Boswell shines on hometown track

Jenny Boswell wowed the hometown crowd with impressive victories in both hurdles races at the Capital Conference District Track and Field Championships held May 13-14 at Sisters High School.

Cascade amassed 191.33 points to claim the team title. Sisters was second with 132, followed by Molalla (108.33), Sweet Home (89.5), Stayton (77.33) and North Marion (55).

Boswell improved on her 3A state leading times in the 100-meter hurdles (15.32) and in the 300 hurdles (45.71) on her way to victory.

“She just blew everyone away,” said head coach Ross Kennedy.

The performance earned Boswell a berth at the state meet. The top two finishers along with athletes who meet automatic state qualifying standards advance to the OSAA Championships slated for May 20-21 at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene.

Cammy Jacobson earned the pole vault title with a nine-foot jump; she was the only other first-place finisher for the team.

Molly Van Acker qualified for the state meet with a very strong second place finish in the triple jump at 34-feet-2.5-inches.

The Outlaws had a slew of other top finishers during the two-day meet. Van Acker picked up third place finishes in the 100 (13.67) and the long jump (15-feet-7-inches) and was part of the 400-meter relay team with Boswell, MacKenzie Williams, and Nahtice Nield that finished fourth.

Anna Pepperling lost a jump-off for second place in the pole vault at 8-feet-6-inches to finish third. Iris Powell narrowly missed qualifying in the 800, finishing third in 2:29.88 and Kelsey Neilson placed third in both the high jump (4 feet 10-inches) and the triple jump (32-feet-4.75-inches).

She finished sixth in the long jump at 14-feet-5.5 inches.

Erin Gough finished fourth in both the 3,000 (12:07) and the 1,500 (5:27.48). Jena Rickards placed fifth in the 1,500 (5:28.57) and seventh in the 800 (2:35.87), and Kaitlin McAlister scored a point for eighth in the 3,000 (12:39).

Nield placed fifth in the 100 hurdles (17.54) sixth in 300 hurdles (52.84) and eighth in the 100 meters (14.03). Ninth grade classmate MacKenzie Williams ran through an injury to place sixth in the 400 in a time of 1:05.78.

Freshman twins Kali and Lani Ulmer contributed to the Outlaw effort with a fifth place finish for Kali in the high jump (4-feet-6-inches) and sixth place in the triple jump (31 feet). Lani placed seventh in the pole vault at 8 feet even.

Jackie Grittman and Tara Hermens ended a scoring drought by Outlaw throwers at District. Grittman finished seventh in the discus (90-feet-10-inches) and eighth in the shot (29-feet-6-inches).

Hermens took sixth in the javelin with a throw of 95-feet-6-inches.

The meet concluded with the 1,600 meter relay team of Iris Powell, Jena Rickards, Nicole Veloso and Jenny Boswell finishing third in 4:23.4.

With a strong core of the team returning next year, Coach Kennedy sees a bright future.

“We’ll certainly miss our seniors, who have shown great leadership all year,” he said, “and we look forward to the challenge of improving next year.”