Talent Coming In From East Takes The Competition Up A Notch At Oregon Relays

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

An East Coast presence at the Oregon Relays is not without precedent. 

Cherokee of New Jersey sent out a group in 2022 and not only won the girls sprint medley relay at Hayward Field, but also broke the meet record.

Suddenly, the Oregon Trail is wide open. 

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This weekend's Oregon Relays presented by AthleticNET features the Cuthbertson High program from North Carolina, and the Cavaliers are coming with full teams to try and win the co-ed championship. 

This year's meet is loaded with the usual top talent from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, British Columbia and California. 

What's new is that the meet's footprint is extending to include athletes from Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York. 

Here is a closer look at 10 of the top storylines from the high school competition on tap at Oregon Relays: 

Cuthbertson Girls In The Distance Medley Relay

If Cuthbertson sends its A-List lineup to the starting line of the girls DMR then it has the potential to be a national record watch. 

Justine Preisano, Tatiana Blake, Stella Kermes and Charlotte Bell ran the fastest high school DMR of all-time last month at New Balance Nationals Indoor when the team ran 11:17.50. That was faster than the legendary outdoor record still owned by Harvard-Westlake CA (11:22.23 in 2011). 

The meet record is 11:43.80 by a Mira Costa CA team that had the illustrious Dalia Frias on the anchor leg. 

The Washington all-time best of 11:54.19, set when Alexa Efraimson anchored Camas in 2014, could be in jeopardy. 

Lincoln will continue its pursuit of Grant's Oregon record, 11:54.74, set when Ella Donaghu tangled with Efraimson at the 2014 Oregon Relays. 

Jayden-Horton Mims vs. Ronnie Kendrick

Coming out from Philadelphia, Jayden Horton-Mims is coming to Hayward Field with some of his Imhotep Charter teammates with the potential to make a big impact on the meet. 

Horton-Mims, a junior, is the Nike Indoor Nationals champion in the 400 meters. He won the title at The Armory in New York with a time of 46.85 seconds. Already outdoors, he has run a personal-best 46.52 at the Haverford Invitational. 

Liberty NV senior Ronnie Kendrick won the invitational 400 meters at the Arcadia Invitational in 46.46 seconds. Two weeks before that, he won the 400 at the 84th Nike Chandler Rotary Invitational in Arizona, with 46.57. 

It should be a supreme matchup. 

And the meet record, 47.34 by Juma Sei of Catlin Gabel OR in 2018, should be toast. 

Record Potential In Boys Sprints

One year after Gatlin Bair blew through the Oregon Relays with sensational performances in the 100 (10.43) and 200 (20.83), Dominick Corley of Mead WA, James Bauman of Lake Oswego OR, Mihaly Akpamgbo of West Salem OR and LeRoy Horton of Curtis WA are assembling for a rare showing of Northwest depth. 

Corley, who won the New Balance Nationals Indoor 60 meters title (6.67), ran 10.54 to win the 100 meters last weekend at Pasco. A week earlier he ran a slightly wind-aided 10.39 at Arcadia. 

Bauman and Akpamgbo are Oregon's top sprinters. Bauman ran 10.46 in the 100 at Arcadia and was second in the 200-meter final in 21.34. Akpamgbo, the reigning state 6A champion, has run 10.50 and 21.54 this year and was eager to take on Bauman at the Sherwood Need For Speed Invitational last week. (Bauman scratched, preferring to rest for Oregon Relays).

Horton ran 21.65 to win the 200 meters at the South Sound Classic last weekend in Washington. His PR in the 100 came last year at the Oregon Relays, where he finished third in 10.67, ahead of Corley, while Bauman and Akpamgbo didn't reach the finals. 

Lake Oswego's Other Star: Josie Donelson

Last weekend at Sherwood, Vanderbilt commit Josie Donelson was so-close to taking down another Oregon state record in the 300-meter hurdles before smacking the final hurdle. 

Donelson and Mia Brahe-Pedersen powered some record-breaking relays last year for Lake Oswego, and they were looking forward to more of the same in 2024. 

But Donelson has emerged as one of Oregon's best ever long sprinters. She has lowered the state record in the 400 meters to 53.17 with her victory at Arcadia. That's US#5. 

The 300 hurdles is an event that she only picked up last year in order to score extra team points at the state meet. 

But it's also become another event in which to excel. Donelson ran the 400-meter hurdles in US#4 59.28 at the Florida Relays. 

And the prospect of that state record falling is only intensified by the matchup facing her with Long Beach Wilson standout Kaylin Edwards, the California state champion, in the field. 

Donelson could also have strong competition in the 400 from Newberg's Sophia Castaneda. 

Stacked Boys Distance Races

Herriman of Utah is making a return trip to Oregon after winning the Nike Cross Nationals title, the first ever for a Utah team, last December in Portland. 

And it's not just the distance guys. Herriman, like Cuthbertson, is coming to play for the team title with more than 100 entries. 

But the boys distance medley could be one of the standout events of the meet. Herriman's deep roster is full of potential for that lineup, with William Steadman, Jack Beckstrom, Max Hofheins, Tayshaun Ogomo and Micah Tang and Jonah Tang all available. 

The top five performances in meet history were all in the memorable 2022 race where Clovis and Christopher Caudillo edged out Tualatin and Caleb Lakeman (10:03.43 to 10:03.46). 

Herriman could challenge that record this weekend, and so could Mercer Island WA (Owen Powell on the anchor), Riverton UT (Sam Ghiz on the anchor), and the components of two more NXN teams, Franklin of Oregon and Coeur d'Alene of Idaho. And for good measure, St. Anthony's of New York.

Then, there's Crater. Juniors Josiah Tostenson and Tayvon Kitchen were part of a national indoor championship in the DMR at Nike Indoor Nationals, but they are focused on other goals this weekend. 

Tostenson will race in the pro mile with an eye on becoming Oregon's second sub-four miler, joining Matthew Maton (2015). 

And Kitchen tops a strong 2-mile field that includes up-and-coming sophomore talent Malachi Schoenherr of Sheldon OR, Yemane Mulugeta from L.A. Matheson BC and Hayden Boaz from Summit OR. 

Owen Powell Pursues 1,000 Record

Powell, the standout junior from Mercer Island and the son of University of Washington coaches Maurica Powell and Andy Powell, could have a big moment when he takes aim at the national record in the 1,000 meters (2:24.79 by Bobby Curtis in 2003). 

Powell ran 2:24.41 for 1,000 meters indoors at the Husky Classic in Seattle. That elevated him to No. 12 all-time in an event that is typically run indoors. 

Already this spring, Powell has run 8:41.03 for 10th place in the 3,200 meters (and a Washington best) at the Arcadia Invitational. And he has also run 4:10.27 for 1,600 meters at the Issaquah Icebreaker. 

Girls Distance Fields, Too, Are Loaded

To start with, the girls 800 meters has six girls coming into the meet with PRs faster than 2:11. 

Cuthbertson's Charlotte Bell might be favored in any event from 800 to the 2-mile, but she is entered in the 800 and carries a 2:08.67 PR from last year. 

Esme Daplyn is coming west from Greewich CT and has a best of 2:09.71. 

And freshman Ellery Lincoln of Lincoln OR ran a solo effort 2:09.85 last weekend. 

O'Keefe of Skyline WA and Emma Bennett of Jesuit OR are also in the mix. 

Canadian Lexi Dow has run 4:18.64 for 1,500 meters and will contest the mile against a field that includes Kermes and Preisano of Cuthbertson, Chloe Huyler of Lakeridge OR, Callahan of Skyline, Sophia Rodriguez of Mercer Island WA and 2022 mile runner-up Eliza White of Curtis WA. 

The 2-mile lineup begins with NXN third-place finisher Emily Wisniewski of Crescent Valley OR, Huyler, Amaya Aramini from Bishop Manogue NV and Adrianna Buitelaar from Mennonite Educational Institute (B.C.). 

Cassandra Atkins Headlines Field Event Action

Federal Way senior Cassandra Atkins, an Oregon recruit, is already well-positioned on the all-time Oregon Relay lists in the long jump and triple jump. 

But a big weekend for Atkins could bring down both meet recods. 

She is the top seed in both events. She jumped 19-4.25 for a season-best last weekend in the long jump. And she has gone 40-2.25 in the triple jump. 

Last year, Atkins won the triple jump title with 40-1 and finished second in the long jump. 

The boys javelin lineup includes five throwers who have surpassed 190 feet so far this season, led by Ethan Grimm of Tualatin (196-8). 

West Linn OR's Hayden Williams-Downing is US#2 in the girls javelin with her best mark of 162-9 from her season-opening day March 13 at the Wilsonville West Linn Icebreaker. 

Lander Marak of Sandy is US#3 in the hammer with the 208-1 he threw last weekend. 

Lauren Curtis from Maple Ridge BC and Elise Drake from Kelowna BC will revive their rivalry in the hammer after placing first and second last year.  

Battle For The Team Title

Long Beach Wilson piled up 139 total points to win last year's co-ed team championship and the Bruins are coming back to defend their title. 

The team is loaded with sprints and hurdles depth and a new generation is about to take over. Freshman Kaedyn Burroughs has run 48.59 already in the 400 meters and anchored a 4x400 relay that ran 3:15.42 at Texas Relays. 

Senior J.T. Kraemer is another key piece on a variety of relays and is one of the favorites in the 800 meters. 

Another freshman, Saniah Varnado, is making a big impact on the girls side. She has run 55.58 in the 400 meters. 

Senior Kaylin Edwards and junior Loren Webster are part of a 4x100 relay lineup that has run 46.79 in the 4x100 and 1:36.84 in the 4x200. 

Cuthbertston NC, Herriman UT, Lake Oswego OR and others should prevent the team title race from becoming a runaway. 

Look for it to go down the final event.  

Return of the Mixed 4x800 Relay

The advent of the mixed 4x800 relay happened last year, and it was practically unheard of. 

The event sprang to life at Oregon Relays and Mead WA won the inaugural race in 8:44.74 and it is believed to be a national record. 

Several schools are coming after that one. Herriman UT, Bishop Blanchet WA, Caldera OR and Boise ID have their sights set on making a little bit of history.