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Ashland�s Woods captures state crown By DON HUNT EUGENE � Jackie Woods and Ashland High track coach Bob Julian struck a deal five weeks ago when Woods asked if she could turn out for the sport several weeks after everyone else. Come to every practice, make every meet and don�t expect to participate on the relay teams, Julian said. Woods followed the plan and rewarded herself and her team with a state championship Friday at Hayward Field when she handily won the shot put title. Woods had five throws over 40 feet, three over 42 feet and her winning heave of 43-2 bested runner-up Nickie Carter of Redmond by nearly four feet. Kaci Williams of Grants Pass was third at 39-2. "I had the best throws coming into this meet the last two years and basically choked," Woods said. "That wasn�t going to happen today." And indeed it didn�t. Woods� best throw was her first attempt of the preliminary round and it came within one inch of her lifetime best. "When I first picked the shot up today it felt light in my hands," Woods said. "I stretched out for a long period of time and I felt good. I knew it was going to be a good day." Woods has been playing basketball in a spring league and joined an all-star team that played on the East Coast in late March. But she began to regret her decision to not come out for track. "Some of the other girls (on the track team) kept telling me to come on out, that it wasn�t too late," Woods said. "And deep down I wanted to. I�m so glad I went out and I�m thankful the coaches let me." While Woods celebrated a state championship, teammate Paris Edwards suffered through a miserable experience in the 3,000 meters and spent the latter part of the day at a medical center getting blood tests. Edwards, who was penciled in for a second-place finish on the form charts, led for the first three laps but faded badly and wound up seventh. Julian speculated afterward that Edwards has either anemia or mononucleosis. "Her speed and stamina just aren�t what they were a month ago, and today the bottom dropped out," Julian said. "The race wasn�t that fast, but Paris had nothing left at the end. She ran a 95- second last lap." Julian said Paris� glands were swollen and that she likely would be pulled from today�s 1,500. "It�s really a shame but she does have one more year as a high school runner," Julian said. North Medford�s girls, meanwhile, had a roller-coaster first day. While the Black Tornado�s high-octane 4 x 100-meter relay charged into today�s finals, some of the team�s sprinters struggled in individual races. Jennifer Abbott and Denali Tice advanced to the finals of the 200, but Abbott and Emily Dunn failed to advance in the 100 and Rosanna Medina failed to qualify for the finals of the 400. The Tornado�s 4 x 400 relay team also failed to advance. "We thought we�d do a little better," North Medford coach Mark Hodges admitted, "but some of these kids are freshmen and most of them are up here for the first time. "You do your best to prepare them, but there really isn�t any substitute for being here. Most of these kids will be back up here next year and you�ll see a whole different confidence level." Confidence wasn�t a problem for Rogue River�s Sarah Zempel, who won the Class 3A shot put title with a toss of 40-3�. Zempel, the 3A state leader most of the season, stood in third place after the preliminary round but launched her winning throw in the first round of finals. "I was trying a couple of things differently, technique-wise, but when that didn�t work I went back to what was comfortable and familiar," said Zempel, who is also favored to win today�s 3A girls discus competition. "I was getting a little concerned, but I knew I had it in me to win it." Rogue River�s Selena Harmon finished fourth in the 3,000 in 10:47.04. Redmond moved into the lead in the Class 4A girls team standings with 16 points after the first day, while the Dalles, with 22 points, seized the 3A girls lead. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA