Seaside junior Rafi Sibony got in some good speed work Wednesday, winning the 800 meters.

GRESHAM — The North Coast had a handful of athletes competing in the Centennial Invitational April 22, and Astoria and Seaside athletes won a combined three events in the 53rd annual big school track meet in Gresham.

Leading the way was Astoria junior Darian Hageman, who won two of the jumping events. She soared 16 feet, 10 inches to take the long jump (ahead of athletes from Clackamas, Gresham, Centennial, Central Catholic and Skyview), and leaped 37-2 to take the triple jump, two feet farther than her nearest competitor, Peace Igbonagwam of Reynolds, and four feet ahead of Mariah Liggins of Aloha.

Seaside’s Lizzy Barnes was 14th overall with a personal best 30-7.

Seaside sophomore Gretchen Hoekstre unleashed a personal best toss of 37 feet, 1 ½ inches to win the shot put, finishing ahead of athletes from Klamath Union, Centennial, Barlow, Roosevelt, Aloha, etc., and a host of athletes from 5A and 6A schools.

Hoekstre also placed 12th in the discus.

Former Astoria athlete Kaylee Mitchell — now a junior at Sprague High School — won the 800 meters in a personal best 2:16.39.

On the boys’ side, Astoria junior Tim Barnett took fifth in the shot put (50-3) and sixth in the discus (146-6).

Seaside’s Jackson Januik finished eighth in the 800 meters, in a season-best 1:58.25; teammate Bradley Rzewnicki was ninth in the 3,000 meters, with a personal best 8:53.76; and Seaside’s 1,600-meter relay squad of Phoenix Johnson, Hunter Thompson, Januik and Juneau Meyer took seventh in 3:37.14.

Gulls host three-way meet

SEASIDE — Seaside hosted a three-way Cowapa League track meet April 19, as the Gulls battled with athletes from Astoria and Tillamook in a low-key meet under gray skies.

A few key athletes from both schools took the day off to deal with nagging injuries, including Astoria’s Darian Hageman; while others competed in events not usually their own.

Seaside’s Jackson Januik and Astoria’s Lucas Caruana — normally battling in the 800 meters — both ran the 400 meters, along with Seaside’s Hunter Thompson.

Januik won in 53.22 seconds, just nipping Caruana (53.44) at the tape, with Thompson third.

Thompson and Januik finished first and second, respectively, in the 200 meters.

Elsewhere, Astoria’s Samantha Hemsley blazed her way to a personal best in the 400 (1:07.54), and teammate McKenzie Burnett had a PR 2:40.66 in the 800.

Astoria freshman Taileigh Cole took first in the 1,500 meters, ahead of Hemsley and Seaside’s Katie Zagata; and Astoria junior Tim Barnett had his usual three wins in the shot put, discus and javelin.

Seaside’s Chase Januik and Astoria’s Alex Burchfield both jumped 37 feet, 11 inches in the boys triple jump, while Lady Fisherman freshman Elizabeth Barnett sailed 14-1 ½ to win the girls’ long jump.

Lower Columbia Invitational

ST. HELENS — Competing against some of the top notch competition from the Cowapa League, along with several big schools from the Portland area, the Astoria girls track team still managed to win seven different events April 15, in the annual Lower Columbia Invitational at St. Helens.

Senior Natalie Cummings continued her winning ways by taking first in the 100 meters (12.72 seconds); sophomore Nara Van De Grift won the 100-meter hurdles in a personal best 16.75, and added a third place finish in the 300-meter hurdles.

Astoria’s 400-meter relay squad of Gracie Cummings, Andrea Harris, Van De Grift and Natalie Cummings finished first in 51.78; and McKenzie Burnett was fourth (5:33.16) out of 24 runners in the 1,500 meters.

In the field events, junior Taylor Cosner had the winning toss in the shot put (personal best 35 feet, 2.75 inches) out of 42 competitors; Cosner and Kes Sandstrom took second and third out of 44 entries in the discus behind Seaside’s Gretchen Hoekstre, who won with a PR 112-7.

And Astoria’s Darian Hageman regained her winning form in the high jump (5-2), long jump (17-2 ½) and triple jump (35-7), with freshman Elizabeth Barnett taking second in the long jump (15-5 ½).

On the boys’ side, defending state champion Jackson Januik cruised to a win in the 800 meters (2:01.96); Astoria senior Lucas Caruana won the 1,500 meters in a personal best 4:09.43, eight seconds ahead of the nearest competitor.

Seaside’s 1,600 relay foursome of William Garvin, Hunter Thompson, Januik and Juneau Meyer won in 3:34.80.

And Astoria junior Tim Barnett came up just short of winning the shot put (third, personal best 50-8 ¾) and the discus (second, personal best 148-7), as Parkrose junior Spencer Tatafu scored the upset victory in both events.

Astoria junior Karsten Johnson was second in the high jump (5-8), Seaside’s Phoenix Johnson took second in the long jump (PR 19-3 ¾), and Astoria senior Alex Burchfield placed third in the triple jump.