COTTONWOOD — The day started with a dropped baton in the 400-meter relay and ended with an exclamation point in the 1,600 relay for the West Valley High School track team.

And what better place to showcase its state-bound athletes than on its home track.

The Eagles dominated the Northern Section track and field finals Friday and will send five individuals and a relay team to the state finals next week at Cerritos College in Norwalk.

Tyler Gray (pole vault), Jeff Billing (long jump, 100 meters), Jason Jones (110 and 300 hurdles), Katie Eckley (pole vault), Brooke Meredith (300 hurdles) and Jones, Joe Burgon, Matt Knott and Billing (1,600 relay) all won their events for a ticket to state.

Billing and Eckley were named the athletes of the meet, which is based on points scored (though the meet itself is a not scored).

Eckley won the pole vault with a meet and section record mark of 11 feet, 6 inches. Last year's runner-up easily cleared the bar on the first try to break the old record of 11-0 set last year by Yreka's Tracy Garmen, and then missed on her three shots at 12 feet.

''It was right there,'' Eckley said of her last attempts. ''I'm excited for the competition (at state). I'll go after them. I'm within six inches (of the state's best marks).''

Billing anchored the Eagles' 1,600-relay team. He took the final handoff from Knott and caught the two runners in front of him on the backstretch. Billing outkicked Lassen's final runner to the finish line to win in 3 minutes, 26.98 seconds.

''At the third turn, I knew I had the energy to outrun them,'' Billing said. ''It was a slow first 200 and I like to go out fast.''

Billing said he's looking forward to the long jump competition at state. He repeated as section champion with a leap of 23-5.

''That should seed me among the top jumpers at state,'' said Billing, who also won the 100 by 0.03 seconds over Herlong's Hashim Cooper in 11.08.

Gray suffered a hamstring pull in the pole vault event, but cleared 13-0 on his first — and only — attempt to repeat as section champion.

A surprise, even to himself, was Jones in both hurdles events. He won the 110 in 15.46 and the 300 in 39.92.

''Especially in the 300,'' he said of his surprise performances. ''It was like a (personal record) by 2 seconds. I was still riding high from the 110. Maybe I can surprise myself more at state.''

Meredith won the 300 hurdles with a time of 47.26. She was also second in the triple jump, third in the long jump and sixth in the 100 hurdles.

Red Bluff's Obi Osuji was a double event winner as he will be going to state in the 200 (22.43) and 400 (50.31).

Sophomore Jake Golenor of Foothill won the shot put with a throw of 52-4, Matt Sartor of Enterprise won the 1,600 in 4:24.53, and Tim Nelson of Liberty Christian won the 3,200 in 9:30.81.

The girls track events got off to a thrilling start with a Red Bluff victory in the 400 relay.
Cassie Dutton, Stephanie Teague, Shaneen Garth and Molly Stinson won with a time of 50.36 as Stinson edged out Pleasant Valley's anchor runner by 0.07 seconds.

Central Valley's Sarah Iceman, second in the triple jump last year, won this year's event with a leap of 36-9. The winning mark came on her final attempt.

''I think I was giving my coaches a heart attack,'' Iceman said. ''I don't have any pressure on me. It's not necessary to get first. Getting my marks was my goal.''

The defending champion in the long jump, Iceman had to settle for second place at 16-5. She scratched on four straight attempts before making a good jump. Chrissy Heckman of Sutter won at 16-9.

Ciara Harvey of Central Valley won the 1,600 in 5:13.02, while Dunsmuir's Alle Porter easily won the 3,200 in 11:15.05. Foothill's Candace Joseph was second in the 3,200 in 11:36.91.

Foothill's 1,600 relay team of Aleah Howington, Missy Lendl, Kelly Ortlieb and Mikah Turner beat Pleasant Valley to the line in 4:07.35 as the Vikings crossed in 4:07.78. Also for Foothill, Howington won the 800 in 2:19.17.

Some smaller school victories included Destiny Cearly of Fall River in the 400 (60.32) and Jamie Hawkins of Big Valley in the shot put (38-2).