Caldera girls track team eyes state title amid breakout season
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- For the Caldera girls track and field team, the journey from district hopefuls to state title contenders has been nothing short of remarkable.
“Oh, it’s crazy,” said senior Jaymi Dickinson. “Freshman year, we were maybe making districts in like three events. And now it’s like — oh, we have a shot at pulling off a state title and winning some events.”
This season, Caldera ranks in the Top 5 in seven different 5A events. Dickinson herself holds two of those top spots — individually in the 400 meters and with her teammates in the 4x400 relay.
“I’m on the girls 4x4 again, so let’s do a repeat of that,” she said. “I’m really hoping for a state championship — just with the team in general. I think we’ve got all the talent there in all these selective events.”
That talent was on full display at one of Oregon’s premier meets: the Jesuit Twilight Relays. Caldera’s 4x400 relay team placed third overall and first among all 5A teams. As a team, Caldera finished 11th out of 61 total schools and third against the 5A field.
A key contributor in that meet was sophomore Maddie Carney, who won her event outright.
“I think it just gives me a little bit more confidence going into the rest of the season,” Carney said. “It shows me I can compete with some big names. And yeah, it was a really fun event and helped put Caldera’s name a little more up there.”
Carney is quickly becoming one of the top long-distance runners in the state, currently holding the second-fastest time in the 3,000 meters.
“Especially in distance running — it’s a lot of hard work,” she said. “You put in a lot of hours. So I think just gearing up for the state meet, we’re all putting in our best effort right now to get the best results we can.”
Caldera's rise didn’t happen overnight. Much of the team’s current success can be traced back to the foundation laid by former head coach Charlotte Lettis Richardson.
“It’s hard work, goodness to each other, kindness, acceptance, inclusiveness—all those things,” Richardson said. “Plus, competitiveness. This team is incredibly competitive.”
With the state championships fast approaching, the Wolves head to Eugene’s legendary Hayward Field with high hopes — and perhaps, history on the line.
“If everything comes together on that day, I think we could do it,” Dickinson said. “I really believe that.”
And when the final race is run and the bus pulls away from Hayward, Caldera might just be carrying home its first-ever state title trophy.
