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Top athletes in the state to compete at Crater Classic CENTRAL POINT - Many of the top track and field athletes in the state will converge at Dutch Meyer Stadium Saturday for the 31st annual Crater Classic. The meet gets underway at 10 a.m. with the boys long jump and triple jump and the girls long jump, high jump, pole vault, shot put and javelin. The first running event - the 400-meter relay - is set for 11:45 a.m. Several state-leading runners, jumpers and throwers are expected to attend. Among them are Crater's Chris Dearmon, the state's leading shot-putter (60-7); Roseburg's Joe Newton, the state's premier discus thrower (183-6); and North Valley's Cole Parmelee, who won Class 3A state titles last season in the long jump (22-31/4) and high jump (6-61/2). The pole vault will feature Mountain View's Matt Banton, who has cleared 15 feet. On the track, Klamath Union's Lauren Jespersen and Jacob Gomez will be the favorites in the distance events. Jespersen has run the 800 in 1:52.4 and the 1,500 in 4:03 while Gomez, the defending state champion in the 3,000, has run the 1,500 in 3:58.9 and the 3,000 in 8:27.2. North Medford hurdler Chris Vorgang is the state leader in the intermediate hurdles (39.4). The girls field is just as loaded. North Medford's Brittany Hodges, Mountain View's Kristen Cahill and Marshfield's Leah Worthen are three of the top sprinters in the state and will battle for top honors in the 200 and 400. In the middle distances, South Medford's Noi Hildgendorf will face Yreka's Laura Quinn in what should be a dandy 800, while super frosh Erin Gray of South Eugene could break the meet record of 4:43.18 in the 1,500. Gray has run 4:45.6. Both of the girls state-leading hurdlers will be on hand - South Medford's Heather Frigaard (15.1 in the 100 hurdles) and North Medford's Rosana Medina (46.44 in the 300 hurdles). Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.