3A/2A/1A state meet roundup: After long delay, Monroe thrower Laura Young reclaims her throne
When Laura Young won a state title in the shot put as a freshman in 2019, she envisioned it was just the start of a four-year reign at the top.
Instead, COVID-19 turned her next two seasons into a string of virtual meets and Showcase championships.
On Thursday, the senior from Monroe returned to the big stage with a win in the Class 2A girls discus during the first OSAA State Track & Field Championship meet in three years.
On Friday, Young secured her second title of the weekend when she “repeated” as champion in the shot put.
“I was really excited that there was this big meet again,” Young said. “It was a great opportunity for me. Yesterday I had a lot of nerves but today I was relaxed.”
It showed early in the competition between Young and Glide senior Kylie Anderson.
Anderson opened with a throw of 37 feet, 8¼ inches to take the round-one lead. Young answered with a mark of 37-11 on her second attempt.
Anderson moved back into the lead with a third-attempt throw of 38-11 ¾, only to be caught again by Young, who grabbed the lead for good with her third-attempt throw of 40-0, tying the 2A state-meet record.
“It was fun,” said Young, who will compete in track and field at Idaho State next year. “We’re in the same district so we’ve been competing against each other for a couple meets now … but I try to focus on competing against myself as much as I can, honestly. It’s nice to have that competition, but sometimes it’s not there so I need to focus on myself and try and do my best.”
Files flies to 2A boys 200 victory
Lowell sprinter Rowan Files had such low expectations for himself in the Class 2A boys 200 meters, he didn’t even expect to make it out of Thursday’s preliminary rounds.
Instead, he made it to the top of the medal stand.
Files ran back-to-back personal records, including 23.18 in the final on Friday, as he raced through all 200 meters determined to get the win.
“I was thinking, ‘This is all I’ve got so you’ve got to leave it all on the track because after this you’re done,’” the sophomore said. “I was nervous, but I had to get first.”
The nerves actually started for Files Thursday night after he ran 23.31 for the fastest time in the prelims and forcing him to recalibrate his expectations.
“Yesterday, I didn’t think I was going to get far in the 200,” Files said. “I just kind of went through it and I got first in my heat. So today I woke up super early and was nervous and shaking a little bit. I just kept trying to relax all day.”
Files also finished third in the 100 final Saturday, crossing in 11.60.
Pleasant Hill’s Hyland wins 3A girls 400
Between a fourth-place finish in the 100 and a fifth-place finish in the 200, Dakota Hyland got what she came for.
The Pleasant Hill athlete won the Class 3A girls 400 in a PR 1:00.69 in what was a three-final night for the sophomore.
“I’ve been nervous basically since districts,” Hyland said. “I wanted to perform well and I know what I’m capable of and I wanted to achieve that.”
Hyland said she conscientiously followed a plan created by her coach that meticulously breaks down all aspects of the race.
“The 300 mark is where I have to decide, ‘Today or not today,’ and with 100 left I have to give everything I’ve got,” Hyland said. “It comes down to grit.”
Bandon wins boys 2A team title
Led by Trevor Angrove’s victories in the long jump Thursday and triple jump on Friday, the Bandon boys won the Class 2A team title with 56 points. Adrian was the 1A winner with 74 points and Catlin Gabel scored 84 to win the 3A title.
Nyssa was the girls 3A winner with 71.5 points, Coquille won the 2A crown with 59 and Damascus Christian was the 1A champs with 105.5 points.
More state meet stories
Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com.
For more sports coverage, visit registerguard.com. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: OSAA 3A/2A/1A state meet recap: Monroe's Young reclaims her throne
