EUGENE – Sheldon's Malachi Schoenherr was on a roll in 2024, when he followed a 6A title in the 3,000 meters in the spring with a cross country state championship in the fall.
But staying on top proved to be tricky for Schoenherr. He struggled with illness in his junior track season, taking fifth at state in the 3,000, then was runner-up in cross country last fall.
So when Schoenherr got another chance at a state championship Friday at Hayward Field, he seized it. The senior opened a big lead and held on to win the 3,000 on the first day of the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 6A championships.
“To bring it back was pretty amazing,” said Schoenherr, who also will run in the 1,500 on Saturday. “I'm just happy with how I raced. I raced gutsy, and that's what I had to do.”
The Brigham Young-bound Schoenherr nearly emptied his tank when he pulled away on the second-to-last lap. But he had just enough left to win in 8:21.07, surviving a late push by Jesuit senior Kellen Williams (8:21.73).
“I knew that last lap was going to be hard, but I put everything into it,” Schoenherr said. “I knew with 50 meters to go, I could kind of let off the gas a little bit, but I tried not to too much, because Kellen almost got me.”
Schoenherr was overcome with emotion after crossing the finish line.
“Winning sophomore year and having the heartbreak junior year, it really pushed me to win this year,” he said. “I put everything into this last season just to try to get back to the point where I was at sophomore year.”
Jefferson senior Eric Cozart Jr., who won the long jump title last year, picked up a championship in the triple jump with a mark of 47 feet, 9 ¼ inches. Cozart, committed to North Carolina Central, had competed in the triple jump once this season before qualifying for state in his district meet.
“We tried it at practice one day, and I was doing pretty good,” said Cozart, who will go for a long-jump repeat Saturday. “I'm going to college, and I was like, 'I don't want to just to triple jump in college, I want to add something. Hopefully, I can do that, too.”
McNary junior Derek Olivo, last year's javelin champion, picked up a title in the discus by throwing 174-0. Aloha junior Scottland Telesa took the shot with a mark of 59-9 ¾.
5A
Summit junior Bjorn Blankenship won a fast 5A 3,000 in 8:12.87, a 14-second PR and the best time by an Oregon boy this season.
Blankenship beat two Crater runners in senior Preston Schmidt (8:13.73) and sophomore Garrett Faught (8:15.58).
“I”ve been visualizing this race for a couple days now, and I could not have imagined a more perfect race,” Blankenship said. “Every run was culminating to this moment. This is the biggest meet for me this year. To be able to perform at such a level is absolutely so special. I'll remember this moment for th rest of my life.”
Friday's other 5A winners were Dallas sophomore Bertram Latta (discus), Wilsonville senior Joseph Harris (triple jump) and Caldera sophomore Cooper Kanalos (shot).
4A
La Grande junior Brogan Hedgepeth completed his breakout season in the discus by winning the 4A title with a throw of 188-10.
Hedgepeth, who placed third as a freshman and second as a sophomore, ranks No. 10 in state history with a throw of 193-5, the best mark in the state this season for all classifications. He credited his throws coach, Marty Munyon, with his improvement.
“He helped me mentally stay calm and collected while competing in high-pressure situations,” Hedgepeth said. “I let my brain kind of go empty whenever I throw.”
Hedgepeth believes a 200-foot throw is in the cards.
“Definitely,” he said. “I'm going to try it at Nike Nationals this year. It's in me. I've seen a couple of them. I just need to get one in competition where it matters.”
Repeating as 4A champions were Newport senior Aaidyn Bokuro (triple jump) and Junction City senior Kaleb Moore (shot).
In the 3,000, Astoria senior William Laman won a duel with Marist Catholic junior Corbin Sage, last year's 1,500 champion. Laman's clocked 8:39.15 and Sage finished in 8:40.41.
Henley junior Jesse Smith took the pole vault.
Girls
6A
Lincoln junior Ellery Lincoln, who set state records in the 1,500 and 3,000 this season, cruised to her first title in the 3,000 in 9:30.41.
She bolted to the front early and won by nearly 17 seconds over South Eugene freshman Evangeline Johnson-Hess (9:47.08).
With national-caliber meets such as the Hoka Festival of Miles and the U20 National Championships looming in the near future, Lincoln was not chasing her state record of 9:06.61.
“I just wanted to get out in front and do my own thing,” Lincoln said. “I don't think we were necessarily going for a state record just because we're building up for Hoka and U20s, and we want to kind of save the big efforts for those meets. But I definitely wanted to have fun out there today.”
An Oregon commit, Lincoln savored competing on her future college track.
“It feels so good,” she said. “Hayward is one of my favorite places on earth. I love running here.”
Lincoln won the 1,500 title as a freshman and the state cross country meet last fall but had not won a 3,000 title until Friday. Her chances were foiled last year when she came down with a fever in the days leading up to the state meet.
“Last year was a big letdown,” said Lincoln, who will race in the 1,500 on Saturday.
Jesuit senior Iman Foster flirted with the state record in winning the triple jump for the second year in a row. Foster's winning mark of 41-5 ¾ beat the record of 41-2 ¼ (Maleigha Canaday-Elliott, McDaniel, 2024) but it was wind-aided.
Foster came back one jump later to go 40-11 ½, adding a half-inch to her legal outdoor best. After suffering a severely sprained ankle during volleyball season, she said she was “so grateful” to be performing a high level again. All five of Foster's legal jumps Friday were at least 40-7.
“I cried after,” Foster said. “I was just thinking about how far I came. I couldn't even walk. It was really, really hard mentally. That was the only injury I've ever had.”
The wind reading surprised Foster on what seemed to be a calm day.
“I felt almost like I had a little bit of a headwind,” she said. “But it is what it is.”
The Pittsburgh-bound Foster defeated Westview senior Saskia Dorf (40-10 ½), her Metro League rival, to win the event. The two will square off again Saturday in the long jump, where Dorf is the reigning champion.
West Linn senior Tayaneh Balensifer won the pole vault against the two-time reigning champion, Nelson senior Kinsley Juliano. Both cleared 11-11 ¾ but Balensifer won on criteria. It is the second title for Balensifer, who won with 1A Damascus Christian in 2024.
Jesuit junior Marissa Rystadt claimed the title in the javelin.
5A
Crater junior Brynn Davenport, runner-up in the 3,000 last year and in the 5A cross country meet last fall, beat junior teammate Gwendolyn VanWart to win the 3,000.
Davenport ran a personal-best 9:41.06 and VanWart finished in 9:47.63. Crater also had the No. 8 placer in sophomore Mari Dunlap.
The dominant distance crew has the Comets thinking big about cross country season. They were runners-up to Summit last fall.
“I'm super excited for cross country season, and going into regionals and nationals, hopefully, this year,” Davenport said.
Davenport has emerged as the team's catalyst.
“I didn't really think I'd be kind of the leader on this team going into my senior year,” she said. “It's really exciting to be a leader and help build the culture that we've made along the way.”
Summit senior Anna Millikan, who suffered a broken ankle in early April, completed her comeback by winning the javelin.
Millikan threw 160-3 on her attempt. Her best of 165-4 this season led the state for all classifications by more than 10 feet.
Millikan's led Friday's competition with a throw of 143-5 before hitting 160-3 on her final throw. She said she wanted to beat 146-10 because that was last year's winning mark at state.
“I have a tradition where, whenever I don't like what I'm throwing, I take my spikes off and put them back on,” Millikan said. “So I took my spikes off, put them back on, reset, and it was great. It felt really great to get that out there on the last throw.”
Her points also were key for Summit, which is looking to regain team supremacy after being unseated last year by rival Caldera.
“Our girls really want it this year,” Millikan said.
Silverton freshman Scout Haugen won the high jump at 5-5 ¾. Haugen cleared a state-best 5-9 ¼ this season, a freshman state record.
Thurston senior Addison Nelson was the winner in the triple jump.
4A
Philomath sophomore Cassidy Smart, the reigning 4A cross country champion, won the 3,000. She finished eighth in the event last year.
Also claiming 4A titles Friday were La Grande senior Renee Hutchison (high jump), Stayton sophomore Mila Morley (javelin) and Henley freshman Emma Jensen (triple jump).
jerryu@osaa.org
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