OREGON STATE MEET

 Josie Donelson, Josiah Tostenson, Maleigha Canaday-Elliott Deliver Stellar Performances At Oregon State Meet

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

PHOTOS by Becky Holbrook and Kim Spir| INTERVIEWS

EUGENE -- An unexpected era of tremendous girls sprinting in Oregon that has included Mia Brahe-Pedersen, Lily Jones and Sophia Beckmon added another legend at the Oregon state track and field championships this weekend. 

Lake Oswego's Josie Donelson, already cemented into state history as the fastest 400-meter runner and 300-meter hurdler Oregon has ever seen, won those two individual events and was part of two winning relays as the Lakers won their third straight Class 6A girls championship. 

Even with Brahe-Pedersen, an national champion several times over and one of the all-time best 100-and 200-meter sprinters in prep history, sidelined with injury, Lake Oswego had enough firepower to score 61 points and outlast Lincoln, second with 50. 

Donelson's signature moment came in the 400-meter finals where she dug deep to stay in front of McDaniel's Aayden Gallagher and smashed her own state record with US#6 52.83. 

It was a race that will go down as one of the most memorable and significant in state history. 

Donelson wasn't done, either. A little more than a week after running US#13 41.70 in the 300-meter hurdles at her district final, she won the state title in 43.51, beating teammate Cenaiya Billups (the daughter of the Trail Blazers coach, Chauncey Billups), and then coming back to the track yet again to split 55.08 to anchor the Lakers to victory in the 4x400 relay. 

Another record-breaking moment came in the girls triple jump, where McDaniel's Maleigha Canaday-Elliott put her maximum effort into her sixth and final attempt and became the first Oregon girl to go beyond 41 feet. Her mark of 41-2.25 is US#13.

Lincoln freshman sensation Ellery Lincoln won her first state track title in the 1,500 meters, where she ran 4:25.64. She finished second to teammate Sophia Malinoski in a competitive 800 meters final. 

Sherwood and Sheldon tied for the Class 6A boys title with 46 points. 

The Bowmen of Sherwood got victories from Drew Smith in the javelin (197-9) and Andrew Waletich in the 400 (48.49). 

Sheldon got a big victory in the 3,000 meters from sophomore Malachi Schoenherr, who ran the second-fastest sophomore time in U.S. history, and Eli Forsha in the triple jump (47-1.50). 

In Class 5A, Crater junior Josiah Tostenson put one of the best distance doubles in state meet history together. He won the 3,000 meters in 8:12.94 and came back Saturday to win the 1,500 in 3:50.92. 

Last year's Crater star, Tyrone Gorze, now at the University of Washington, doubled 8:04.60 and 3:48.67 (second place), for perhaps the best two-day distance performance in meet history.

The Summit boys scored in 14 of 17 events to amass 106 points to win the 5A team title. 

Summit's girls made it a sweep and won with 79 points. 

Pharalynn Dickson, a sophomore from South Albany, swept the 100-200-400 combo for the second year in a row, with 12.21/24.86/56.42. The 200 and 400 times were personal bests. 

Crook County won the Class 4A title with 96 points, scoring in every event except the 400 meters and the discus. 

Baker's Rasean Jones became the third-fastest 110-meter hurdler in state history when he clocked 13.96 to win the 4A final. 

Marshfield's Bodey Lutey won the 400 meters in 47.97 for the fastest time in the state regardless of classification. 

Philomath won the 4A girls title with 74 points, powered by Janice Hellesto's victory in the 100, second-place finish in the 200 and anchor leg in the victorious 4x100 relay. 

Valley Catholic won the 3A boys championship with 74 points as Andrew Klopcic won the long jump, triple jump and 400 meters. 

Coquille won the girls 3A crown with 84.5 points. Junior Holli Vigue won the shot put and discus. 

Delphian's boys scored 68 points to win the 2A title; Bandon rolled to a big score of 97 to take the girls team championship, scoring in all but four events. 

Imbler's boys and Adrian's girls won the Class 1A titles. 

Team Champions - 

Class 6A - Sherwood/Sheldon boys (tie) 46 points, Lake Oswego girls 61 points - RESULTS

Class 5A - Summit boys 106 points, Summit girls 79 points - RESULTS

Class 4A - Crook County boys 96 points, Philomath girls 74 points - RESULTS

Class 3A - Valley Catholic boys 74 points, Coquille girls 84.5 points - RESULTS

Class 2A - Delphian boys 68 points, Bandon girls 97 points - RESULTS

Class 1A - Imbler boys 77 points, Adrian girls 68 points - RESULTS