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No hurdle too high for Rountree By Don Hunt There haven't been many hurdles that Sarah Rountree hasn't been able to clear these days, and so when she decided to cram two years of high school studies into one, no one doubted she could do it. Rountree decided late last summer, a few weeks prior to the start of her junior year at North Medford High, that she would graduate in May. Her father would be transferred to Holland sometime this year, and rather than make the move and spend her senior year abroad, Rountree decided to collect her sheepskin in Medford. It would mean taking eight classes: junior and senior honors English, U.S. history, pre-calculus, physics, contemporary issues, health and weight-training ... not to mention doing an extensive report on yoga, her senior class project. Besides, graduating early would enable Rountree, who carries a 3.96 cumulative grade point average, to join the Air Force Academy a year earlier than originally planned. She was accepted into the prestigious branch of service at Colorado Springs, Colo., in February. Rountree is also a standout hurdler on the North Medford track team. Her bests of 15.6 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles and 47.4 in the 300-meter intermediates are among the best in the state. "Life is a little hectic right now," says Rountree, 17, who plans to run track at the Air Force, major in foreign studies and eventually go into intelligence work. "With a full (class) schedule, my senior project and track all going on, I don't have a lot of spare time. "But that's OK. I'm used to being busy." Rountree learned a few weeks ago that her father isn't being transferred after all, but she'll continue to charge full-speed ahead and graduate early. "It's too late to turn back now," she says. Rountree, who finished fourth at the Southern Oregon Conference district meet last year in the 100 hurdles, hopes to win both hurdle events this season and advance to the Class 4A state meet in Eugene. But she'll have a battle on her hands from South Medford's Heather Frigaard in the former and from teammate Rosana Medina and Frigaard in the 300-meter event. Frigaard and Rountree are ranked 1-2 in the state in the 100 hurdles with times of 15.1 and 15.6, respectively, while Medina is second, Frigaard fourth and Rountree fifth in the longer race with times of 46.2, 47.2 and 47.4. All three hurdlers will be in action today at North Medford (Bowerman Field) when the two schools square off in a dual meet. "I spent most of last year on my technique," says Rountree, who was born in Japan and spent time in North Carolina and Florida before moving to Medford. "This year I've spent more time on conditioning, and that's why I've been able to run the 300s a lot better." FORMER HIDDEN VALLEY HIGH standout Matt Kennedy has been working out with the University of Oregon football team during spring drills. The walk-on quarterback got an invitation to join the Ducks after a couple of workouts last month, but is considered a longshot to make the 105-man roster in the fall. The 6-foot, 190-pound freshman has had limited action in Oregon's official scrimmages, going 0-for-2 over the weekend. Oregon wraps up spring drills Saturday at 1 p.m. at PGE Park in Portland with its annual spring game. OREGON TECH'S PERRY CUSTANCE won the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Woody Wilson Invitational track meet at Davis, Calif., on Saturday. Custance, a 2000 graduate of South Medford High, outfought a couple of NCAA Division I runners to hit the tape in a lifetime best of 9:26.7. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.