Several Sweet Home track and field athletes competed May 31 at the Border Duel competition, between Oregon and Washington athletes, at Lewis and Clark College.
Oregon’s team, which had more depth than Washington’s won both the girls and boys competitions, 82-54 for the girls and 114-31 for the boys in the competition, essentially a high school all-star meet.
The Sweet Home boys were represented by two individuals, Dakotah Keys and Land Florek, in individual events, and by 4×400 and 4×100 relay teams, both composed of Keys, Florek, Ramiro Santana and Alex Santana.
Alex Santana injured his knee during a handoff in the 4×100 relay and could not run the 4×400,so the Sweet Home team had to scratch in that event. The 4×100 team finished fifth in that event, in 43.82, as Washington’s only team in the race won in 42.61. It was the first time Keys, a sophomore, and Ramiro Santana, a senior, had run the short relay.
Keys had difficulties of his own in the 110 high hurdles, hitting several hurdles in the final and finishing seventh in 15.74, almost a second slower than his season best.
Keys took second in the long jump with a leap of 22-2 1/2.
On the girls side, freshman Maria Kropf finished third in the 100 meters in 12.6, behind winner Germe Poston of Washington (12.41) and Kelsey Starr of Wilsonville (12.43).
Kropf then finished fifth in the long jump, in 16-7 1/2. The top six jumpers in the competition were from Oregon, led by Trinna Miranda of Southridge, who finished with 18-0.