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Fosbury, Dellinger to see big meet By KRIS HENRY Roughly one week after last year's Grants Pass Rotary track meet, event officials began preparations in hopes of properly celebrating this year's golden anniversary. With the 50th annual meet coming Saturday, meet director Wayne Morrow says he thinks those working behind the scenes have done their part to ensure a grand event. Now it's up to the athletes. With scheduled appearances by track and field legends Dick Fosbury and Bill Dellinger, there should be more than enough motivation for the 38 teams and nearly 500 athletes scheduled to take part. The meet begins at 10 a.m. "We're really looking forward to a big (meet)," says Morrow. "With Dellinger and Fosbury there, that's going to add a lot to it." Among the Class 4A teams are Southern Oregon Conference members North Medford, South Medford, Ashland, Eagle Point, Grants Pass, Klamath Union and Roseburg. Other top 4A schools scheduled to compete are Beaverton, David Douglas, Marshfield and South Eugene. The list of 3A/2A squads blending into the meet is equally as compelling with Phoenix, Rogue River, St. Mary's, Henley, Hidden Valley, Myrtle Point, North Valley and Sutherlin among those participating. Morrow says the meet will also get a boost from seven California schools slated to appear, with West Valley High School of Cottonwood, Calif., boasting some of that state's top athletes. Competition in each event stands to be intense considering athletes with state-best marks are scheduled to contend in each boys and girls event. "We have qualifying standards so only the best come," says Morrow. "The quality of athletes we'll have is going to be unbelievable." The short relay in both boys and girls should offer a thrilling display, with Grants Pass providing the top local challenge in boys and North Medford, Klamath Union, Henley and South Eugene each around 50 seconds in girls. South Medford's Perry Custance and Klamath Union's Ian Dobson are set for another battle in the 1,500, with Dobson boasting a 3:56 time this season and Custance at 3:58. Morrow says he expects big things from Ashland's Paris Edwards in the 1,500 meters. "I think she has a pretty good chance of breaking the meet record," he says of the 4:39.85 standard set by Iris Cripps of Glendale in 1994. Edwards has topped out at 4:45 so far this season in the 1,500, but ran an impressive 3,000 last week in 9:59 and appears to be getting stronger as the season winds down. Two Grants Pass runners will battle a strong field in the 100, with Nick Amaranthus (10.9) and Parker Lane (10.8) dueling with the likes of defending 3A champ J.J. King of Reedsport (10.8), Eli Markstrom of South Eugene (10.7) and Isaac Frederick of David Douglas (10.7). Myrtle Point's Jamil Wynn aims for a sweep in the boys long and triple jumps. He's the defending state champ in each event, boasting marks of 23-0 in the long jump and 46-7 in the triple. Morrow says the 16-foot mark isn't out of reach in the boys pole vault, with Tyler Gray of West Valley already reaching 15-6 this season going against Myrtle Point's Caleb Krantz (15-7) and Marshfield's Trevor Woods (14-6). Kaci Williams of Grants Pass and Rogue River's Sarah Zempel stand to put on a show in the girls shot put, with Williams reaching 39-6 this season and Zempel at a 3A-best 38-3. Century's Jill Hoxmeier will look to improve on her already outstanding 136-11 in the discus, while teammate Randi Suminski stands to be a contender in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and long jump. Beyond the athletes competing, Morrow says he is most pleased to have Fosbury and Dellinger return to the site where their skills first flourished. "Both of them have their roots on that (Grants Pass) track," says Morrow. "Dick Fosbury practiced his flop over there in Medford but he decided to try it for the first time in a meet here at Grants Pass. "And Bill Dellinger was just a runner in P.E. class until a coach pulled him aside and had him run for the school at Grants Pass. The rest is history." Fosbury went on to revolutionize the sport of high jumping with his style, while Dellinger became a standout distance runner and then a guiding force to some of the world's greatest runners as men's track coach at the University of Oregon. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA