By ANNIE FOWLER

PENDLETON — Competition was fierce and five meets records were broken Friday at the Buck Track Classic at Pendleton High School.

Pendleton’s John Thatcher had three wins and one second-place finish as the Buck won the boys’ team title with 115 points.

Thatcher won the 400 meters with a time of 50.53 seconds, and was second in the 200 in a photo finish with Weston-McEwen’s Wyatt Parsons. Parson had a time of 22.29 seconds, while Thatcher was clocked in 22.30.

Thatcher finished his day with two meet records in the 4×100 and 4×400 relays.

Thatcher teamed up with Quinn Kennedy, Ben Hopkins and Gabe DeGrofft to turn in a time of 43.81 seconds. The old record was 44.01, set in 2025 by Pendleton. Thatcher and Kennedy were on the 2025 team.

The 4×400 team of Hopkins, Jack Reynolds, DeGrofft and Thatcher blew away the field by 3 seconds with a time of 3:30.12. The previous record of 3:31.38 was set in 2007 by a team from Hermiston.

Hopkins also finished second in the 100 with a personal best 11.03, and was third in the 200 (22.39). DeGrofft was third in the 400 with a personal best 54.22, and Kennedy was fourth in the high jump (5-8).

Reynolds won the 3,000 with a time of 9:31.45, nearly 15 seconds in front of runner-up Eric Pullen of Riverside (9:46.07). Reynolds also was fourth in the 1,500 with a personal best time of 4:17.67.

The Bucks got a third-place finish from Jaren Yoshioka in the javelin with a toss of 155-5, while William Michael (12-0) and Zeland Gardner (11-6) were third and fourth in the pole vault.

Grayson Mead was fifth in the triple jump (38-10 1/2) and seventh in the long jump (18-7), while Alonzo Corona-Rodriguez was eighth in the long jump (17-11 1/2), and Brance McKay was seventh in the javelin (139-6).

In addition to winning the 200, Parsons also won the 100 with a meet record and personal best time of 10.87 seconds. He was the only runner under 11 seconds. The old record of 10.93 was set by Maurice Peterson of Pendleton in 2006.

Parsons also won the long jump with a mark of 21-6 1/2, just one-quarter inch off the meet record. He also ran the anchor leg on the TigerScots’ 4×100 relay team that finished third with a time of 45.29. Also on the team were Tristan Weseman, Logan Ray and Colby Perkins.

Weseman also was second in the high jump (5-10), fourth in the long jump (19-8 1/2) and sixth in the 100 (11.67).

Arden Shaul added a third-place finish in the 1,500 (4:15.38) for the TigerScots and was fifth in the 800 (2:07.66). Dayton Monaco added a fifth-place finish in the high jump (5-6) and was eighth in the 400 (57.09).

In the field events, Jace Dunlap was fourth in the shot put (46-3) and fifth in the javelin (150-2). Logan Ray tied for fifth in the high jump (5-6).

Pilot Rock earned all of its points in the 800, where Sun Schimmel was third with a personal best of 2:03.90.

The other boys’ record that fell Friday was in the discus, where La Grande’s Brogan Hedgepeth had a throw of 179-6. He broke his own record of 160-2, set last year.

Nyssa was second in the team standings with 81.5 points, while Weston-McEwen was third (76) and La Grande fourth (63). Umatilla (46) was sixth, followed by Heppner (8th, 34), Riverside (9th, 33),  Irrigon (11th, 18), Powder Valley (13th, 14), Mac-Hi (14th, 12), Ione (15th, 7) and Pilot Rock (17th, 6).

In the girls’ division, only one record was broken, but some races came down to the length of a shoe.

La Grande won the girls’ team title, while Pendleton (86) was second and The Dalles (84) third. Umatilla was fifth (57), followed by Heppner (53), Weston-McEwen (7th, 50.5), Powder Valley (11th, 25.5), Mac-Hi (12th, 16), Pilot Rock (16th, 1) and Riverside (16th, 1).

Senior Hazel Case led the Bucks, winning the 100 with a time of 13.20, and placing second in the long jump at 16-2 3/4.

Case also teamed up with Citlalli Garcia, Landrie Davis and Genevieve Christiansen to place second in the 4×100 relay with a time of 51.62.

Garcia, Presley Greenwalt, Kyra Metcalf and Christiansen ran the 4×400 relay, placing third with a time of 4:36.50.

Davis also placed sixth in the 100 (13.72) and eighth in the 200 (28.26).

In the distance races, Evelyn Hayes was second in the 3,000 (12:52.30) and eighth in the 1,500 (5:47.60).

In the field events, Kayle Smith was second in the pole vault with a height of 8-6, with Ava Jackson was fourth (8-0).

Braelyn Gunter was fourth in the javelin (101-5), while McKinley Lieuallen was sixth (96-6). Greenwalt was fourth in the high jump (4-8), while Jackson was sixth (4-8).

In the triple jump, McKenzie Shelden was second with a leap of 31-1 3/4), while Mackenna Naughton was fifth in the long jump (15-8 3/4).

Weston-McEwen’s Addy Hall swept the hurdles, winning the 100s in a time of 17.64, and the 300s in 47.42.  Charlotte Hansell was third in the long jump at 31 feet.

Hall and Hansell teamed up with Brooklyn Parker and Bree Perkins to place fourth in the 4×100 relay with a time of 53.22.

The TigerScots picked up a pile of points in the first events. Elsie Sprenger was fourth in the discus (94-0), while Mylie Garrett was sixth  (86-8) and Sydney Carey seventh (86-6).

Carey was fifth in the shot put (30-11), while Garrett was sixth (29-7). In the javelin, Mania Wolf was seventh with a personal best throw of 96 feet. Parker was eighth in the long jump (15-1).

Aubry Corwin was the lone Pilot Rocket athlete in the top eight, placing eighth in the discus (86-4).

The lone record broken was in the shot put, where Baker’s Kate Norton had a throw of 40 feet. The old record was 39-10 1/4, set in 2005 by Hermiston’s Mykael Bothum.

Boys golf

Echo’s Cole Ayers finished second overall, leading the Cougars to the team title at the Umatilla Boys Invite at Big River Golf Course.

Ayers shot a 78 to finish six strokes behind medalist Coltin Miller of Burns (72).

Joey McCraw of Union and Landon Norton of Pilot Rock tied for third with 84s.

As a team, Echo finished with a 362, one stroke better than Burns. Union was third with a 371, followed by Enterprise (390) and Umatilla (434). Pilot Rock, Weston-McEwen and Nixyaawii did not field complete teams.

Theo Sprenger led the TigerScots, placing tied for 12th with a 97. David Murphy tied for 20th with a 105.

Evan Minthorn led the Golden Eagles, tying for 22nd with a 106. Jeffrey Van Pelt was 30th with a 123, and Harley Gone was 35th with a 130.

Also for Pilot Rock, Samuel Lamberson tied for 39th with a 137.

MADRAS SCRAMBLE — Pendleton had two teams tie for sixth place at 2-under par at the White Buffalo Scramble at Crooked River Ranch Golf Club.

The team of Sheldon Joseph and Hayden Bonifer shot a 69, with six birdies on holes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 12.

The Bucks’ team of Landon  Neistadt and Bobby Bostwick also shot a 69, with birdies on holes 5, 6, 13 and 17.

Pendleton’s third team of Autry Robinson and Cole Sazue finished tied for ninth with an even par 71. They had birdies on holes 7, 8 and 14.

A team from La Grande won the event with a 65, including seven birdies.

Baseball

PENDLETON 14-18, REDMOND 2-3 — After dropping their past three games at a tournament in Arizona, the Bucks returned to Bob White Field for a sweep of the 5A Panthers.

Pendleton (4-6) had solid pitching and hitting in the first game as freshman Reid Furstenberg pitched a complete game, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking one. 

The Bucks had 11 hits, three by Kolt McQuinn, who went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs.

Pendleton scored three runs in the bottom of the first, including a two-run single by Vance Nelson.

The Bucks added five runs in the second, one on a wild pitch, one on an error, two on a single by McQuinn, and one on a single by Nelson.

Pendleton added six more runs over the next two innings to invoke the mercy rule after five innings.

Nelson went 2-for-3 with four RBIs, and Grayson English was 2-for-2 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

Furstenberg and Colin Harrington hit doubles.

In the second game, Harrington went 3-for-3 with a triple, two RBIs and three runs scored as the Bucks scored early and often.

The score was tied 1-1 after the first inning, but Pendleton scored seven runs in the second, six in the third and four in the fourth to end the game in five.

The Bucks scored all seven runs in the second inning with two outs, starting with an RBI single by Harrington. Tugg McQuinn scored on a passed ball, Nelson followed with an RBI single, and English belted a two-run single to right field for a 6-1 lead.

Kolt McQuinn was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Nate Driskell scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-1.

An RBI triple from Harrington highlighted the third inning, and the Bucks scored three runs in the fourth with two outs, including RBI singles by Driskell and Kolt McQuinn.

English drove in three runs, while Nelson went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

Tugg McQuinn went all five innings for the win, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out seven and walked two.

HEPPNER 21-11, WESTON-MCEWEN 0-1 — Caleb George hit three doubles, a home run and drove in eight runs to lead the host Mustangs to a sweep of the TigerScots in Special District 7 play.

George led off the second game with a solo home run to center field off the first pitch he saw from Bennett Cavalletto in the bottom of the first inning.

The TigerScots got the run back in the top of the second, but the Mustangs scored once in the bottom of the second, then tacked on nine runs in the bottom of the fifth to invoke the mercy rule.

George hit two doubles in the fifth inning. His first brought in one run, while the second put two runs across the plate for an 11-1 lead and the end of the game.

Also in the fifth, Jace Wilson and Alakae Rodriguez hit RBI singles, and two runs scored off errors. 

Freshman Kord Dickenson pitched a complete game for the Mustangs (3-4 overall, 2-1 SD7), allowing one run on two hits while striking out three and walking two.

Cavalletto took the loss for Weston-McEwen, allowing 11 runs on nine hits. He struck out two and walked three.

In the opener, Caylan Proudfoot allowed two hits and struck out four as the Mustangs invoked the mercy rule in the fifth inning.

Heppner had a modest 4-0 lead in the first inning, then exploded for nine runs in the second for a commanding 13-0 lead.

In the second, Rodriguez and Andrew Lindsay hit back-to-back RBI doubles, while Keaton Coiner hit a two-run triple, and George a two-run single. When Rodriguez came around again, he hit a two-run single to give Heppner a 13-0 lead.

The TigerScots (0-4, 0-3), who had just five base runners during the game, couldn’t string any hits together to score runs.

Tim Taylor took the loss for the TigerScots, allowing 13 runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and two walks. 

Angel Romero and Aidenn Mahaffey each had a hit for W-M.

Softball

ASTORIA 13, PENDLETON 0 (5) — Taryen Wray pitched a four-hit shutout as the second-ranked Fishermen handed the Bucks their first loss of the season at Estacada High School.

Astoria (7-1) Scored six runs in the top of the first then added four in the second and two in the third as the Fishermen put the game out of reach.

Cambria VanNice and Rylee Jackson hit doubles for the Bucks, while Avery Quaempts and Kelsi Primus each hit a single.

Shaylor Fisher took the loss, allowing seven runs on nine hits. She only issued one walk.

Astoria, which took advantage of five Pendleton (5-1) errors, also got two home runs, a double and five RBIs from Lyla Carlson, and one home run and two RBIs from Kysa Whitsett.

SANDY 13, PENDLETON 1 — The 6A Pioneers scored 10 runs in the bottom of the first innings en route to a home victory over the Bucks.

Chiana Boppre threw a two-hitter, allowing one run while striking out 12 and walking one.

Kelsi Primus and Tatum Lambert each had a hit for Pendleton (5-2).

Mya Webster hit a home run and drove in three runs for the Pioneers (5-1), while Kaylee Swanson hit a double and drove in three runs. The Bucks will play on Tuesday at The Dalles.