Miranda two-event district champ for Culver

Culver’s Peter Miranda is a two-event district champion, dominating the shot and discus, following the 2A Special District 4 Championships held in Hermiston Saturday.

Plus, the Bulldogs’ Renee Johnson won the 100-meter hurdles and Trent Reese the 200-meter dash for Culver.

All three Bulldogs, plus the boys 4x100 relay team, will be competing in the 2A State Championships later this week at Eugene's fabled Hayward Field. The 3A, 2A and 1A state meet will be held Thursday and Friday, May 25-26.

"It is nice to go from two athletes to state last year to taking seven this year. We have athletes in seven events this year compared to three events last year," said Culver coach Nate Barber.

The Culver boys took fifth in the team competition with 64.5 points. Weston-McEwen dominated the meet with 167.5 points. Enterprise was second at 87, followed by Heppner at 79, Stanfield/Echo at 74, Grant Union in sixth with 56 and Irrigon at 43.

In the girls competition, Weston-McEwen was first with 150, Stanfield/Echo second with 107. Heppner and Enterprise were third and fourth with 103 and 101, respectively, Grant Union was fifth with 50, Culver came in with 42 points and Irrigon scored 2.

Junior Trent Reese was the best overall male sprinter in the field. He tied with Sam Wyse of Stanfield/Echo with a 11.67 in the 100, but Wyse got the No. 1 placing. In the 200, though, Reece left no doubt, running a 23.24, topping Cameron Reich of Weston-McEwen’s 23.64.

"Trent had his best performance of the season. He has been getting stronger and is peaking at the right time," said Barber. "The main thing is that Trent is going to state and it is his fastest 100 of the year."

Culver’s 4x100 team took the title, edging Enterprise. The Dawgs ran a 45.40 while the Enterprise foursome clocked a 45.50. The Culver title team is Roger Sotelo, Reese, Kaydon Haro and Dustin Noy.

Peter Miranda was the king of the field, per usual. He won the shot by over four feet, throwing 45-6. Caleb Sprenger of Weston-McEwen was second at 42-4.25. Miranda also took the discus with a 135-8 toss, far besting the runner up, Tanner Kesecker of Enterprise, who went 118-9.5.

"Pete put in a lot of work over the summer. He has been able to accomplish many of his goals this season, but there is more that he still wants to accomplish as we head to state," Barber said about Miranda.

Long jumper Uriel Mejia came in third, one place from qualifying for state.

Johnson, a junior, hammered the field in the 100 hurdles. She crossed in 16.77, a new PR for her. Zoe Hermans was next in 18.54.

Johnson also took second in the 100, clocking a 13.38. Weston-McEwen’s Lily Lindsey had a 13.28. Heppner’s Hallee Isler was just behind Johnson at 13.39. All three of them will run at state this week. Lindsey also won the 200 and Johnson just missed qualifying in that event, taking fifth in 28.14.

"Renee is also getting stronger as the year goes on. She was able to place at state last year and we hope for her to get higher on the podium," said Barber.

Payton Peterson was fourth and Ariana Jeffery sixth in the 400 for Culver. Peterson, a sophomore, was also fourth in the long jump.

Itzel Patino just missed qualifying in the shot put. The freshman threw 29.5.5 to take third. Mallory Lusco from Grant Union won at 31-5.75 and Weston-McEwen’s Madison Aldrich went 31-0 for second. Patino was seventh in the javelin.

"The track meet was the hottest track meet of the year that we have had. The temperature got up to 101," said Culver coach Nate Barber. "We performed really well. Even if some of our athletes did not qualify for state, a lot were able to hit new PRs. Itzel was one place away from making it to state in shot put. That is great, especially for a freshman."