state leader coming into the state meet.

Girls: 3 to Cheer

Ella Bulkley, Catlin Gabel, junior

The defending state champion in the 200 broke the 3A record with her 25.01 at the Lewis & Clark district meet, and she’ll also be favored to win the 100 after tying the 3A record two weeks ago.

Sophie Schoolmeester, Banks, junior

The niece of world silver medalist Kara Goucher has won three state titles in her first two seasons, sweeping the 800 and 1,500 last spring and owning state-leading times in each this year, adding the 3A 1,500 state record to the 800 record she broke last season.

Mae Roth, Sisters, senior

Roth went from being a 10-foot pole vaulter last spring to becoming the third 3A vaulter to clear 12 feet at last week’s District 1 championships.

More Oregon high school sports

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

• Class 2A events, athletes to watch out for at the upcoming track and field state championships

• Playoff rewind: Results from Monday’s first round softball state tournament games

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