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CLOUDY Temp: 58 °F Wind: WNW at 7 mph Saturday, June 1, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend May 26, 2002 Relay team helps North Valley claim fourth in Class 3A meet By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune EUGENE — Cole Parmelee was auspicious in his absence, but the North Valley High boys did just fine without him Saturday. On the final day of the track and field state championships at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus, the Knights won the 4x100-meter relay to highlight their fourth-place overall finish among Class 3A boys teams. In Class 3A girls action, Henley represented the Skyline Conference honorably by claiming the team state title, its fifth overall and in the last 11 years. Suspended for disciplinary reasons, Parmelee, last year’s champion in both the high and long jumps, may have pushed North Valley higher in the final standings. But the Knights will gladly take their 39 total points and fourth-place trophy behind Wilsonville (72), Marist (60) and Newport (49). Colin Beard, Ken Hiler, Tim Cunha and Jeremiah Lewman combined for North Valley’s 4x100 relay victory, edging out Marist in one of the closest and most exciting races of the day in front of 8,708 fans. With Beard, a senior, running the first leg, Hiler, a senior, going second, Cunha, a junior, sprinting the third portion and Lewman, a sophomore, serving as anchor, the Knights finished in 43.75 seconds to beat Marist’s 43.80. In a photo finish, Lewman leaned to nip Marist’s Brian Gartland, then stumbled into a somersault just after the finish line. Lewman was fine, and the North Valley foursome was fired up. "That was our goal from the beginning of the year, to win the state title," Cunha said. The Knights accomplished that goal even though Parmelee’s predicament thrust Lewman into the anchor role. Saturday’s race marked just the third time Beard, Hiler, Cunha and Lewman had run the relay together in competition. "Not one of our group even made it to state in the sprints," said North Valley head coach Glenn Lewman, Jeremiah’s father. "They’re just a perfect team." Hiler concurred. "We all pulled a little bit every time," he said. "We do it as a team. That’s what gets it done for us." Elsewhere in Class 3A competition, Jessica Ledford of Illinois Valley tied the 3A girls record with a winning 100 intermediate hurdles time of 15.08. "I felt real confident," said the senior, who later finished a disappointing seventh in the 300 high hurdles. "I kind of lost my balance a little bit at one point and bumped another girl. ... But I regained my speed and did it. "This is what I’ve been working toward all year." In the girls discus, K’Pree Ford-Harris of North Valley overcame a recent injury to tie for second with a throw of 124 feet, 1 inch. "I came in as fourth and took second," said Ford-Harris, who had been practicing sporadically the last few weeks after suffering a hip injury. "I wish I could have done better, but I’ll take it." For the Henley girls, Sam Young’s victory in the javelin, Emily Mathis’ second-place dash in the 1,500 and the 4x400 relay team’s runner-up showing paved the way to another state championship. The Hornets cruised to three straight titles from 1992-94 and added another in 2000. Other boys highlights included the 1,500, in which Phoenix teammates Nathan May and Lalo Flores placed second and fifth, respectively. Flores led for the first two laps before May headed the pack for most of the third. As the third lap ended, Wilsonville’s Emron Henry passed May and then never relinquished the top spot. Henry won in 4:03.03, with May coming in at 4:05.49. Flores finished in 4:07.88. "I was boxed and then pushed to about the fourth lane early," said May, a junior who won the 3,000 on Friday. "I figured I had to make my move on the third lap." Flores entered the state meet aiming for a sub-4:00 time and wasn’t happy with what transpired. "I got boxed in on the third lap," the Pirates junior said. "I was hoping to get a lead and push the pace with Henry before my final kick. ... But I’ll be back." The North Valley boys got more points from the 300 high hurdles, in which Hiler was barely beaten out for first place and Lewman took fourth. Hiler added a fourth in the 110 intermediate hurdles. Knights teammate Travis Wheeler took the discus title Friday but had to settle for eighth in the shot put Saturday. Illinois Valley’s Jon Pope powered to fourth in the shot put. The Henley boys, who accumulated six fewer points than North Valley for fifth place, were led by Frank Gauntz’s first-place performance in the long jump. Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S