Baker’s Sammy Gressley wins four state titles at Eugene meet

Sammy Gressley turned one of the biggest individual performances in Baker High track-and-field history into a clean sweep at the Class 4A state meet in Eugene, winning the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash and long jump at Hayward Field.

The Baker senior was perfect in four tries at the 2026 OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union Track & Field State Championships, a rare level of dominance for any high school athlete and an even rarer one for a local runner and jumper from Baker County. Gressley won the 100 in 12.41 seconds, the 200 in 24.96, the 400 in 57.63 and the long jump at 17 feet, 6 inches. That made her the first Bulldog to win four individual state titles in a single year and a historic first in Class 4A state-meet competition.

The scope of the sweep mattered as much as the total. Gressley did not win by specializing in one event or leaning on one race. Her titles covered three sprint distances and the long jump, showing a blend of speed, endurance and jumping ability that separated her from the rest of the field over three days in Eugene. Entering the meet, she had six top-six finishes in her career but no state titles. By the end of the weekend, that changed in every event she entered.

Her performance also lifted the Baker girls into a strong team finish. Baker scored 40 points and placed third, just a half-point behind Junction City. Klamath Union won the girls team championship. On the boys side, Baker finished seventh, giving the Bulldogs two top-seven team results at the same state meet.

Kate Norton added to Baker’s scoring with a state title of her own in the shot put, winning with a throw of 42-7. Norton also placed fourth in the discus at 115-6, giving Baker another high-value contributor and showing the depth behind the Bulldogs’ girls program this spring.

For Gressley, the breakout came after a difficult build-up. She transferred to Baker as a junior from 1A Powder Valley and had been recovering from surgery for more than three months. After the meet, she said, "I did not expect to get first in all four," adding that she had been told in November it probably would not happen. Instead, the Baker senior finished her high school career with a benchmark that will stand in Baker High history and across 4A for years.