All-Region male athlete of the year: Tobias Merriweather, Union
Jun. 19—Union junior Tobias Merriweather is known for excelling as an athlete. The four-star football recruit is 6-foot-4, blazing fast and has off-the-charts athleticism.
But the 2020-21 sports season showed another of Merriweather's elite qualities: his willingness to contribute to the team.
After another standout football season, Merriweather made last-minute decisions to join the basketball and track and field teams. He wanted to aid the Class of 2021 on the hardwood, and needed to convince some of his football teammates to improve their skills by competing in track and field, he said.
In basketball, Merriweather told Titans coach Blake Conley he would play the day before tryouts, and then helped the Titans to a league championship. In track and field — a sport he's excelled in since he was young — he joined a week into the season. He went on to win district titles in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races.
For his efforts, he has been named The Columbian's All-Region Male Athlete of the Year.
"I think it just showed me that my body can take a lot more than I thought it could," Merriweather said of the hectic overlapping seasons. It was his first time playing three sports since his freshman year.
Merriweather has 17 Division I college football offers, including every school in the Pac-12, Notre Dame and Michigan. The constant attention his success on the field attracts — from peers, from coaches, from media — is stressful at times, he admits.
"It's hard to just be one of the guys," Merriweather said. "That's all I want at the end of the day."
But he's also not content with where he's at now. He wants to improve and goes to great lengths to do so.
He frequently competes in 7-on-7 football tournaments, trains at the Ford Sports Performance in Bellevue and does this on top of keeping up with his classes and competing in three sports, which happened to stack on top of each other this year.
"I don't really care if people know how much I work," Merriweather said. "But they'll see it when I step on the field."
The next step in Merriweather's journey is a state title quest with the Titans' football team in the fall. His participation in track this spring was to encourage football players who could most benefit from the track and field season.
Merriweather will also compete in basketball and track and field next year, he confirmed.
Sometime during his hectic senior year, he will commit to an elite football school.
Still, that won't fill his hunger for greatness.
He wants to compete for a starting spot when he gets to the next level. He wants to excel. He wants to make it to the NFL.
Said Merriweather: "I don't want to be the uncle that's at the family reunion saying 'I could have been this; I could have been that.' "
All-Region male athletes of the 2020-21 school year by sport
BASKETBALL
Kaden Perry, Battle Ground
The Gonzaga-bound senior had his season cut short by injury, but the 6-foot-9 post was dominant in the games he played in, averaging 26 points a game for the Tigers.
SOCCER
Ethan Jud, Camas
The Papermakers went 11-0-1 and outscored opponents 69-4 this season, and much of Camas' offensive attack went through their senior center forward.
FOOTBALL
Xavier Owens, Skyview
In six 4A/3A GSHL games, the Western Oregon-bound senior caught 24 passes for 434 yards and 10 TDs. He also returned a punt for a TD and was a standout defensive back.
BASEBALL
Caden Vire, Skyview
The Arizona State-bound senior was dominant on the mound. The lefty went 4-0 with an 0.56 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 37.1 innings pitching, helping the Storm to a 17-0 season.
WRESTLING
Porter Craig, Camas
After placing fifth at state at 106 pounds as a sophomore, Craig came back bigger and stronger, posting an unbeaten campaign during the truncated spring season.
TRACK AND FIELD
Tobias Merriweather, Union
The junior sprinter posted a quadruple win at the 4A/3A GSHL Invitational meet, winning the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters and the anchor of the 400-meter relay for the Titans.
CROSS COUNTRY
Evan Jenkins, Camas
An all-state runner as a sophomore, Jenkins remained the area's elite runner as a junior, winning the 4A Greater St. Helens League title by almost a minute in 16 minutes, 15 seconds.
GOLF
Owen Huntington, Camas
The U.S. Naval Academy-bound senior posted six of his nine rounds at or below par, including both rounds in winning the 4A district championship at Tri-Mountain.
SWIMMING
Jace Creech, Skyview
The senior won the 200 individual medley and the 100 backstroke at the 4A/3A GSHL Invitational at Kelso. He posted the region's top marks in those two events as well as the 100 freestyle.
TENNIS
Vincent Hsu, Mountain View
The senior led the Thunder to another 3A GSHL title from the No. 1 singles spot, completing a high school career in which Mountain View went 26-0 in league play.
