Long a relay power in Class 1A, Forreston-Polo saved its best for last with a state-leading time of 3:24.81 in the 4x400 meter relay to close out the 1A Oregon Sectional. It also broke its own school record of 3:26.31 set two weeks ago.

“I don’t even know what to say,” F-P coach Tony Hardin said. “This is a relay we’ve been excited about for a long time. Four juniors out there running in some great competition.”

It took a 49.1 anchor by Brody Schwartz to hold off one of the elite middle-distance runners in 1A, Evan White of Rockford Christian, who finished in 3:25.20. Winnebago was in hot pursuit at 3:26.77, giving the sectional the top three seeds going into the state meet.

Auburn (3:22) does have the top time overall in 1A, but it wasn’t from a sectional. Mercer Mumford, Hayden Vinnedge and Eli Ferris joined Schwartz on the relay.

Another school record (1:29.77) was set in the 4x200 relay with Vinnedge, Mumford, Schwartz and Jonathan Milnes. Again, they were pushed by state qualifiers RC (1:30), Winnebago (1:31) and Dakota (1:31), who made a remarkable comeback after a botched handoff.

“The competition helps so much,” Milnes said. “I think we can cut our time further and be a contender to win it downstate.”

It was Schwartz making it three championships for himself with a narrow 11.37-11.38 win over Alex Casanas in the 100 meters.

“All week, coach [Brooks] Grobe worked on my block start. It was not the greatest at the conference,” Schwartz said.

In what Hardin termed a “humbling experience”, Christian Ryia, Schwartz, Mumford and Milnes combined for a 43.44 to take third in the 4x100 relay and reach state qualifying. RC (43.35) and Dakota (43.36) were first and second in handing F-P a rare loss.

“The fact we were not happy with state qualifying is a good thing,” F-P assistant coach Brooks Grobe said. “It shows what we need to work on. We can do better on the start and the handoffs.”

Ferris tacked on a win in the 110 high hurdles (16.48) and a fourth-place SQ in the high jump at 6-1. He benefited from top seed Drew Intravaia (15.59) sitting out the hurdles because of a hamstring injury.

“I was there when it happened to him at Winnebago,” Ferris said. “I’ve been struggling with a hamstring myself and will have to take it easy in the 300 hurdles.”

Ferris ended up scratching the 300, but reached the SQ mark in the high jump at 6-1. The 10 team points Ferris would have gained for winning the 300 affected the final team standings. Joseph Kobler did pick up a couple point in the hurdles for Forreston.

“Eli could qualify in seven events. The big focus is keeping him healthy,” Hardin said.

In the discus, Hunter DeWall threw 145-feet for second to returning state placer Isaac Wills (156-4) of Indian Creek. Carter Fox was fourth with a PR of 135-6. Owen Williams had a PR of 42-6 in the shot put for third, one spot out of SQ.

“I know Hunter’s got that one big throw in him. He’s just got to hit it downstate,” F-P throwing coach Steve Christensen said. “Give me one more week of practice with him.”

Milnes added a third-place SQ 21-4 long jump. Mumford was fifth at 20-9.

In a surprise to long-time observers of this sectional, it wasn’t Forreston-Polo, Rockford Christian or Winnebago winning it, but unheralded Hinckley-Big Rock, for the first time in school history. They had 105 points to 96.5 for runner-up F-P. Close behind was another upstart from DeKalb county, Indian Creek (94), followed by ‘Bago (89.5) and RC (85).

“You got to give Hinckley-Big Rock their due,” Hardin said. “They capitalized on a lot of opportunities and hit on a lot of events.”

Oregon was eighth with 32 points and had qualifiers in 800 runner Daniel Gonzalez and triple jumper Brian Wallace.

Gonzales ran 1:58.98 to place third in a very competitive finish and collapsed immediately afterwards from the effects of bronchitis.

“I couldn’t breath or anything,” Gonzalez said.

Wallace, who came out for track and field his senior year and recently began triple jumping, made the SQ mark (41-4) on his final attempt of the competition.

“He scratched on what I thought were two state qualifications,” Oregon coach Jim Spratt said. “I had him shorten his first step to make sure he was behind the board. He hit all three phases and got it on his last try.”

Sophomore Dayton Willams had a PR of 10-2 in the pole vault and finished one place away from SQ for Oregon.

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Forreston-Polo's Brody Schwartz crosses the finish line first as the anchor in the 4x200 relay at the 1A Oregon Sectional on Friday, May 22, 2026. (Earleen Hinton)