Clovis Edges Tualatin At The Line Of Boys DMR By .03 Seconds; Mira Costa Girls Take Advantage Of 4:38 Anchor By Dalia Frias

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

EUGENE -- Christopher Caudillo leaned past Caleb Lakeman to conclude a terrific final lap of the boys distance medley relay Saturday night at Hayward Field, and Dalia Frias made up 14 seconds on her anchor leg carry to provide another highlight in the girls DMR.

The decision to spice up the fields in the Boys and Girls Distance Medley relays by inviting some great teams from other states paid off by increasing the chances for dramatic endings and both races delivered. 

Caudillo, a Clovis CA junior who won the boys mile Friday night, split 4:05.1 for 1,600 meters, but it took everything he had to hold off a confident Lakeman, of Tualatin OR, who won the boys 3,000.

"My sister taught me, lean with your stomach not your head," Caudillo said after bringing Clovis home in a US#2 time of 10:03.43. Tualatin, which got a boost early from Aaron Lakeman on the 1,200-meter leg and a 4:08 anchor from Caleb, ran US#3 10:03.46. 

Buchanan CA was third with US#4 10:05.47, Crater OR was fourth with US#5 10:07.02, Farmington UT was fifth with US#6 10:07.85 and Lincoln OR was sixth with US#7 10:10.23. 

All six teams ran under the old meet record. 

 "I knew (Lakeman) ran 8:10 in a 3K. So I said, you know 'This guy's strong. He can take it on his own, and I'll let him drain himself out and take it at the end,'" Caudillo said. 

It wasn't easy. According to one of the volunteers holding the finishing tape, Will Yearian, Lakeman had a small margin just steps away from the finish. Caudillo's superior lean got the victory. 

In the girls race, Mira Costa CA rested its hopes on the shoulders of Frias, the No. 2 all-time miler, and she was able to come back from a 14-second deficit and overtake a very good Buchanan anchor in Sydney Sundgren. 

Frias split 4:38 for 1,600 meters and Mira Costa's 11:43.80 is a US#1 and meet record. 

"I have total faith in Dalia, but there was definitely a gap," Mira Costa's third leg, Heather Jensen, said. "I knew we had all done our jobs, so handing off to Dalia, it was like, 'OK, it's in her hands now.'"

Frias embraced yet another big moment this spring and bore down on the leaders as she went to work closing the gap. She caught Sundgren with 200 meters to go and then pulled away on the homestretch. 

"My main goal was to keep passing the girls ahead," Frias said. "It was good having them there as targets, keeping me focused and keeping me on pace."

Buchanan was second in US#2 11:45.05. Summit OR was third in 11:55.28, just missing the Oregon all-time best (11:54.74).  Lincoln OR was fourth in 11:56.54.