Sky Nesser wins Class 1A state high jump title for Powder Valley

Sky Nesser gave Powder Valley and Baker County a championship moment on one of Oregon track and field’s biggest stages, clearing 5 feet, 2.5 inches to win the Class 1A girls high jump title at Hayward Field in Eugene. For a small-school program that regularly sends athletes to state, the jump turned another trip to Eugene into a state crown and put Nesser at the top of her classification in Oregon.

The title carried extra weight because Nesser arrived as a proven state performer, not a newcomer. She finished second in the high jump at the 2025 OSAA state meet with a mark of 5-1.75, then returned this spring after qualifying in three events for the second straight year: the 100 meters, 200 meters and high jump. At the 2026 special district 4 meet on May 21, she won the high jump at 5-1.75 and took second in both sprints, running 12.83 in the 100 and 26.92 in the 200.

Powder Valley’s state-meet footprint went beyond Nesser alone. Hannah Martin, Texie Van Tassell and Caiden Anderson-Ficek also qualified for the 2026 Class 1A state meet, showing the Badgers had depth across the roster rather than a single standout carrying the load. Van Tassell added another strong result at district, where Powder Valley finished third in the girls team standings behind Imbler and Joseph.

The state championships were held May 28-29 at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus, a venue that has long served as the centerpiece of Oregon high school track. For Nesser, the setting matched the scale of the performance. She improved on last year’s runner-up finish and delivered the kind of decisive, inch-by-inch result that defines the high jump, where one clean attempt can separate second place from a title.

For Powder Valley, the win reinforced a familiar but important truth: a small rural school from Baker County can still produce athletes who rise to the top of the state. Nesser’s championship adds another line to the school’s track history and gives the community a rare top-line sports headline that will resonate long after the meet ended.