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Bandon senior spears state title in javelin
By John Gunther, Sports Editor
Monday, May 18, 2009 | No comments posted.
MONMOUTH – Cole Scherer always envisioned himself standing on the top of the podium at the state track meet.
He never thought that moment would come in a throwing event.
Scherer, who grew up a budding star in the distance races and then suffered a lasting case of lyme disease that effectively ended his distance-running career, won the javelin at the Class 3A state meet Saturday at Western Oregon University.
“I imagined it would be the 3,000 or 1,500,” Scherer said after he won the event with a throw of 189 feet, 11 inches, a new meet record.
Scherer led after his opening throw of 182-2 and then improved to 189-4, but Grant Union’s Jimmy Cook, the top threat for the title, had a couple throws close to that mark with his best of 187-9. Scherer already had won when he had his best mark on the final throw of the competition.
“I cut that one a little close,” he said.
Scherer never lost a javelin competition this season and opened eyes around the state when he topped 200 feet in the opening meet. He has had some offers from small colleges to throw for them, but said he’s leaning toward Oregon State University, which doesn’t have a men’s track program. He hopes to compete with the Oregon Track Club.
His loyalty to Oregon State was shown throughout the season. Between throws, he always pulled on OSU shorts, a Christian T-shirt and a Nike wool cap. He also warmed up with the same old tennis ball, throwing it against a wall to loosen his arm.
Whether the superstition helped or not, Scherer was a champion.
He almost added another crown as part of a relay at the end of the day Saturday.
Scherer ran the anchor leg on the Tigers’ 4x400-meter relay team and pulled Bandon to second place, though he ran out of time to catch Westside Christian’s Luke Smith. Westside Christian finished in 3 minutes, 30 seconds. Bandon was timed in 3:30.76.
The Bandon squad of Ben Rich, Michael Whitney, Isaac Taylor and Scherer capped a strong meet for the team, which finished in seventh place with 33 points. Westside Christian won with 66.
At the start of the day, Rich, Taylor, Scherer and Cesar Escalante finished fifth in the 4x100 relay.
After winning their preliminary heat in 45.02, the Tigers finished in 45.13. Westside Christian won the event in 43.63, just off the meet record the team set in 2008.
Taylor, meanwhile, took fourth in the 400 meters, while Rich finished fourth in the 100 and eighth in the 200.
“I think we ran good,” said Taylor, who, like many athletes, said the sun Saturday was a challenge.
“I didn’t factor in the heat today,” he said.
That also impacted Rich, who had eight races over the two days of the meet, counting preliminaries and finals.
“It was really hot,” he said. “It was hard to do four events. I was exhausted.”
Rich, a junior like Taylor, but a first-year track participant, was thrilled with his overall performance at the state meet.
“For my first year, I was pretty happy,” he said. “I can’t wait for next year.”
He never thought that moment would come in a throwing event.
Scherer, who grew up a budding star in the distance races and then suffered a lasting case of lyme disease that effectively ended his distance-running career, won the javelin at the Class 3A state meet Saturday at Western Oregon University.
“I imagined it would be the 3,000 or 1,500,” Scherer said after he won the event with a throw of 189 feet, 11 inches, a new meet record.
Scherer led after his opening throw of 182-2 and then improved to 189-4, but Grant Union’s Jimmy Cook, the top threat for the title, had a couple throws close to that mark with his best of 187-9. Scherer already had won when he had his best mark on the final throw of the competition.
“I cut that one a little close,” he said.
Scherer never lost a javelin competition this season and opened eyes around the state when he topped 200 feet in the opening meet. He has had some offers from small colleges to throw for them, but said he’s leaning toward Oregon State University, which doesn’t have a men’s track program. He hopes to compete with the Oregon Track Club.
His loyalty to Oregon State was shown throughout the season. Between throws, he always pulled on OSU shorts, a Christian T-shirt and a Nike wool cap. He also warmed up with the same old tennis ball, throwing it against a wall to loosen his arm.
Whether the superstition helped or not, Scherer was a champion.
He almost added another crown as part of a relay at the end of the day Saturday.
Scherer ran the anchor leg on the Tigers’ 4x400-meter relay team and pulled Bandon to second place, though he ran out of time to catch Westside Christian’s Luke Smith. Westside Christian finished in 3 minutes, 30 seconds. Bandon was timed in 3:30.76.
The Bandon squad of Ben Rich, Michael Whitney, Isaac Taylor and Scherer capped a strong meet for the team, which finished in seventh place with 33 points. Westside Christian won with 66.
At the start of the day, Rich, Taylor, Scherer and Cesar Escalante finished fifth in the 4x100 relay.
After winning their preliminary heat in 45.02, the Tigers finished in 45.13. Westside Christian won the event in 43.63, just off the meet record the team set in 2008.
Taylor, meanwhile, took fourth in the 400 meters, while Rich finished fourth in the 100 and eighth in the 200.
“I think we ran good,” said Taylor, who, like many athletes, said the sun Saturday was a challenge.
“I didn’t factor in the heat today,” he said.
That also impacted Rich, who had eight races over the two days of the meet, counting preliminaries and finals.
“It was really hot,” he said. “It was hard to do four events. I was exhausted.”
Rich, a junior like Taylor, but a first-year track participant, was thrilled with his overall performance at the state meet.
“For my first year, I was pretty happy,” he said. “I can’t wait for next year.”
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