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SUNNY Temp: 69 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Sunday, June 8, 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 May 22, 2003 Sandy Matthews, left, is one of the best female athletes in Medford High history. Her son Jason, right, is one of the top hurdlers in the SOC. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Mother knows best Hurdler Jason Matthews shoots for SOC titles, 24 years after his mother, Sandy, ruled the track By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Twenty-four years ago, Sandy Matthews graduated from Medford Senior High School as one of the most celebrated and decorated track and field athletes in school history. Matthews, whose maiden name was Thomas, won 12 district titles, broke four school records, set three district records and collected a pair of state championships in the long jump for the Black Tornado between 1976 and 1979. Two of her district marks — 18 feet, 11¾ inches in the long jump and 14.7 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles — have stood the test of time and are still in the books. Matthews hasn’t competed since a foot injury cut short her college career at the University of Idaho in 1980. Advertisement But her son, Jason, has emerged as one of the top hurdlers in the Southern Oregon Conference. The younger Matthews, who is a senior at South Medford, will be on the track today when the SOC district meet gets under way at Southern Oregon University in Ashland. Sandy Thomas Matthews was never one to toot her own horn during her days as a Black Tornado, but she just might be the top female track athlete in Medford school history. On May 26, 1979, Matthews amassed more points at the Class 4A state meet — 25 — than all but four teams. On that day she won the long jump for the second straight year, took second in the 200 intermediate hurdles, finished third in the 100 hurdles and ran a leg on the Tornado’s 4x100 relay that took fourth. "That was a fun time in my life," says Matthews, who teamed with sprinter Judi Morton to form a lethal 1-2 punch in the sprints, hurdles and relays for the Tornado. "The girls I was around had a good time but also worked hard in practice." Matthews first made a name for herself in 1976. She had competed on the JV team as a freshman that spring but was elevated to varsity status for the district meet when teammate Lynn Murray came down with mononucleosis. All Matthews did was win the district long jump title with a mark of 17-3¼ , the first of four in a row. Her lifetime-best mark of 19-1, established during a dual meet in 1979, is unmatched in SOC history and ranks sixth on the all-time state list. Matthews went to Idaho on a track scholarship and set school records in the 100 hurdles and long jump during her freshman year with the Vandals before being forced into early retirement due to soreness in her feet. "My feet didn’t absorb shock very well," she says. "I saw a podiatrist and tried some orthotics, but nothing seemed to work. "And so I hung up my shoes." To a certain extent, Jason Matthews is following in his mother’s footsteps. The younger Matthews doesn’t long jump and probably doesn’t have the natural ability that his mother did, although he was a first-team all- conference fullback for South Medford’s soccer team last fall and was MVP of the school’s ski team in the winter. But Matthews has come a long way in track since his sophomore year, when he could barely even clear one of the high hurdles. "It was run, stop, jump, run, stop, jump," Jason recalls with a laugh. "I was kind of pathetic." But hard work, perseverance and a steady dose of encouragement from his mother have helped Jason become one of the premier hurdlers in the SOC. The younger Matthews ranks third in the district behind Crater’s Jason James and South Medford teammate Ryan Neuenschwander in the 110 high hurdles with a time of 15.5 and is second to James in the 300 intermediate hurdles with a best of 39.96. Matthews is expected to battle James for the 300 hurdles title Saturday. James has the superior time at 39.89, but Matthews has beaten him two of the three times they’ve met this season. "Jason’s forte is his endurance," South Medford hurdles coach Tim Rupp says. "He’s not the fastest kid out there, but the 300 hurdles are as much guts and endurance as they are speed, and Jason is definitely a tough kid." Adds Jason: "Being able to run at 95 percent efficiency all the way around is the key for me. A lot of guys die with 50 or 100 meters to go, but I’m able to keep my form and speed the whole way." Jason’s mother has come to the track a handful of times to give her son some pointers. But her greatest contribution has been her words of encouragement. "She’s always told me to just do my best and keep going as hard as I can, even if I mess up in one event," says Jason, who will graduate from South Medford next month with a 3.9 grade point average and will attend Southern Oregon University in the fall and run track for the Raiders. "And (she’s told me) to always be prepared for my next race." Matthews dipped under the 40-second mark for the first time in a meet last Thursday, and he hopes to run in the mid- to low-39s at district. Such a performance would almost certainly punch his ticket to the state meet May 30-31 at Eugene’s Hayward Field. It would take a minor miracle for him to win a state title, let alone score 25 points at the state meet the way his mother did nearly a quarter- century ago. But Sandy Thomas Matthews will be teeming with pride just the same. 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. 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