Over the weekend, numerous Camas High School (CHS) athletes competed and placed at the state track and field championships.
“Chase McGee won his second straight pole vault championship, and Karina Cooper won the girls’ pole vault championship,” CHS Assistant Principal Stephen Baranowski said.
Other athletes who placed include Eliisa Marshall, who finished second in the 800 meters, sixth in the 400, and anchored the 4×400 relay team to a fourth-place finish. Ella Thompson placed fifth in the javelin; senior Sneha Shankar took seventh in the pole vault; and junior Cohen Butler won the 3,200 meters and placed second in the 1,600.
“The 4A boys got sixth place overall, and the girls got seventh overall, so they both were top-10 finishers as teams,” Baranowski said.
Athletes expressed pride in their performances, even if some fell short of personal expectations.
“At first, I was a little disappointed because I knew I had not done my best that day, but once I stood on the podium, it hit me that I still earned a medal at State, and that is something I’m proud of,” Shankar said. “It reminded me of how far I have come since sophomore year, when I was still figuring out how to vault. It was not the best meet, but it was a meaningful one.”
Shankar also reflected on the team’s camaraderie, which she said made the state experience especially memorable.
“Most of my memories from state this year weren’t even about the meet itself, but more about the time I got to spend with my teammates,” Shankar said. “Since we finished competing early, we had Saturday off and just got to hang out, so we swam at the hotel pool, watched Barbie, explored the area, and even found a smoothie shop nearby.”
The time spent together throughout the season also made this track and field season stand out for many.
“My favorite memory [from this season] was with the distance crew, since we would all get together before practice every day and play spikeball,” Butler said.
For seniors, competing in their final state meet brought added meaning.
“It was my last state meet with Karina and Sierra, two of my closest friends and biggest supporters, and I’m so grateful we got to spend that time together,” Shankar said. “I have known them since middle school, and we have gotten close over the past few years, so that time together really meant a lot.”
The state meet marked the conclusion of the track and field season and the end of spring sports, leaving athletes with lasting memories and milestones.
