EUGENE — Cove’s Morgan Reddington had a big opening day at the 1A state track meet Thursday at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Reddington took second place in the long jump with a jump of 16 feet, 7-3/4 inches. She also put herself in position to bring home medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes with top finishes in the prelims.

Falk Thieme has been making an impression at local track meets this spring in the high jump, long jump and shot put for the Outlaws. (BRAD MOSHER/The Observer)

Wallowa County makes good use of its exchange students, putting them to work on the tracks, fields and courts of its high schools. 

Four European students are standouts on the combined Enterprise and Wallowa track team, coached this spring by Dan Moody, the Enterprise athletic director.

MARION, Ind. — Karlee Coffey had a goal Thursday night —  to win a national title at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.  

She achieved her goal, winning the 10,000 meters and helping the Mountaineers take over first place in the team standings after one day.

An ecstatic and exhausted McKenzie Evans is shocked (above) as she crosses the finish line first in the 3,000 meters Thursday at Hayward Field. Evans won the 2A crown that had been teammate Katriel O’Reilly’s a year earlier. Evans set a new meet record of 10:28.57 with the win. (CASEY KELLAS/The Observer)

O’Reilly finishes second in 3,000 as Union teammates take top two spots in 2A race 

EUGENE — It was finally McKenzie Evans’ day.

The Union junior won the state title in the 3,000 meters Thursday at the state meet in Eugene, setting a meet record with a time of 10 minutes, 28.57 seconds.

She beat teammate and defending state champion Katriel O’Reilly, who finished second with a time of 10:41.79. 

Elgin pole vaulter Stephen Howes has the second-highest mark in the 2A event.

EUGENE — The road to a state title started in Union County at the district meet.

For some, it is a return trip to defend a title won a year ago.

For Stephen Howes of Elgin, he is only three inches away from a state title. 

La Grande’s Kayla Rasmussen, left, will compete in the 100-meter hurdles at the 4A state track meet Friday and Saturday in Eugene. Teammate Haley White, right, has the fifth-fastest time in the event heading into the state meet.

La Grande’s Rasmussen comes back from illness to qualify for state 

There are always hurdles that we have to overcome in life.

At different points, it can seem like those hurdles are larger than others.

Kayla Rasmussen was able to overcome one of her toughest hurdles in her young life recently, and now she will look to bring home a state track championship. 

Marta Stangel will run with Elsa Steen (left) in the 400-meter relay in the state track championships. (BRAD MOSHER/The Observer)

Enterprise senior Marta Stangel leaves her mark on the Outlaw record books 

Enterprise senior Marta Stangel faces the end of an illustrious high school athletic career and peers into the future for new possibilities. 

With a personal best of  36 feet, 3 inches she’s ranked first among 2A high schools in the shot put and gearing up for the state meet shot put finals Friday.

“I started throwing in junior high and I could throw it really far. It’s as much about speed as strength and I’m pretty quick,” Stangel said.  

Enterprise’s Austin Burns helped the Outlaws to the Blue Mountain Conference district championship Saturday in Union. Burns won the 800 meters, took second in the 400 meters and finished third in the 200 meters. He also anchored the winning 1,600-meter relay team. (Brad Mosher/The Observer)

UNION — Freshman Trevor Verhelst of Union may be the fastest sprinter in the Blue Mountain Conference, but the dominance of Enterprise in most of the track events swept the Outlaws to an easy team triumph in the district track championships Saturday.