By Jeremy McDonald
jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
URNER, Ore.—Eight days after making school history in Sweet Home, Cascade Junior Emma Gates did it again:
Made School History. High Jumping five-feet-eleven-inches. Coming literally tooth-and-nail from making it six-feet-even.
Each jump seemed easy. Five-two, five-four, five-six. Gates got five-eight on the second attempt. Last person standing after Stayton’s Parker Dirkx couldn’t clear the five-foot-eight height.
Both guys and girls High Jumpers were going. Gates the lone female jumping Friday afternoon. And just as the height was being adjusted to five-ten, Gates requested five-eleven. Having attempted six-foot last week, but wanted to be certain she has something down not five-ten she attempted her first jump.
No luck.
Second jump she cleared it. Re-writing history, moving the mark to five-foot-eleven and making her mark further in the Cougar Track and Field program.
Gates attempted six-feet again. Coming close each time, but to no avail in her second attempt in hitting the six-foot mark. Driving the eleventh-grader as they now prepare for the Philomath meet next Saturday in Philomath.
“It’s great. Totally not expecting it, it’s a great way to start. Especially after the lack of meets that I’ve had, it’s good,” Gates said with a laugh. “I really want to get (six-feet), it’s right there. I’m already doing better than I thought I would…to keep going.”
Gates would PR in the 200-meter dash, winning the event over teammate and Senior Ashley Fraser. Fraser would also finish second in the 100-meter dash.
It was Senior Day for Cascade against Stayton as Seniors in Justus Bischoff (100-meter), Ashton Williams (200-meter), Mason Rosenau (Discus), Lucy Roache (100-meter and 300-meter hurdles), Isabelle Fisher (shot put and discus), all brought home wins.
Bischoff and Williams were part of the 4×100 meter team that won the relay, Williams was also part of the 4×400 team that won as was Fraser in both events with the Seniors bringing home some wins one last time on home turf.
“Oh man during a season like this with so much uncertainty, it’s just crazy just to have the whole meet,” Williams said, who also finished second in the 200-meters. “You get to represent the home turf and community like this, it’s crazy and just being able to compete in general with all the stuff that’s going on is actually a blessing really.”
Cascade Senior Maile Porter finished second in the shot put and discus, PR-ing in the Discus at 70-feet-five-inches. Fisher finished second in the javelin.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
