Boswell claims two state track titles and fulfills a dream

Jenny Boswell achieved her dream in winning both hurdles races at the OSAA 3A Track and Field Championships, capturing state titles in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles.

The meet was held in Eugene May 20-21 at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus.

In the 100-meter hurdles, the tighter of the two races, Boswell exploded off the start and never let up, winning in a new state meet record time of 15.01 seconds. Angela Rear of Junction City was over a half second behind in 15.56 for second.

Boswell was never challenged in the 300 hurdles, winning by over 1.5 seconds in 44.99, a personal best. She and Holly Dieu, the standout distance runner from Coquille, were the only double winners in the girls’ 3A meet.

“After winning her second race Jenny told me it had been her dream to win both races at the state meet,” said Coach Kennedy. “It’s pretty cool to live your dream.”

Molly Van Acker capped a very successful high school career with a personal record of 35-feet-4.5-inches in the triple jump to finish fourth in the event after coming in rated tenth.

Matt Neilson had a huge personal best in the triple jump to secure the sixth place medal at 42-feet-.75-inches. He entered the meet with a best of 40-feet-6.25-inches which ranked seventeenth among nineteen entrants.

“Molly and Matt finished their careers on such a high point,” said Kennedy. “Their experience and senior status really helped them.”

On Friday, Morgan Mansker cleared 13-feet-6-inches to claim third place in the pole vault as the only other scorer in the meet for the Outlaws. Wes Hodson, the co-district champion with Mansker in the pole vault, did not clear a height.

Cammy Jacobson competed in Saturday’s pole vault that featured Chelsea Russell of La Pine, who set a new state meet record of 12-feet-4- inches. Jacobson cleared 9 feet in her first trip to state to finish twelfth.

Team captain Daniel Holloman, the top point scorer at the district meet last week, struggled in this three events Friday and did not score. He finished 11th in the long jump at 19-feet-8.25-inches, 10th in the high jump at 5-feet-10-inches and 14th in the preliminaries of the 200 at 24.13 seconds.

“Daniel is a champion even when he has an off day,” said Kennedy. “How many kids can say they qualified for the state meet each of their four years of high school?”

Beyond his performance, Kennedy has nothing but praise for the sportsmanship Holloman exhibited throughout his career.

“He is such a sportsman in giving up his spot in the triple jump to Matt Neilson who went out and made the most of it,” he said. “What a precious gift it became for Matt.”

Freshman Cory McCaffery, a late addition to the meet in the 400, finished 11th in the preliminaries on Friday in 53.35.

“I was in lane eight and ran the first 200 way too fast,” he said. “But I’m really glad I got the chance to experience the state meet so I’ll be ready for next year.”

The Outlaws girls actually were only four points away from a state trophy with 25 points to finish seventh in the team standings.

Marist of Eugene won the meet with 61 points, followed by North Bend with 58, Cascade with 43, and Gladstone with 29.

The boys’ team scored nine points to finish 24th.