COTTONWOOD - Only once in Northern Section history had multiple girls run sub-45 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles in the same race. Shasta High's Molly Ross was part of it as a sophomore, taking third in 2014 behind eventual section record holder Kristina Freitas of West Valley and runner-up Yreka's Jenavieve Turner. Ross, now a senior and the defending section champ in the event, wasn't entertaining any thoughts about finishing as a bridesmaid this year despite two other quality hurdlers ranked ahead of her in the field.

Ross jumped ahead early, but was in a virtual tie coming off the turn with the section's top ranked hurdler from Gridley, Stephanie Cardenas and Chico's Gabrielle Mace, the section's most improved hurdler, before regaining some separation with a hurdle to go. However Cardenas used the final barrier to close the gap on the Shasta senior, necessitating a final lunge by Ross to capture her second 300 hurdles title in 44.39 seconds at the NSCIF track and field championships at West Valley High on Friday.

"When I could feel her on my hip I had it in my head that 'I'm not going to lose my senior year and my last (high school) race ever,'" said Ross, who signed a scholarship on Wednesday to run track for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. "I wanted it really bad." The time was the fourth-best in section history and Ross' career best, which also improved on the school record of 44.75 she set in that race two years ago. Like the epic race two years ago, this year's redition of the 300 hurdles had three finishers under 45 seconds, with Cardenas second (44.48) and Mace third (44.78). Not quite the quality of 2014 but pretty darn close with less time separating the top three.

Ross was able to win both of her final events in her high school career, taking the 100 hurdles title in 14.71 earlier, not quite matching the second fastest time in section history she ran at last year's championships (14.69). But earning the victory in the 300m hurdles was more important to her since she's been struggling with it, having never broken 45 seconds once since taking third in 2014. "I felt like it went by so fast," said Ross, who is choosing to attend graduation next week instead of competing at state. "I didn't stutter like I normally do. It was a very clean and consistent race so I was very proud." Ross was the Redding area's only individual multiple-event winner in the running events.

Hamilton's Kelly Koehnen won the ALL distance events using a surprisingly powerful kick to come out on top in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, only the second time in section history that this triple has been accomplished (or probably attempted). Chico's Susanne Richter was the first to do it way back in 1978. Yet it was Wheatland's Erica Grotegeer, who won the discus with an impressive throw of 149-01 then came back with a win in the shot put, a runnerup finish by a quarter inch in the long jump before capping her day with a third in the 100m, who was named the female Bob Russell Award winner. Las Plumas' Adham Rivers was the male winner after taking the 200 and the 400.

West Valley's Kirsten Galwey anchored the girls runnerup 4x100 relay, the winning 4x400 relay while in between claiming the 400 title (58.49), becoming the first Eagle girl to win the event since Jenny Jeffries did it in 1998. It's a love-hate relationship she has with the event that pushes her to a level she only goes to in order to win. "It's definitely more mental strain than any other race," said Galwey, a sophomore. "You know it's going to hurt but you don't want it to hurt but you want to win."

West Valley's Zach Baldwin scratched from the 400 to focus on the 800, the event he had won each of the past two years. He went out a three time section titlist in the event, finishing strong with a victory in 1:55.07, which was by more than two seconds to Foothill's Thurman Knowles. "I was too worried about my competition than I was about time because I really wanted to get that 1:54," Baldwin said. "I didn't get it but I was right there."

Anderson High had a pair of running champions with Brandon Murphy in the 110 hurdles, redeeming himself after last year's disappointment, and Grant Kingston in the 100, after being upset as the section leader (& defending champion) in the discus and an uninspired performance in the shot.

For Murphy it was a little bit of redemption after false starting at divisions last year to miss out on the section meet. He still managed to edge Enterprise's Keaton Voorhees despite having back spasms from injuring himself during pole vaulting at the D-II championships last week. "I just had to stay true and try and run a clean race," Murphy said. "I knew with my speed and time I could win."

Kingston's day didn't start out the way he planned, falling short in the discus and shot put - two of his strongest events - due to lack of mental focus, he said. But he honed in on the 100 where he turned in the section's top time this year in 11.03, which bested his career mark set the week prior at 11.04 when the top three times in the section occurred in the same race. "One thing track has taught me today was that you have to be mentally into it and it shows," said Kingston, who will play football and do track for William Penn in Iowa. "I didn't have a good throwing day but it was a good day running. "I'm feeling more confident in myself every time I do the 100; I get faster and faster. I wish I could get in the 10s but I have next week to do that." Both seniors Murphy and Kingston plan to compete at the state meet in Fresno Friday and Saturday.

Here are the top three results for each event.

GIRLS
100: Loyalton's Kennedy Hood (12.48), Lassen's Brianna Mendonca (12.72), Wheatland's Grotegeer (12.89).

200: Hood (25.72), Mendonca (26.18), Las Plumas' Chava Rivers (26.34).

400: Galwey (58.49), Lassen's Brenna Mendonca (58.99), Pleasant Valley's Courtney Kermen (59.07).

800: Hamilton's Koehnen (2:19.77), Foothill's Belle Moran (2:23.97), West Valley's Bailey Jones (2:25.24).

1,600: Koehnen (5:10.70), Moran (5:17.39), Central Valley's Anna Lewis (5:24.12).

3,200: I detect a pattern here. Koehnen (11:23.76), Chico's Celeste Wilson (11:29.50), Red Bluff's Naomi Renfroe (11:38.39).

100 hurdles: Ross (14.71), Cardenas (14.97), Hamilton's Mariana Gonzalez (15.86).

300 hurdles: Ross (44.39), Cardenas (44.48), Chico's Gabriella Mace (44.78).

4x100 relay: PV's team Mariah McCready, Emily McLaughlin, Jayla Singleton, Courtney Kermen (50.68), West Valley's team of Destiny Saelee, Sierra Brenner, Galwey and Jones (50.80), Hamilton's team of Lynette Garcia, Gisselle Flores, Mariana Gonzalez and Emely Ramos (51.20).

4x400 relay:West Valley's team of Brenner, Skyler Hayward, Saelee and Jones (4:07.43), Gridley (4:09.82), Yreka (4:13.74).

BOYS
100: Kingston (11.03), Live Oak's Adrian Martinez (11.17), Central Valley's Austin Chaolee (11.23).

200: Las Plumas' Rivers (22.63), Chaolee (22.79), Gridley's Angel Santana (22.98).

400: Rivers (51.02), PV's Donovan Jackson (51.39), Etna's Devonn Layton (52.98).

800: Baldwin (1:55.03), Knowles (1:57.06), West Valley's Gabe Cheek (1:59.15).

1,600: Mount Shasta's Chris Morzenti (4:24.67), Shasta's Andrew Skoy (4:25.97), Las Plumas' Brian Hastings (4:29.54).

3,200: Skoy (9:41.02), Trinity's Ben Harper (9:42.51), Chico's Jack Emanuel (10:00.35).

110 hurdles: Murphy (15.15), Voorhees (15.59), U-Prep's Trevor Branton (15.83).

300 hurdles: Chico's Griffin Teague (39.19), Gridley's Taylor Miskin (40.33), Martinez (40.85).

4x100 relay:West Valley's team of Craig Eaton, Noah Alcala, Hayden Kennen and Cole Selberg (43.54), Shasta (43.69), PV (44.22).

4x400 relay: Paradise team of Riley Potthast, Masen Becerril, Mason Jensen and Jared Mackay(3:24.51), Mount Shasta's team of Chris Morzenti, Jarrod Althaus-Cressman, Sam Chase and Ryan Hering (3:28.33), Chico (3:28.92).





COTTOWOOD - Facing his final jump in the long jump Friday, Shasta's Wilson Presleigh glided down the runway at the Northern Section Track and Field meet at West Valley High School. The Wolves' junior who was expected to take the triple jump title, hit the landing and floated and floated. When he landed, his 21-foot, 3.25-inch leap was enough to edge Hamilton senior Derek Dowdy out by 2 inches.

After Presleigh doubled down and won the triple jump with a leap of 44-00.5, Dowdy, who is friends with the Shasta jumper, lamented that "something" seems to happen each year. Presleigh was that "something." "I've known Derek for a few years, we're good friends," he said. "We've pushed each other to PRs and it's bittersweet to see him not go to state in his senior year."

To say Presleigh was surprised is putting it mildly. "I had some bad (long) jumps early and thought if this is my last jump of the year, I might as well leave everything out here," he said of his winning long jump. "It felt faster. I felt weightless down the runway and had good pop on my step and it felt like I was soaring."

Shasta jump coach JC Hunsaker said the work Presleigh puts in makes his double win Friday not that big of a shock. "Wilson is that steady horse. He's real good on the board and gets everything out of what his body is able to do," Hunsaker said. "He's definitely been the guy who has separated himself and draws attention at invitationals. 'What's Wilson doing?' "

After edging Dowdy in the long jump, Presleigh looked to be the field events' only double winner among the boys as he was a strong favorite in the triple jump. Presleigh set the bar high on his third jump, going 44-00.5. "I felt like I had great speed down the runway, better than any of my other jumps," he said. "My phases felt high and long, it all came together. I was thinking high 43."

Hunsaker said Presleigh's length and speed are keys to his success in the triple jump. "His length helps in the technical nature of the triple jump," Hunsaker said. "He's one of the faster guys in that approach. That might not translate to the 100 meters, but he's got such power with that stride."Wheatland's Erica Grotegeer took the shot put with a throw of 39-03, discus with a toss of 149-01 and was only 1/4 short of a third in the long jump. Grotegeer was the meet's Bob Russell Award winner for girls. Las Plumas runner Adham Rivers was the award winner on the boys' side.

In the boys shot put, Red Bluff's Jacob Samuelson was finally able to do something in a meet he'd been doing in practice, eclipse the 50-foot mark. The Spartan senior won the shot put with a toss of 50-10.25. "I've had a lot of those (50-foot throws) at practice, but haven't been able to do it at a meet," Samuelson said. "I feel accomplished today." His 50-foot throw was nearly a foot longer than second-place finisher, Alex Davila of Corning (49-11.25). Anderson's Grant Kingston took third with a throw of 46-05.50.

Samuelson credits his lackluster showing in discus, partly, for his shot put victory. "I didn't have a good day at discus, so I used that to fuel my fire," he said. "I just figured that today might be my last meet, so I held nothing back. It seemed to work for me." East Nicolaus' Donovan Switalski, who guided the Spartans to a state title in football, will get his second shot at a state title after winning the discus with a throw of 166-01. Kingston was second at 165-06. Sutter's Austin Greer was third with 157-11. Samuelson was seventh with a throw of 127-07.

Here are top field event finishers from the NSCIF track and field championships:

GIRLS
High Jump: Kaylee Shoemaker, Corning, 5-4; Kira Porzio, Foothill, 5-2; Cassie Young, Foothill and Teagan Ford, Etna (tied for third), also 5-2.

Shot Put: Erica Grotegeer, Wheatland, 39-03.50; Claire Walton, Shasta, 36-09; Abby Meder, Wheatland, 34-11.

Triple Jump: A reshuffle from last year Kilee Hannan, Anderson, 36-04; Alyssa Burke, Enterprise, 35-02; Michael Curry, Gridley, 34-05.50.

Discus: A monster throw by Wheatland Erica Grotegeer (149-01) to win for the second time on the day; Natalie Rogers, West Valley, 117-00; Sandy Ante', Central Valley 115-09.

Long Jump: Chava Rivers, Las Plumas, 17-04.25; Erica Grotegeer, Wheatland, 17-04; Ariana Gonzales, Chico, 16-09.

Pole Vault: Matteya Ruiz, Foothill, 10-00; Cassie Young, Foothill, 9-06, Rebecca Graham, Las Plumas, 9-06 (tie).

BOYS
Discus: Donovan Switalski, East Nicolaus, 166-01; Grant Kingston, Anderson, 165-06; Austin Greer, Sutter, 157-11.

Long Jump: Wilson Presleigh, Shasta, 21-03.25, Derek Dowdy, Hamilton, 21-01.25, Steven Zoll, West Valley, 20-11.25.

Pole Vault: Deven Hernandez, West Valley, 14-03; Phillip McHugh, Sutter, 14-00; Brandon McCann, Foothill, 13-06.

High Jump: Sethan Miller, Pleasant Valley, 6-07; Kyle Cox, University Prep, 6-06; Jacob Warren, Paradise, 6-02.

Shot Put: Jacob Samuelson, Red Bluff 50-10.25; Alex Davila, Corning, 49-11.25; Grant Kingston, Anderson 46-05.50.

Triple Jump: Wilson Presleigh, Shasta, 44-00.50; Jonas Collier, Modoc, 42-09.50; Derek Dowdy, Hamilton, 41-06.25.






COTTONWOOD -- Adham Rivers won two events, but he took home a third award. The Las Plumas High senior ended his night as the boys' winner of the Bob Russell award for the most outstanding athlete of the meet at the Northern Section Track and Field Championships held Friday at West Valley High. Rivers won the 400 meters in 51.02 seconds and then added a victory in the 200 with a time of 22.63. "I'm kind of speechless. I didn't know I'd get it," Rivers said. "This is a season not wasted."

Rivers was one of two boys to win two individual events. Shasta junior Wilson Presleigh won the long jump in 21 feet, 3¼ inches and the triple jump in 44-½. While Presleigh's day was done early on with the two field events, Rivers was just starting. After his two victories, he capped his performance in the night's final event as he ran a leg of the 1,600 relay as the Thunderbirds finished sixth, solidifying his status of the winner of the Russell award, a year after he was third in the 400 and didn't qualify for the 200 as a junior. "This year my times have gone down by over a second almost in both events," Rivers said. "Hard work pays off, I guess." Section winners automatically qualify for the CIF State Track and Field Championships held June 3-4 at Veterans Memorial Stadium at Buchanan High in Clovis.

While Rivers gets two turns in the state meet, he was just as happy that he'll have company there. His younger sister Chava Rivers, a Las Plumas sophomore, won the girls' long jump with a leap of 17-4¼ on her last attempt. "It's fun to go home, hang up our first-place medals," Rivers said. Rivers wasn't the lone area winner either. Pleasant Valley junior Sethan Miller outlasted everyone in the high jump, clearing the bar at 6-7 and earning his trip to state. "I am pumped about that. That's been my goal for a long time," Miller said.

Unlike Miller, Chico's Griffin Teague hasn't had much time with his event, the 300 hurdles, competing in it a handful of times. "Because I fell down in one race so about five and a half," Teague corrected. "I've been nervous all day. I really haven't thought about anything else today." Now, Teague can think about a trip to state. The senior, a four-year standout for the Panthers' track team in other events, was the best in the section in the 300 hurdles on Friday, winning in a personal-best 39.19 and thanked many people for getting him to the top of the podium, including several coaches. One of them, Robert Quist - who is the hurdles coach for the Panthers - was chosen as the recipient of the section's Honor Coach award this year.

The last event of the night belonged to a familiar group, the Paradise 1,600 relay team. The Bobcats defended their title even with some new members running legs. "I'm flying," longtime Paradise coach Seth Roberts said. So were the Bobcats' foursome of Riley Potthast, Masen Becerril, Mason Jensen and Jared Mackay as they won in 3:24.51, nearly 4 seconds faster than Mount Shasta's second-place time of 3:28.33. The Paradise record in the event is 3:24.4, Roberts added. "We hope to beat it next week," Jensen said. "But if we don't, not too worried about it. State again is a great win for us."

Host West Valley won the 400 relay in 43.54, and West Valley senior Zach Baldwin won the 800 for the third straight year, this one in 1;55.03. Mount Shasta's Chris Morzenti won the 1,600 in 4:24.67, but Shasta's Andrew Skoy, who finished second in that race, had enough left to win the 3,200 to overcome Trinity's Ben Harper, the defending champ, with a finishing kick in the final distance race of the meet. Skoy ran in 9:41.02, and Harper was 9:42.51. Anderson's Grant Kingston won the 100 in 11.03, and fellow Cub Brandon Murphy won the 110 hurdles in 15.15. Other winners among boys' field events included East Nicolaus' Donavan Switalski in the discus with a throw of 166-1; Red Bluff's Jacob Samuelson in the shot put at 50-10¼ and West Valley's Deven Hernandez in the pole vault at 14-3. West Valley's Baldwin and Loyalton's Kennedy Hood, who won the girls' 100 and 200, were named the Norm MacKenzie sportsmanship award recipients. Full results of this year's and previous years section finals can be found on this web site.

Doubt lurked in the back of Kelly Koehnen's mind minutes before she decided to compete in the 3,200-meter race. Koehnen, the junior from Hamilton High, had already won the 1600m and 800m races in the Northern Section track and field championships Friday at West Valley High. Winners at the Northern Section meet automatically qualify for the state championships. But she spoke with her mother before the race and she encouraged her to go for it. "Right before I was telling my mom, I don't want to do it. I already have the 4x400 and I'm already at state," Koehnen said. "This is going to be so hard. She said 'I know you, you are not a quitter and you will not be happy if you don't try your best.'" Koehnen won the 3,200 in 11 minutes, 23.76 seconds, using the final lap to pass then pull away from Chico's Celeste Wilson on the back straightaway to earn her third (& almost unpresedented) Northern Section title of the day.

As soon as she crossed the finish line, she immediately went to her mother and both tearfully hugged to celebrate the win. "This is the medal I'm most proud of. It was the hardest one mentally," Koehnen said. "It was a hurdle for me." Koehnen had already won the 1,600 in 5:10.70 to earn her first personal record (PR) on the dya. She followed that up with another win (& another PR) in the 800, finishing in 2:19.77 to beat Foothill senior Belle Moran. After finishing the 3,200 (in her third PR on the day), Koehnen still had enough energy to run a leg for the Braves' 7th place 1,600-meter relay team. Last year she finished second in the 800, this year she's going to be competing in the CIF state track and field championships held June 3-4 at Veterans Memorial Stadium at Buchanon High in Clovis. "I worked so hard to get here. It's about being patient and waiting to go until you have to," Koehnen said. "Last year, I was so happy that I was there (at the section meet). I don't remember being sad. But this year I wanted to go to state so bad. I got here and I felt that I was ready." Oh was she ready.

Las Plumas High sophomore Chava Rivers took first in the long jump to also advance to the state meet. Rivers earned a new personal record with a leap of 17 feet, 41/4 inches to edge past Wheatland's Erica Grotegeer by a quarter of an inch. Grotegeer, a sophomore, already was having a strong day as she was named the Bob Russell award for most outstanding girl athlete of the meet. Rivers, who struggled with her jumps before the winning one, notched her trip to state on her final attempt. "My jumps were so bad. I think I jumped a 14 or 15 right before I jumped the 17-4," Rivers said. "I was too in my head." Rivers calmed down and cleared her mind, quietly pacing back and forth before her last jump of the day. The last jump would be all that mattered. "I ran, jumped, PR'd and jumped 17-4 and a quarter," Rivers said. "It just happened. I didn't think I'd do it. My nerves had to calm down. I told myself I'm a sophomore I don't need to be this stressed about it."

Corning High senior Kaylee Shoemaker finished with the highest leap in the high jump at 5-04. "I haven't been able to get to 5-04 in forever," Shoemaker said. "I was getting mad and I said I don't care about anything else I just want to get to 5-04 and I made it." Despite taking first and qualifying for state, Shoemaker was still unsure about going since the meet also lands on the same day as her graduation. Shoemaker cleared 5-02 for the first time during practice the day before the Northern Section championship meet. Once that was achieved, she had good feeling about competing on Friday. "Yesterday I made it over my first attempt at 5-02 and I felt ready and it felt good," Shoemaker said.

Other winners of the day include the Pleasant Valley High girls 400-meter relay team. The team of Mariah McCready, Emily McLaughlin, Jaylah Singleton and Courtney Kermen took first in 50.68 seconds.