For Megan Kelley, Wednesday’s Class 3A district track and field meet was a bit of a revelation.
The Camas junior, one of the top 400-meter runners in the state, was using starting blocks in the event for the first time.
She might start to wonder why she waited so long.
“I felt a little nervous because we were trying something new,” said Kelley, who ranks fourth in the state among all classifications. “I’m afraid I’ll come out in a dead sprint and tire out.”
That wasn’t a problem at the district meet, where Kelley won the 400 in a season-best 57.23 seconds, more than 2½ seconds ahead of runner-up Bobbi Eckler of Union. The top three finishers in each event advance to next week’s regional meet, which will determine spots in the state meet.
It was a good start for Kelley, who will compete in the long jump, 200, and 1,600 relay when the meet resumes Friday at McKenzie Stadium. She ranks fourth in the state among all classifications in the long jump and sixth in the 200, while Camas has the No. 3 relay team.
“This is one of the hardest events,” she said of the 400. “I felt pretty strong at the end.”
It was part of a stellar day for the Papermaker girls. In the 300 hurdles, Sara Slayton won in 44.85, edging Brina Sych of Union by 0.13 seconds. Freshman Lauren Neff won the high jump with a height of 5-foot-4; Taryn Willie won the triple jump at 34-7; Camas won the 400 relay; and Michelle Pillette and Ciara Klein were second and third in the 100.
In other Class 3A action:
• Union’s Kinsley Ojukwu, who is ranked second in the state in the boys 100 meters, might have gotten a reprieve in the event.
Ojukwu was hampered by a tight hamstring and finished last in his race. But because of a failure with the electronic timing system, the race will be rerun Friday.
According to meet director Cale Piland, Union’s athletic coordinator, some events allow for additional competitors to advance to the regional meet. That depends upon their times, which must be recorded electronically.
“The timing system failed,” Piland said. “It’s just a quirky thing. We tested it, and this is the only time it failed.”
Ojukwu said his hamstring tightened up during the triple jump, which he won.
“I was hoping it would go away, but it didn’t,” he said.
• Ojukwu’s victory in the triple jump was part of a big day for his family. Jessica won the girls 100, and Stanley was second in the boys 400.
• Kyle Boe of Columbia River won the boys 3,200, 10 seconds ahead of Camas’ Josh Reiter.
• Anna Adamko of Columbia River, the defending Class 3A state champion in the javelin, won the javelin and the discus.
