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Varsity 541 NEWS NOW White City: BioMass spreads to field, one structure ... Emergency services, Sept. 11 ... Veterans, others say VA, including local facility, is 'broken' ... White City: BioMass spreads to field, one structure ... Emergency services, Sept. 11 ... Veterans, others say VA, including local facility, is 'broken' ... PREP TRACK & FIELD Amundsen's big finish nets 3,000 state crown Comment By Tim Trower Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tim Trower Mail Tribune Posted May. 23, 2015 at 2:00 AM By Tim Trower Mail Tribune Posted May. 23, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Social News EUGENE — Nothing about the Class 4A girls 3,000-meter final at the track and field state championships seemed according to form at Hayward Field on Friday. In that sense, it was appropriate. “Honestly,” said Emma Amundsen of Phoenix, “I wing most of my races.” In this one, that meant taking the lead for the first six laps, getting left behind at the outset of the seventh, falling back by about 15 meters, then unleashing a kick neither she, her coaches nor the rival she overtook had seen before. It added up to a state championship for the junior in one of the day's most scintillating events. Amundsen ran down Henley's Lexi Healy, a Skyline Conference cohort and the favorite with a season best that was 5½ seconds faster than hers. They were side-by-side with 200 meters to go, then Amundsen pulled slightly ahead with about 20 meters left. At that point, Healy crashed to the track, scrambling to her feet as Amundsen finished. The Pirate's winning time was 10 minutes, 13.18 seconds, a PR by 10 seconds. Healy still managed second place in 10:19.89, well ahead of third place. Phoenix's Nevina De Luca was sixth in 10:40.54. Healy, also a junior who won the state cross country title in the fall and was undefeated this spring, wasn't sure what happened when she went down. She said, “I think, possibly,” she was tripped up by contact. “She was closing in, but I can't take that away from her,” said Healy. “She's an amazing sprinter.” Amundsen didn't feel any contact and thought Healy might have been too close to a rail that rings the inside of the track. “I didn't feel her at all,” said Amundsen. “I didn't think it was me. We were close because we were fighting for it, but I didn't touch her.” Amundsen hasn't shown a deadly kick. That's why it caught most by surprise when she rallied in the final 800 meters. Healy's strategy was expected. She usually makes her move about 500 meters, said Pirates assistant coach Kevin Jantzer. It was a bit earlier this time. Amundsen “just needed to be ready to respond,” said Jantzer. The coaches had drilled that into her. “She did. She hung on there, hung on there.” Healy thought her move at 800 would finish things. Amundsen didn't blame her because it had worked before. Only recently has Amundsen discovered she has a kick to call on. She found it a week earlier in the district 1,500. “I've never been a sprinter, so at the end of my race, to have something left is a new thing,” she said. “And it helped a lot.” Immediately after the race, Amundsen's accomplishment hadn't sunk in. “There are no words,” she said. “I had no idea this was going to happen. It still hasn't really clicked in.” Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 541-776-4479, or email [email protected] By Tim Trower Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tim Trower Mail Tribune Posted May. 23, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction Schedules & Events --> Recent Scores --> Prep Notebook Kris Henry Challengers make it back on top in softball Winning the Southern Cascade League title seemed like a pretty bold goal this spring considering the recent history of the Cascade Christian... Varsity 541 Photos South Medford vs. North Medford Phoenix vs. Marshfield Ashland vs. Mountain View North vs Fortuna Coach K Summer Competition at SOU U19 Memorial Day Challenge » More Photo Galleries Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications | Contact Us | Advertise | © Copyright Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.