MONMOUTH - Caleb Goins was battling the weather conditions and one of the best distance runners in the state early Friday afternoon.

The East Linn Christian senior chased Oakridge’s Max Long throughout the 2A boys 3,000-meter state final at Western Oregon University as the temperature approached 90 degrees.

Goins was still within reach four laps into the seven and a half lap race.

But after one more time around the track, Long had lengthened his lead, leaving Goins to battle Portland Lutheran’s Abel Araya for second.

Goins lost the runner-up spot briefly but finished strong in the last two laps.

Long won with a time of 8 minutes, 55.30 seconds. Goins finished in 9:05.63.

“The race itself was horrible. It was so hot out there,” Goins said. “The heat’s just really zapping people today.”

Long, a senior won his second straight 3,000 title after taking the 3A/2A/1A cross country championship last fall.

Goins was third in the state cross country race and second to Long in both the 1,500 and 3,000 at last year’s state meet.

“I knew I could stay with him for a mile, it was just that fifth lap I had to hang on,” Goins said. “Tomorrow, with the 15 (1,500), try to do the same thing. I think I have a little better chance.”

Jefferson senior Grant Gagle was also up against one of the state’s best, facing Myrtle Point’s Casey Cagley in the 3A boys pole vault.

Gagle, with a season’s best clearance of 14 feet (joining Cagley), entered the competition at 12-0 and cleared his second attempt at that height.

He passed at 12-3 and cleared on a second try at 12-6. Gagle passed again at

12-9 and made his second attempt at

13-0. But he couldn’t put together a solid run at 13-6 in three tries. Cagley cleared that height.

“Just wasn’t feeling it and my pole was bending a lot, so I switched (to a different pole),” said Gagle, who was third in the event at state last year. “I had one jump on it, so I wasn’t exactly certain of it yet.

“The heat out, and it’s mostly mental ... the whole thing’s mental.”

Santiam Christian senior Scott Hart was sixth in the event after clearing 11-6.

Gagle and the Jefferson 400 relay team will defend their state title after qualifying for today’s final.

Gagle, with Friday’s anchor leg, pulled Jefferson from fourth to third to grab an automatic qualifying spot from the heat.

The Lions advanced despite a bad first exchange that cost them a few steps.

“It was good. I didn’t feel like we were going that quick. I didn’t think I was going that quick,” Gagle said.

The Scio boys had the best 2A 400 relay time of the season (44.34) but missed a handoff on the first exchange and

couldn’t finish the race.

Central Linn, in the same heat as the Loggers, qualified for today’s final.

Santiam Christian’s Rebekah Warner was fourth in the discus with a toss of

116-5.

Scio’s Brock Sarbeck was eighth in the shot put with a throw of 42-4.

Scio’s Laiken Pearson was sixth in the high jump, clearing 4-8.

Her Logger teammate Sami Devore also placed sixth in the javelin, with a throw of 110-3.

At Western Oregon University

Monmouth

2A results

Boys

Finals involving Mid-Valley athletes

3,000: 1. Max Long, Oakridge, 8:55.30; 2. Caleb Goins, East Linn Christian Academy, 9:05.63; 3. Abel Araya, Portland Lutheran, 9:11.19; 4. Andrew Landstrom, Portland Christian, 9:33.55; 5. Seth Walker, Lakeview, 9:40.73; 6. Tom Sheehy, Union, 9:42.36; 7. Julio Orozco, Irrigon, 9:47.46; 8. Jesse Fukawa, Oakridge, 9:50.39; 9. Lewis Kerwin, St. Mary’s-Medford, 9:59.39; 10. Matt Miner, Salem Academy, 10:38.02.

Shot put: 1. Bryson Barney, Chiloquin, 48-07; 2. Tyler Tompkins, Weston-McEwen, 47-08; 3. Steven Hallock, Glendale, 45-09.50; 4. CJ Thorne, Knappa, 44-06; 5. Gaston Chavarin, Lost River, 43-05.75; 6. Yanos Kroo, Canyonville Christ. Ac., 43-05; 7. Matt Hurliman, Nestucca, 43-03; 8. Brock Sarbeck, Scio, 42-04; 9. Mike Adee, Santiam, 41-05; 10. Tanner Morris, Pilot Rock, 39-08.

Girls

Finals involving Mid-Valley athletes

3,000: 1. Ashley Baldovino, Lakeview, 10:55.32; 2. Ali Brauer, Portland Lutheran, 11:14.88; 3. Stephanie Hescock, Yoncalla, 11:15.08; 4. Chelsea Spencer, Oakland, 11:28.15; 5. MaCayla Claver, Lost River, 11:41.22; 6. Emily Hillmer, Blanchet Catholic, 12:06.49; 7. Shoshoni Walker, Union, 12:28.68; 8. Ariel O’Reilly, Union, 12:29.61; 9. Sarah Sorenson, Nestucca, 13:01.17; 10. Lisl Ruckert, East Linn Christian Academy, 13:11.92.

Javelin: 1. Kelsea Hurliman, Nestucca, 124-11; 2. Kim Stalford, Canyonville Christ. Ac., 124-08; 3. Ruby Davis, Chiloquin, 122-03; 4. Kate Shear, Knappa, 118-08; 5. Nichole Zeller, Weston-McEwen, 110-05; 6. Sami Devore, Scio, 110-03; 7. Heidi Halemeier, Santiam, 101-05; 8. Shawna Phillips, Union, 101-00; 9. Jesi Love, Oakridge, 98-06; 10. Emily Volk, St. Mary’s-Medford, 90-03.

High jump: 1. Zoe Skordahl, Oakridge, 5-02; 2. Dani Case, Chiloquin, 5-00; 3. Sherry Powell, Bonanza, 4-11; 4. Samantha Boyd, Oakridge, J4-11; 5. Cyde Coil, Heppner, 4-10; 6. Laiken Pearson, Scio, 4-08; 7. Sarah Wellsandt, Santiam, J4-08; —. Brenna Miller, Union, NH; —. Ariel Broyles, Portland Christian, NH; —. Shannon Pieren, Nestucca, NH.

3A results

Boys

Finals involving Mid-Valley athletes

Triple jump: 1. Kaden Andrews, Dayton, 44-04.25, w:NWI; 2. Craig Minkler, Bandon, 40-01.75, w:NWI; 3. Josh Sleeper, Waldport, 40-00.25, w:NWI; 4. Isaac Whitman, Grant Union, 39-09, w:NWI; 5. Nathan Wunz, Grant Union, 38-11.25, w:NWI; 6. Jordan Little, Warrenton, 38-10.25, w:NWI; 7. Zack Burton, Gervais, 38-06.25, w:NWI; 8. Jesse Marvin, Clatskanie, 37-05, w:NWI; 9. Nathan Brock, Harrisburg, 37-04.50, w:NWI; —. Jason Fishel, Reedsport, FOUL.

Pole vault: 1. Casey Cagley, Myrtle Point, 14-00; 2. Grant Gagle, Jefferson-OR, 13-03; 3. Andrew Judd, Grant Union, 13-00; 4. Alex Larson, Valley Catholic, 12-06; 5. Luke Skerjanec, Vale, 12-03; 6. Scott Hart, Santiam Christian, 11-06; 7. Jason Feagles, Reedsport, 11-00; 8. Ian Cogar, Valley Catholic, 10-06; 8. Charlie Palmer, Oregon Episcopal, 10-06; 10. Kory Schuff, Rainier, 10-00.

3A results

Girls

Finals involving Mid-Valley athletes

Discus: 1. Katy Lutjens, Vale, 131-05; 2. Sharrisa Thayer, Waldport, 126-10; 3. Rachelle Buck, Cascade Christian, 124-01; 4. Rebekah Warner, Santiam Christian, 116-05; 5. Sherae Cumberland, Willamina, 107-00; 6. Briana Valentine, Bandon, 104-09; 7. Victoria Rodriguez, Nyssa, 98-09; 8. Jesenia Cisneros, Dayton, 96-02; 9. Tracy Wilcock, Neah-Kah-Nie, 87-06; 10. Brooke Winsted, Neah-Kah-Nie, 86-08.