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Matthew Maton parts ways with Summit OR program - DyeStatPublished by
Maton no longer part of Summit OR team
By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor
Matthew Maton has parted ways with his high school track team at Summit High School of Bend, Ore. but will still chase after some of his final goals as a prep prior to graduation.
The two-time Foot Locker finalist and 4:03.23 miler in 2014 has been through a tumultous couple of weeks at his school and is leaving over what can best be described as irreconcilable differences.
Maton feels like he was forced from the team following an incident where he skipped the team's warmup regimen at an optional practice and upset the head coach, Dave Turnbull.
On the other hand, Turnbull, who has built the Summit track and field program into one of the Northwest's best, said it was Maton's choice to leave.
Turnbull wrote in an email: "We have an open door policy, and Matthew has chosen to run unattached."
Maton and his mother, Michelle, met with Turnbull and other school officials in order to find a resolution to the matter. In order to return to the team the school asked of Maton that he sign a contract with stipulations about his conduct at practices and meets. Maton declined to sign it.
Maton traveled to the San Francisco State Distance Carnival over the weekend and ran 9:03.73 running unattached against college competition.
While not wearing a Summit uniform eliminates some of his racing opportunities on the track this spring, it doesn't take away all of them. Maton still plans to race at a number of meets, including the Oregon Relays (in a fast college section 1,500), the Oregon Twilight meet, the adidas Dream Mile and the Brooks PR meet.
Last fall, Maton broke Galen Rupp's Oregon high school cross country championship course record by 10 seconds and helped Summit win the Class 5A title. But his independence of Summit was also brought into the spotlight when he didn't join his teammates at the Nike Cross Nationals Northwest Regional meet because he had his sights set on a return to Foot Locker and couldn't avoid the scheduling conflict.
Maton, who has signed with Oregon, finished 19th at the Foot Locker national meet after placing third as a junior in 2013. More news |