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CLOUDY Temp: 57 °F Wind: NW at 9 mph Sunday, June 22, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 1, 2003 fter a strong start in the 300 hurdles, North Medford�s Rosana Medina finishes third in the event with a time of 45.98 seconds at Saturday�s Class 4A meet. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Resilient Tornado take third North girls celebrate after getting a trophy By DON HUNT Mail Tribune EUGENE — There was nothing fancy about it. No individual victories. No relay victories. No state meet records. The North Medford High girls track team went about its business unceremoniously at the Class 4A state track and field championships Saturday at Hayward Field. Advertisement But when public address announcer Matt Jarvis declared that the Black Tornado had collected third place in the team standings and earned a state trophy, it was time to celebrate. "We did it!" gushed senior hurdler Rosanna Medina as she headed to the awards stand with her teammates. It wasn’t a state championship — that honor went to Benson Tech and its amazing corps of sprinters — but the trophy was the first for North Medford since its split from Medford High 17 years ago. Benson piled up 95 points to win the state title for the fourth straight year, while Mountain View was second with 40, North Medford third with 31 and South Eugene fourth with 27. The top four teams claim trophies. "We had to scrap, scrape and dig for every point we could get," fourth-year Tornado coach Mark Hodges said. "The thing that makes this (the trophy) so special is that a lot of girls contributed, not just one or two." North Medford’s chances for a high state finish appeared shaky when star sprinter Brittany Hodges — the coach’s daughter — pulled a hamstring muscle at the Southern Oregon Conference district meet last week. A healthy Hodges would be expected to score heavily in the 200, 400 and both relays. The hobbled version — she re-injured her leg during Friday’s qualifying rounds — found her finishing fifth in the 400 and running a leg on North Medford’s 4x100 relay that also took fifth. Hodges was scratched from both the 200 and 4x400 relay Saturday. And yet the Tornado was able to persevere and take home its trophy. "I really think we were the second-best team up here," Mark Hodges said. "The thing that’s frustrating for Brittney is, she was in the best shape of her life two weeks ago and running her fastest intervals ever. "But I’m so proud of the other kids for hanging in there and getting the job done." Medina came the closest to winning an individual title as she led the 300 hurdles midway through the race only to stumble over the fifth hurdle and stagger home in third place. "That’s the strongest I’ve ever run in my life," said Medina, whose time of 45.98 seconds was the third-fastest of her career. "I was really in my rhythm until I got to that (fifth) hurdle. I ran up on it, stumbled over it and then my race just fell apart." Added coach Hodges: "Coming into the turn, she had a 43-second race in her grasp. But at least she stayed upright and got third. If she falls, we don’t get a trophy." North Medford’s other points Saturday came from Rachel Munyon, who placed fifth in the discus with a throw of 122-2; from Danielle Jordan, who ran a lifetime best of 4:42.47 to take seventh in the 1,500; from Emily Dunn, who clocked 12.7 to garner seventh in the 100; and from its 4x400 relay of Dunn, Brittany Lawson, Jenna Siebenlist and Medina that finished eighth. Two other local female track athletes from the SOC had memorable performances Saturday. Crater senior Erin Kinney flirted with a state title in the high jump, clearing a lifetime best and school-record 5-6, but was outdone by Hillsboro’s Suzy Viducich, who conquered 5-7. Eagle Point senior Aubrey Harrington equaled her lifetime best of 11-9 in the pole vault, but couldn’t keep up with Ashley Salvino of Portland’s St. Mary’s High. Salvino, a sophomore, cleared 12-6½ to shatter the state meet record by 13½ inches. Harrington felt fortunate to even make the trip to Eugene after suffering a badly sprained ankle while jumping over a creek at the Oregon Coast last Sunday. "I didn’t practice all week," Harrington said. "I got some physical therapy and stim treatments, but I couldn’t even walk on it for two days. "It bothered me a lot today, but I was determined to get out there and vault." Kinney was pleased to get her PR and a school record, but would have traded both for a state championship. "My goal was to win it," said Kinney, who also finished seventh in the 100 hurdles Saturday. "When the bar went to 5-7 that was new territory for me, but I was confident I could make it. And I almost did." Kinney barely kicked the bar off with the back of her legs on her first attempt at 5-7 and made two other reasonably good jumps at that height. South Medford’s Teri Silva finished sixth in the high jump at 5-3. Eagle Point’s Alisa Lee took fourth in the discus with a mark of 124-8. As expected, Benson ran away with the girls team title. The Lady Techsters set two meet records, one by Deborah Jones in the 200 (24.64) and the other in the 4x100 relay (46.57) that Jones anchored to victory. Jones also won the 100 in 12 seconds flat and ran a leg on Benson’s 4x400 relay that clocked 3:50.38. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? 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