Cameron Kreuz (Ritch Fuhrer Photo)
Interested in photographs from the CCC Championships?
Souvenir photographs from this weekend’s championship meet will be available for online purchase at www.digidesignphoto.com. Go to "find your event" and use CCC as the password.
GRESHAM, Ore. – Another beautiful day greeted athletes, officials, and spectators for the final day of the Cascade Collegiate Conference Track and Field Championships at Mt. Hood Community College’s Earl Klapstein Stadium. 5 more meet records fell as CCC competition continues to improve year after year.
Concordia led off the day with 2 of the top 3 finish in the women’s high jump. Defending champ Erika Schmid won the event with a mark of 5 feet 5 inches. Her teammate Joyce Oniah tallied a third place at 5-1, while Tracy Filley of Oregon Tech placed second at 5-3.
Asa Miller of Eastern Oregon out-jumped seven others to win the men’s high jump with a mark of 6 feet 5 inches.
Sara Schelb launched her javelin 147 feet 6 inches to claim a top spot for the Owls. Aria Nokima of Concordia (142-10) and Southern Oregon’s Stephanie Miller (140-5) were close behind. Two-time champ Lauren Sexton of CU was a late scratch due to injury.
Concordia dominated the men’s javelin competition, ringing up a 1-2-3 finish. Repeat champion Paul Rashau won the event with a 214 foot 11 inch throw. He was followed by Eric Whalen (211-1) and Jesse Staub (205-7).
In the shot put, two-time champ Leon Carl of Concordia could not win a third in a row as Eastern Oregon’s Quinten Baxter heaved the implement 52 feet 10 ¾ inches to better the effort of 50-1 ¾ by Carl.
Katherine Tripp tallied her third straight title in the women’s shot put and broke through with a new meet record heave of 46 feet ½ inch.
Joel Matchett from Oregon Tech reclaimed his title in the men’s triple jump with a leap of 46 feet 8 inches. Matchett won the event in 2006 and 2007. Warner Pacific’s Curtis Fisher fouled on five of his six attempts, but the one he landed was good enough for second place at 44-7 ½. Last year’s champion Stephen Marshall of Concordia placed third with a jump of 43-10.
Women’s triple jump featured 100m dash winner Haley Ricker of WPC scoring another title with a leap of 34 feet 11 ¾ inches, edging Concordia’s Danielle Fergason by 2 inches.
The ideal conditions allowed for fast times on the track, and four women competitors bested the CCC meet record in the 800 meter run. Sara Bates of EOU (2:15.60), Andria Scheese of Concordia (2:15.15), C of I’s Maggie Miller (2:14.60), and event winner Linsie Michels of Concordia (2:12.08) all eclipsed the old time of Northwest’s Kristina Porticova (2:16.00) set in 2004.
SOU’s Cameron Kreuz added to his 1500 meter title yesterday with a win in the men’s 800 meter run. His time of 1:51.92 missed the meet record by just .06 seconds.
The women’s 400 meter hurdles was won by Nikki Smith of Oregon Tech in 1:04.92 after the initial top finisher was disqualified. Defending champion and meet record holder Curtis Parrish from Concordia held off teammate Jordan Hamblen to repeat in the men’s 400m hurdles with a time of 54.46.
Concordia scored another 1-2-3 finish in the women’s 200 meter dash. Stephanie Persaud won her second title in 25.32 seconds, followed by Eunice Makinde (25.80) and Joyce Oniah (25.91). Antwun Baker from SOU sprinted to the victory in the men’s 200 meters in 22.10 seconds, complimenting his title in the 100 meters yesterday.
A deep field of competitors in the men’s 5000 meters made for an exciting race as Concordia’s Eric Burck ran to a new meet record of 14:58.91. He outpaced Southern Oregon’s Joe Rath (14:59.96) and 10k winner David Laney (15:02.93).
Stephanie Helm of The College of Idaho smashed her own record in the 5000 meters set last year. She beat her time by nearly 20 seconds and finished in 17:34.32.
The Concordia quartet of Stephanie Persaud, Sabrina Hoffman, Joyce Oniah, and Linsie Michels eked out a win in the 4 x 400 relay, narrowly defeating Eastern Oregon by .35 seconds. The Mountaineers gained a measure of revenge in the men’s 4 x 400 relay, as Fernando Morales, Adam Miller, Andrew Perri, and Andrew Wise clocked in with a new meet record of 3:17.93. Concordia finished in second with 3:22.22.
Team results were dominated by Concordia on both the men’s and women’s side. The Cavalier women concluded competition with 289.5 points and earned their third team title in a row. Eastern Oregon came home in second with 166.5 points, and Oregon Tech managed third with 96 points.
The Cavalier men captured their fourth consecutive team title with 260 points. Eastern Oregon’s men finished strong for a second place finish with 170.5 points, while Southern Oregon earned third at 116 points.
Concordia’s Katherine Tripp was named female field athlete of the meet with her title and meet record in the shot put. Stephanie Persaud of Concordia was named female track athlete of the meet with her wins in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and performance in both the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays.
Nik Kay of Concordia was named men’s field athlete of the meet with 3rd place finishes in the hammer and shot put, and a record breaking throw and individual title in the discus. Southern Oregon’s Cameron Kreuz was voted track athlete of the meet with victories in the 800 meters and 1500 meters, and both times were NAIA automatic qualifying efforts.
CU head coach Randy Dalzell was named CCC coach of the year for both the men's and women's teams.