Nakato, representing Summit High and Mondo Track, achieves personal best to triumph over Olympic Trials qualifiers Fairchild and Juszczyk; Michigan star Forist wins discus and shot put, with Bender, Burkhart, Fay, Gallucci and Marvin also securing national titles; Miami Northwestern girls take two relays

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor/Photos by Becky Holbrook

EUGENE, Ore.  – A memorable night for Oregon javelin competitors, combined with an impressive sweep from junior star Zane Forist and several clutch moments from seniors Faith Bender, Collin Burkhart, John Fay, Sophia Gallucci and Sarah Marvin highlighted a celebration of elite throwers Wednesday at The Outdoor Nationals, presented by Nike, at Hayward Field.

But the schedule wasn’t just limited to the discus, hammer, javelin and shot put, as Miami Northwestern swept a pair of girls relay championships, the future of prep racewalking was showcased and the fastest time by an eighth-grade male athlete was achieved on the first of four days of competition, as the national meet made its triumphant return after being canceled last year as a result of the pandemic.

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Kohana Nakato, a recent graduate of Summit High and University of Oregon signee, added to her legacy in the javelin, producing a personal-best 169-1 (51.55m) on her third attempt to capture the title ahead of two athletes – Katelyn Fairchild of Andale High in Kansas and Sydney Juszczyk of Trinity Catholic in Missouri – who competed in the Olympic Trials.

Nakato, representing Mondo Track Club, improved 14 feet from her May 22 victory at the Oregon 6A state championship showcase. She followed the 2019 national javelin championship of Ty Hampton from North Bend, and her future teammate with the Ducks.

Fairchild, who was 12th at the Olympic Trials, finished second at 161-10 (49.34m) and Juszczyk took third at 158-5 (48.29m). McKenzie Fairchild, Katelyn’s sophomore sister, secured sixth at 151-9 (46.26m).

Arizona athletes Jade Kwinn of Sabino (154-01/47.21m), freshman Gabriella Garcia (152-8/46.54m) of Basha and Makayla Hunter of Chandler (150-0/45.72m) finished fourth, fifth and seventh, respectively.

The javelin success for Oregon athletes wasn’t only limited to Nakato, with Sherwood teammates Austin Milton and Asher Kraul placing second and third behind Burkhart of Nazareth Area High in Pennsylvania.

Burkhart achieved a fifth-round throw of 209-4 (63.82m) to prevail, but Milton and Krauel treated the local supporters to an exciting final two rounds, becoming the only teammates in the country this year to both surpass 200 feet.

Milton’s fifth-round throw of 201-4 (61.37m) was followed by Krauel’s sixth-round effort of 200-4 (61.08m), allowing Sherwood to become only the second program in state history, joining Newberg, to have a pair of 200-foot competitors on the same team.

Forist, a junior at Carson City High, was dominant from the outset of the discus competition with a first-round performance of 205-1 (62.52m) that improved on his own state junior record and elevated to the No. 3 throw produced in Michigan prep history. Jeremiah Nubbe of Yelm High in Washington and Tornado Track Club finished second by surpassing 200 feet with a 200-2 (61.01m) in the sixth round.

But Forist was far from done, returning to win the shot put with a personal-best 64-7.25 (19.69m) in the fourth round, more than a foot ahead of Cade Moran from Murrieta Mesa High in California at 63-6 (19.35m).

The boys hammer throw competition demonstrated the strength of the event in Rhode Island, and was one of the most dramatic and deepest of the day, with recent graduate and Virginia signee Fay of Bishop Hendricken edging Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan of Woonsocket by a 236-10 (72.19m) to 236-9 (72.16m) margin on his final attempt.

Logan Coles, a teammate of Robinson-O’Hagan at Woonsocket, took third at 231-1 (70.45m), but has thrown 235 feet this season.

The three competitors rank 17th, 18th and 21st among all-time prep throwers.

Gallucci, a recent graduate of Coventry High in Rhode Island, won the girls hammer throw with a mark of 179-10 (54.83m) in the sixth round. Katelyn Peterson of Dixon High, representing Golden State Throwers in California, placed second at 175-4 (53.45m).

Marvin, who recently graduated from Byron High in Michigan and has signed with the Wolverines, prevailed in one of the deepest girls shot put fields in history, achieving a mark of 50-7.50 (15.43m) on her third attempt, surpassing 50 feet for the fourth consecutive competition.

Bender, a recent graduate of Bakersfield Liberty High in California and an Arizona State signee, completed her comeback following a year away from throwing to rehabilitate a back injury, rallying from fourth place in the final two rounds to secure victory in the discus throw at 168-4 (51.31m). Bender still holds the national lead at 173-9 (52.95m).

Makayla Long, a former standout at West Linn High in Oregon in 2018 and 2019 before graduating this year from Perry High in Arizona and signing with Baylor, took second in both the discus and shot put, with marks of 49-2.25 (14.99m) and a season-best 164-3 (50.07m).

On the track, Miami Northwestern’s quartet of Paris Baker, Jayda Bushay, Breanna Moss and Aaliyah Butler doubled up in the 800-meter sprint medley relay in 1:42.93, after capturing the 1,000-meter Swedish medley relay in 2:10.15. Butler anchored the 400 leg of the Swedish relay in 51.98.

Cathedral High of Los Angeles captured its first national title in program history, with Oregon signee Anthony Taylor joining William Mullins, Steven Marks and Ekene Onwaeze to secure victory in the 800 sprint medley relay in 1:31.82.

Newburgh Elite of New York triumphed in the boys Swedish relay, with John Fermpong, Matthew Worrell, Jean Origene and James Onwuka clocking 1:54.75.

Union Catholic of New Jersey had Connor Cooper, Nick Givan, Asydiah Pray-Brown and Maameyaa Nyinah win the mixed 4x400 relay in 3:34.66.

Madison Morgan, representing Katy Express in Texas and entering her freshman year at Episcopal High, produced the best performance ever by an eighth-grader in the 3,000-meter racewalk by clocking 14:12.66, which is faster than the existing freshman class national mark and meet record of 14:24.63 achieved in 2017 by former Beavercreek High of Ohio star Taylor Ewert.

Ryan Allen of Kingsway Regional in New Jersey was the boys 3,000 racewalk champion in 14:28.87.

Josiah Tostenson of Scenic Middle School in Oregon, entering his freshman season at Crater High, ran 4:23.98 to eclipse the 1974 boys national eighth-grade mile record of 4:24.00 held by David O’Conor of Montgomery, New York.

Emma Rodrigez-Wade of Stiles Middle School in Cedar Park, Texas, won the girls middle school mile in 5:02.56.

Mary Bonner Dalton of Myers Park High in North Carolina, representing 704 Elite, captured the girls freshman mile in 4:55.18.

Marcus Reilly of Northbridge High in Massachusetts, competing for Edge Elite, clocked 4:16.76 to triumph in the boys freshman mile.