EUGENE – No Mia Brahe-Pedersen, no problem for Lake Oswego's girls track team.
Despite the absence of their star sprinter, who missed the entire season with a hamstring injury, the Lakers dug deep to claim their third consecutive 6A championship Saturday in the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union state meet at Hayward Field.
Led by senior Josie Donelson, who won her third title in the 400 meters and repeated as champion in the 300 hurdles, and their usual dominance in the relays, the Lakers outscored runner-up Lincoln 61-50.
The Vanderbilt-bound Donelson ended her decorated career with a bang, winning the 400 in 52.83 to improve on her state record of 53.17. She came back later to roll to victory in the 300 hurdles, although her time of 43.51 was well off her state record of 41.70.
“With this being my last state meet, it was definitely a special meet,” Donelson said. “Going in, I just wanted to make every second count. For me, that definitely meant defending my titles. I'm really happy to say that I did.”
Donelson also helped the Lakers sweep the relays for the fourth consecutive year. She joined seniors Riley Ha and Cenaiya Billups and junior Marina Turpen in both events.
Donelson's performance in the 400, however, was the highlight of the meet as she cracked the 53-second barrier. She said the roar of the crowd “helped me propel myself to the finish.”
“I was like about to cry,” Donelson said. “I almost hit a bit of a plateau. I was hoping to go sub-53 a little earlier in the season, so with this being my state meet, and my last run as being an LO Laker, in the 400 meters, I was hoping to get a strong sub-53 time.”
Donelson's competitive drive helped the Lakers compensate for the loss of Brahe-Pedersen, the state record-holder in the 100 and 200.
“I really wanted to go do it for my coaches, do it for my team,” Donelson said. “I had some people come and tell me I've kind of been a little bit of an inspiration in a way. That just really makes me want to run even harder to show people that if you really put your mind to it, and just push yourself and believe in yourself, you can also run great.”
McDaniel senior Maleigha Canaday-Elliott followed her state record in the triple jump Friday with a victory in the long jump. She went 18-3 ¼ to edge Jesuit sophomore Iman Foster by a quarter-inch.
“Coming into today, I was a little sore, and really tired this morning,” said the Oregon-bound Canaday-Elliott, who also placed fifth in the high jump. “So I was like, 'I'm really going to have to dig super deep for this.' And I did. … I love jumping here. I always have. It's a great facility.”
Tigard senior Marissa Johnson took home titles in the shot and discus. She wasn't happy with her performance in the shot (43-10 ¾), where she repeated as champion, but found satisfaction from a solid effort in the discus (142-8), off her best of 145-11.
“I didn't have the best meet coming up to this,” Johnson said of the discus. “I've been trying to hit 140 for quite a few weeks, and I'm glad I hit it today.”
Wells junior Avery Coker repeated as champion in the 100 hurdles, running 14.59 to improve on her previous best of 14.72. Lincoln picked up two titles Saturday, getting wins from junior Sophia Malinowski in the 800 and freshman Ellery Lincoln in the 1,500.
Girls
5A
Summit – which has won every 5A meet since the classification started in 2007, except for the four years (2019-22) the Storm spent in 6A – grabbed its 14th state championship. The Storm scored 79 points to top Wilsonville (58.5), Crescent Valley (51) and Bend (39).
Summit won the 4x100 and got its lone individual title from senior Hannah Ortiz in the long jump (17-4 ¾). She unseated the reigning champion, Wilsonville senior Caroline de la Motte (17-2 1/4), who won the triple jump Friday.
Ortiz said her title was the culmination of six years of dedication to the sport, including daily morning workouts at home.
“I put in an average of three to four hours every day training specifically for track,” Ortiz said. “For six years it's been a goal of mine to be in the top, so it means a lot for me to be here.”
Churchill sophomore Addison Kleinke, the state record-holder in the pole vault, repeated as champion with a mark of 12-3 ½. Her state record is 13-7 ½, set last year.
“I'm not very happy with how today went at all,” Kleinke said. “I had some high hopes. I feel like in practice I've been jumping a lot higher than I showed today. Even in competition, I've been jumping a lot higher than I showed today. But it happens, and it's part of the process. I just need to move on and get better.”
South Albany sophomore Pharalynn Dickson won the 100, 200 and 400 for the second year in a row. She is halfway to the state record of 12 individual titles, held by Summit's Kellie Schueler (2007-10).
Dickson ran with confidence.
“I wasn't nervous, I would say, for any of my races, because I know what I'm capable of,” she said. “I feel like I showed that today.”
Also repeating titles Saturday were Bend senior Sara Rivas (300 hurdles) and Milwaukie junior Yazmeen Brown (discus).
4A
Philomath won its third consecutive team title, and seventh overall, by scoring 74 points. The Warriors' only event title Saturday came in the 4x100.
North Bend and Cascade tied for second place at 51, and Scappoose was fourth at 43.
Scappoose senior Alice Davidson captured the 100 and 200 for the second year in a row and ran the anchor on the winning 4x400. Davidson bounced back this season after having surgery to remove a mole on the back of her left calf at the start of the season. After the one-month recovery, she needed to build back her muscle.
“That really kind of set my time back in the 100 and 200,” said Davidson, also a standout soccer player. “So I was really worried how this track season would go out, but I'm really happy because I PR'd.”
North Marion freshman Macallan Cutsforth produced one of the meet's biggest surprises by winning the 1,500 by less than one second over Philomath junior Adele Beckstead and La Grande sophomore Brooke Perry, the reigning champion who repeated as 3,000 champion Friday.
Cutsforth credited her work with overcoming “mental fear” this season.
“When I went in, I was really nervous,” Cutsforth said. “I didn't think I could do it. … I think I started giving up a little on the third lap, and then I saw that it wasn't that far of a distance for me to cover. I've been working on my kick with my coaches and I was just like, 'I've got to go for it.' And it turned out OK.”
Cutsforth said she believed Perry would be a bit fatigued from running the 3,000 the previous day.
“So I knew I had a good chance at being able to out-kick her at the end,” she said.
Stayton junior Haley Butenschoen repeated as 800 champion. Molalla junior Peyton Craven, who won the high jump Friday, won the 100 hurdles Saturday, one year after taking the 2A title in the event for Colton.
Boys
6A
Sheldon and Sherwood finished in a tie for first place at 46 points. It is the third title for Sheldon, which won in 2009 and 2016. It is Sherwood's first.
Sheldon's two individual titles came Friday, from sophomore Malachi Schoenherr in the 3,000 and junior Eli Forsha in the triple jump. Sherwood won two events Saturday: senior Drew Smith in the javelin and junior Andrew Waletich in the 400.
One year after winning the 5A 100 for Putnam, senior James Bauman claimed a 6A 100 title for Lake Oswego. He also ran a leg on the winning 4x100.
“It's such an easy group to blend in with,” Bauman said of joining the Lakers. “They're so welcoming. They do everything so great over here, so it's easy.”
Bauman was hoping for more, but a tight hamstring kept him from competing in the 200 and 4x400.
The 200 was setting up as a duel between Bauman and the reigning champion, West Salem senior Mihaly Akpamgbo, who took second in the 100. But with Bauman sidelined, Akpamgbo dominated the 200 with a personal best of 21.37.
“I was thinking, if anything, 21.2, 21.3. So I didn't get to hit that mark,” Akpamgbo said. “I'm grateful for it because I've been dealing with hamstring injuries all season. So the fact that I could do that is just like a miracle, really.”
The 21.37 ties Akpamgbo for No. 9 all-time in Oregon.
“There was no one pushing me there, so if I had that feeling that there was someone behind me, then imagine what I could have gone,” Akpamgbo said.
Grants Pass senior Jayden Jessee swept the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles, recording personal-best times of 14.01 and 38.12, respectively.
Wells senior Asher Danielson, who finished second in the 3,000 on Friday on a late kick by Sheldon’s Schoenherr, rebounded to win the 1,500.
“I thought I had it yesterday,” said Danielson, who also was state runner-up in cross country. “Just coming around that corner, he got around me, and just had a kick that I just couldn't make. Coming back today, I was just like, 'I've got to get a state championship.' Just going into the race, I was like, 'No one wants it more than I do right now. I was so close, and I really want this.'”
Franklin (45) placed third in the team race, ahead of West Salem (39) and Grants Pass (39).
5A
Summit repeated as champion, winning its seventh title. The Storm amassed 106 points to defeat Crater (72), La Salle Prep (39) and Corvallis (38).
Summit senior Collin Moore, who won the 6A high jump in 2022 and was the 5A runner-up last year, returned to the top with a winning jump of 6-7. Moore said he was hoping to go higher – his PR is 6-9 – but he was thrilled to win again at Hayward Field.
“Last year I lost on kind of simple mistakes,” Moore said. “Being back here, I accomplished what I set out to do this year. Especially for last year, making the small mistakes, I think honestly this one just means more. I fell in love with track junior year, so losing that really sucked. I'm just grateful to be back here.”
Crater got a second title from junior Josiah Tostenson, who added a 1,500 win to Friday's victory in the 3,000.
Tostenson won the 1,500 as a freshman but did not compete in the event as a sophomore at state, opting for the 800. He was determined not to let tired legs get the best of him after a gutsy performance in the 3,000.
“It was definitely a tough double,” Tostenson said. “I was definitely feeling it. I was feeling my legs. But I knew I was a dog and I had to push through it. So I kept pushing.
“It's very important to get one (title), but I didn't want to come out here on Friday and then not get it done Saturday. The job wasn't finished, so I'm happy I was able to get both of them done.”
Tostenson was boxed in but found daylight and seized the lead with about 700 meters to go.
“I finally saw an opening on the inside, and I took it right away, took it hard and made sure no one could match that move,” he said.
Ridgeview senior Tyas Selby repeated his title in the pole vault by clearing 14-8 ¼.
4A
Baker sophomore Rasean Jones continued his steady climb in the 110 and 300 hurdles by repeating as champion in both events.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Jones, a standout receiver in football, clocked personal bests of 13.96 and 37.38. The times rank No. 3 and No. 7, respectively, all-time in Oregon.
“I didn't really have too many expectations coming into the meet,” Jones said. “Just trust the Lord and trust my training, and hope for the best.”
At the start of the season, Jones was coming off helping lead Baker to the state championship in basketball. His brilliant track season included a win in the 300 hurdles at the Oregon Relays.
“I was pretty happy with the way everything played out,” Jones said. “Coming off basketball, I didn't have too much of a break. But I just hopped right into track.”
North Bend senior Jason Padgett also repeated in two events, taking the 100 and 200. La Grande senior Austin Uhl won titles in the 800 and 1,500.
Marshfield junior Bodey Lutes won the 400 for the second year in a row, finishing in 47.97. His personal best of 47.83 was No. 1 in the state this season, for all classifications, and No. 15 all-time in the state.
“It's nice to represent a small school in 4A, like Marshfield,” said Lutes, who also ran the anchor for the winning 4x400. “We have Pre and stuff, but sometimes a lot of people in 5A and 6A, they set us aside.”
Seaside senior Kyler McCleary successfully defended his title in the high jump by clearing 6-5.
Crook County won its first team title by racking up 96 points. The Cowboys took first in the 4x100 and got wins from junior Gabe Love in the javelin and junior Elijah Oelkers in the long jump.
Marshfield was second with 46 points. Pendleton (45) and La Grande (42) were next.
jerryu@osaa.org
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