Azalea Middle School 8th grader, Deryk Farmer, has quietly been racking up victories and personal best performances in track and field enabling him to qualify in three events at the Middle School ‘Meet of Champions’ in Corvalis, Oregon, on Thursday, May 26th, featuring 55 middle schools in all divisions, (1A thru 6A) from across the state.
The ‘Meet of Champions’ is a Middle School track and field event where qualifying athletes compete in events regardless of school size and division, making it the equivalent of the High School State Championships. Deryk Farmer qualified in three events, representing Azalea Middle School in the 100m, the 200m and the Long Jump.
Qualifying for the 100m ranked 20th in the state and finishing 12th in a time of 11:99 was just a warm up for Deryk, who went on to set two personal records, finishing 2nd the 200m in a time of 24:03, breaking his own personal record by almost half a second.
He then went on to finish second in the Long Jump, with a final leap of 20′-1.0″, again beating his own personal best o 18′-2.75″. The 20′-1.0″ leap would have placed Deryk in 2nd place in the High School Division 3A State Championships, behind the 3A high school State Champion by just 1.75″ inches.
Deryk Farmer’s performance in the Middle School ‘Meet of Champions’ in Corvalis placed Azalea Middle School 9th in the State. “He is a phenomenal athlete and a great kid who has worked hard this past season.” Azalea Middle School head track coach Karissa Horn told the Wild Coast Compass, and we’re sure his work ethic and determination will help him continue to succeed.
