McKenzie Sports Report – May 22
McKenzie Varsity Sports Schedule This Week
The McKenzie Track and Field teams participate in the 1A-SD2 Special District 2 Championships on Saturday, May 24. Field events will start at 10:00 am and Track events begin at 12:00 pm.
Special District 2 Championships Set
For Aaron and Marie Jones Community Track
This Saturday
The Special District 2 Championships meet will commence at the Aaron and Marie Jones Community Track venue this Saturday, May 24. Twenty-four girls and boy’s high school teams will compete throughout the day (field events start at 10:00 am and track events will start at 12:00 pm).
Athletes will be vying for qualification to the OSAA State Track and Field Championships held the next week, Thursday, May 29 through Saturday, May 31, at Hayward Field in Eugene. Automatic qualifiers for the State Championships are the top two placers in each individual and relay event. There are four additional spots for the next fastest times/marks from each special district meet finals. Also, championship finalists in individual and relay events at each special district meet, who meet the qualifying standard (fourth place average of the last four OSAA State Championships) for individual events and (third place average of the last three OSAA State Championships) for relays automatically qualify. Approximately 333 athletes will compete for the coveted State berths.
The weather forecast for Saturday is partly sunny, pleasant and warm with a high of 76 degrees. McKenzie Community Track and Field is inviting all Community members to come and enjoy a day at the iconic Aaron and Marie Jones Community Track. This Special District 2 meet is just one of four Class 1A meets in the State this weekend and we wish to extend a hearty and warm welcome to all our track competitors and fans arriving and representing their teams at our venue this weekend. Please come down to the Track complete with Great weather, Great athletes, Great competition, Great fans and Great concessions provided by the McKenzie Parent Teacher Organization. For those that remember, Tony the Tiger used to say, “GRRRRRRRRRGREAT!!!!
Aytan Brown Clocks Fastest SD2
200 Meters At Gilchrist Invitational
McKenzie senior Aytan Brown has been chasing Cannon Smith from Cascades Academy of Central Oregon all season in the sprints. Smith and Brown have gone head to head on a couple of meets and the competition has been fun to watch.
Last Saturday, Brown posted the fastest 200 meters time of the year in Class 1A track competition and thus also overtaking Smith in Special District 2. Brown’s time at the Gilchrist Invitational was 22.72 seconds. Gavin Anderson of Damascus Christian ran a 22.90 second race the day before at Regis while Smith’s time of 22.94 seconds was set at LaPine back on April 19.
At Gilchrist, Kaydon Haro of Culver who won the 200 meters in a personal record time of 22.54 seconds, the second best Class 2A time in the State this season, bested Brown’s top Class 1A time. Eagle freshman Claire Weiss also set new standards at Gilchrist, running the third fastest SD2 400 meters, 1:04.86 minutes and the fourth fastest 200 meters, 29.02 seconds. Weiss led her Eagle team to a sixth place finish at Gilchrist. McKenzie earned 39 points in the 16-team competition. North Valley and Crosspoint Christian tied for first in the team race with 79 points each. The Eagle boy’s team finished tenth with 26 points earned. Culver dominated the boy’s team race, earning 109 points while LaPine finished a distant second with 67 points.