Tualatin High Freshman Brock Estes Steals The Spotlight At Three Rivers League Track Championships

In his first appearance in the event, Tualatin ran a personal best 15.04 to win 110-meter high hurdles

Tualatin High School freshman Brock Estes sticks his tongue out as he crosses the finish line in first place in the 110-meter high hurdles race at the Three Rivers League district track and field championships. / Dan Brood

OREGON CITY, OREGON – When it came to the 110-meter high hurdles event at the Three Rivers League district track and field championships, youth was definitely served.

Of the eight finalists in that event at the district meet, held Friday at Pioneer Memorial Stadium, four were freshman, two were sophomores, there was one junior and there was one senior.

Yes, the spotlight was definitely on youth in that event, and it shined the very brightest on Brock Estes.

Estes, a Tualatin High School freshman competing in his first district meet, ran to victory in the event, crossing the finish line in a personal-best time of 15.04 seconds.

“It means a lot to me. A big thanks to my coach (Hashim Hall) for being the best coach in the state, in my opinion,” Estes said with a big smile on his face after receiving his championship medal. “It’s a big thing right now, as a freshman winning district, now it’s on to state.”

Winning a championship in an individual event in a competitive district like the Three Rivers League is no easy feat. In fact, at this year’s event, Estes was the only freshman to triumph in boys competition. On the girls side, only West Linn’s Eleanor Wyatt in the 800 and Nahla McCrae, Estes’ Tualatin teammate, in the triple jump, were the only freshmen to claim a district title.

That said, coming into the season, did Estes think he had a chance at such an impressive accomplishment.

“Not really,” he said with a laugh.

So how did it happen?

“I think it was the dedication I had,” Estes said. “I knew I had it in me and, of course, there was my coach, and the dedication that he had for me. That was a big thing for me.”

Tualatin freshman Brock Estes and Oregon City junior Rory Hartley battle for the lead in the 110-meter high hurdles event at the Three Rivers League district track and field championships. / Dan Brood

As for the race itself, Estes found himself in a battle with Oregon City junior Rory Hartley right from the start. But the Tualatin frosh was able to grab the edge in the latter stages of the race on his way to winning in 15.04. Hartley was second at 15.17.

“I think I had a great start, compared to the other one (when he ran a 15.42 in the preliminaries),” Estes said. “And then I just finished it off.”

And, when he finished it off, crossing the finish line, Estes stuck his tongue out, Michael Jordan style.

“I really wasn’t thinking about what was going on,” Estes said of his finish-line celebration. “It was just the first thing that came to my mind. It was just all the happiness.”

Estes’ winning time of 15.04 not only makes him the fastest freshman in the state in the 110 high hurdles (Bronx Ely of Grants Pass is second at 15.39), but it also makes him the 25th fastest frosh in the country in the event, according to athletic.net.

In the high hurdles at the upcoming Class 6A state track and field championships, which will be held Friday and Saturday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Estes and Ely are the only two freshmen in the field of 16 competitors.

Estes’ district time makes him the No. 8 seed for the 110 high hurdles. Mountainside senior Daniel Ryan, who triumphed at the Metro League district meet with a time of 14.50, is the No. 1 seed, and looks to be the favorite.

But don’t put anything past Tualatin’s fabulous freshman – who is taking the highest of aspirations to the state event.

“To win state, that’s the goal, man,” Estes said. “Win 6A.”

Tualatin High School freshman Brock Estes (right) sits with Timberwolves head track and field coach Hashim Hall after he received his championship medal for the 110-meter high hurdles event. / Dan Brood

The 6-foot-4 Estes will also be competing in the high jump at the 6A championships. He finished fifth in that event at the TRL district meet, but his height of 6 feet, 2.25 inches matched the state meet qualifying mark – and also makes him the top freshman high jumper in Oregon so far this season.

Estes will be the only freshman competing in the Class 6A high jump event at state, and he’ll be the No. 7 seed.

Estes not only is a track and field standout at Tualatin, but he also looks to possibly have a bright future on the football field as a receiver. In fact, he was invited to compete at The Chosen 1Hundred event, which served a showcase for some of the top high school football players in Oregon and southwest Washington, held May 10 at Jesuit High School.

But, for right now, for Estes, it’s all about track and field.

“I enjoy football, of course, but I might be a little bit better at track,” he said. “Track is the more nervous one for me, and that makes it more fun.”

And Estes is looking to have plenty of fun at the Class 6A state track and field championships later this week.

“It’s going to be a great experience, staying with the team and, of course, being at Hayward Field,” Estes said. “This is all just a joy.”