Long Beach (Wilson), Crater's Record-Breaking Duo, Niwot, Loaded Girls DMR On This Weekend's Slate At Oregon Relays

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

DyeStat Photos

Yes, Oregon Relays is a bit early this year. But the weather forecast calls for fair skies at Hayward Field and the quality of the fields is turned up and ready to go for Friday and Saturday. 

In addition to its usual showcase of top Northwest high school track and field talent, the Oregon Relays presented by ANET features a mix of high caliber teams coming in from California, Colorado, Nevada, Illinois, Utah and Idaho. 

Here are 10 storylines to watch:

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Long Beach (Wilson) A Heavy Favorite For Co-Ed Team Championship

The two-time defending team champion (combined scoring of boys and girls events) is back and strong as ever. 

Long Beach (Wilson) is coming to Eugene with the top seed in 13 events, including eight relays. 

The Bruins competed last weekend at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, so the biggest challenge for the group in general may be travel fatigue. It's the first time the team has traveled out of state on consecutive weekends. 

Last week, the Wilson boys ran the US#6 time in the 4x400 relay (3:13.79), US#2 in the 4x800 (7:46.85) and US#1 in the 1600-meter Sprint Medley (3:22.69). 

The boys squad is led by sophomore Kaedyn Burroughs, who made it all the way to the California state finals in the 400 meters last year, and Wyland Obando, the state finals runner-up in the 800 meters (1:50.26).

The girls are even deeper and in position this spring to win another CIF state title. The hurdles group, led by Kaylin Edwards, Jamiya Sanders and Alene Washington, is on track to score more points in two events than many of the teams in attendance will put together in the entire meet. 

Wilson won the Texas Relays 4x400 relay last weekend in 3:39.60 and the 4x800 relay in 9:00.30. Both are US#1. The Bruins are also US#2 in the SMR. 

And Loren Webster, who owns a career best of 20-9.50, is the favorite in the girls long jump. 

Josiah Tostenson and Tayvon Kitchen Racing the 4x800

Crater OR seniors Josiah Tostenson and Tayvon Kitchen continued to ride a wave of massive success in 2025 with their performances in a pro 1,500 meters field last weekend at The TEN in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. 

The first sub-four high school teammates both went under the Oregon all-time best in the 1,500 meters, moving 2015 sub-four miler Matthew Maton from first to third on the list. Tostenson ran 3:40.06 and Kitchen 3:41.62. Both are now firmly planted in the top 10 all-time in events ranging from 1,500 meters to 2 miles. Tostenson won the New Balance Nationals Indoor 2-mile in Boston three weeks ago and Kitchen won the 5,000. 

They will see light work this weekend at Oregon Relays because the Arcadia Invitational looms next week. Tostenson and Kitchen aim to put their stamp on the boys 3,200 meters extravaganza there. 

Likewise, high school mile indoor record holder Owen Powell of Mercer Island WA is expected to run for his team in the DMR.

Can Crater keep pace with Wilson of Long Beach in the 4x800? The Oregon all-time best in the event is 7:40.68. 

NXN Champions Addison Ritzenhein and Niwot's Boys

One of the nation's best distance programs will step down from the altitude of Boulder, Colo. to compete at Oregon Relays. 

Niwot High is sending a select few girls, including 2023 Nike Cross Nationals champion Addison Ritzenhein, and a big group of boys that includes the members of the 2024 NXN championship team. 

Ritzenhein was born in Eugene, back in the days when her father, Dathan, was one of the top professional distance runners in the world. 

Ritzenhein remembers running in one of her first track meets at historic Hayward Field, but has not yet run in the rebuilt venue that opened in 2021. She is entered in the mile and the DMR this weekend. 

The Niwot boys have three boys entered in the mile: Quinn Sullivan (4:10.69 seed time), Cole Mazurana (4:14.36) and Hunter Robbie (4:15.86). 

Vincent Recupero Headlines Boys Mile

Bishop Blanchet WA senior Vincent Recupero, one of the newest Brooks-signed NIL athletes, will compete at Oregon Relays for the third time. 

The Stanford-bound Recupero has seen three of his Northwest contemporaries break the four-minute barrier in the mile over the past couple of months and it's surely a club he'd like to join as well. 

Recupero owns a best of 4:06.79 in the full mile from last year at the Nike Jesuit Twilight Relays. 

He's coming back from an injury during the winter, but looking to get up to speed in a hurry. 

"I'm hoping that the running I've been able to do is going to set me up well, in addition to my cross-training, to have a super-fast start to the year," Recupero said. "Even though I'll be trying to race my way into shape a little bit, a lot of running is just the mindset and seeing all these guys in my grade run fast times is just opening everyone's minds."

Among the challengers in the mile this year are Canadians Noah Louwerse and Bernado Sada, who both have 4:10 credentials, along with the Niwot boys. 

In the boys 2-mile, Coeur d'Alene standouts Zackery and Maximus Cervi-Skinner will be in the hunt along with Oregon standouts Ty Cirino (Central), Dylan Weniger (Sherwood) and Matthew Wroblewski (Jesuit).

Baker City's Hurdles Phenom Rasean Jones Out To Make Amends

Rasean Jones of Eastern Oregon's Baker High made history last year when he became the third 110-meter high hurdler in state history to break 14 seconds. He was just a sophomore. 

The multi-talented Jones comes back to Oregon Relays with the distinction of being the Oregon Relays meet record holder in the 300-meter hurdles (37.65). In last year's 110 hurdles, he got out tentatively and clipped a hurdle and couldn't recover. 

It was one of the rare missteps in an otherwise stellar athletics career at Baker. He's a Division 1 talent as a wide receiver on the football team and a few weeks ago helped Baker win its second straight Class 4A basketball championship. 

Jones is naturally gifted at hurdles and only started running over barriers at the start of last week to get ready for the upcoming season. This is only his fourth year competing in the hurdles, so he's still learning the ropes. 

He could win both hurdles events this weekend. 

Roosevelt's Aster Jones Returns To Defend Sprint Titles

Roosevelt High (North Portland) junior Aster Jones swept the 100 meters and 200 meters at last year's Oregon Relays and is coming back to try and win them again as well as help her team in two relays. 

Jones stayed busy this winter by traveling to Spokane three times to run at The Podium and then went to Nike Indoor Nationals at The Armory in New York City where she ran a breakthrough time of 23.47 seconds in the 200 meters on the way to fifth place in the event. 

The younger sister of Oregon sprinter Lily Jones is a former gymnast who turned to track when she got into high school and found immediate success. 

With teammate Ellie Heslam, look for Roosevelt to be a factor in the 4x100 and 800-meter sprint medleys. 

Loaded Girls Distance Medley Relay

The lineup for the girls distance medley relay promises another thrilling finish at Oregon Relays. There may be two dozen girls in this race with Nike Cross Nationals experience. 

There is elite talent waiting to hold the baton on the final carry for Lakeridge OR (Chloe Huyler), Niwot CO (Ritzenhein), Lincoln OR (Ellery Lincoln), Air Academy CO (Tessa Walter), Mercer Island (Sophia and Victoria Rodriguez), Lone Peak UT (Maya Bybee), J Serra Catholic CA (Sophie Polay) and Mt. Prospect IL (Meg Peterson).

Last year saw the fastest girls DMR in meet history when Cuthbertson NC held off Lincoln OR, 11:30.36 to 11:33.67. Those schools finished first and third, respectively, in the national rankings at the end of 2024. 

Canadian Standout Adrianna Buitelaar In Girls Distance Mix

Adrianna Buitelaar from the Mennonite Educational Institute of British Columbia broke the Canadian U18 record in the indoor mile when she ran to a fifth-place finish in the event at Nike Indoor Nationals in New York, with 4:45.74. 

Buitelaar, who recently announced her commitment to the University of Colorado, is coming back to Oregon Relays after finishing fifth in the 2-mile and eighth in the mile last year. 

She'll be a contender this week in any of the three events she's entered in. In the 2-mile, she'd face tough competition from Sophia Rodriguez of Mercer Island WA. In the mile, she'd face Lakeridge's Chloe Huyler and Niwot CO's Addison Ritzenhein. Buitelaar owns the fastest seed time in the 800 with 2:08.46. 

Meet Records Under Threat In Boys Field Events

One of the most compelling field event matchups is due in the boys high jump. 

A pair of 6-10 jumpers from Washington, Trenton Sandborn of Freeman WA, a junior, will go against Geron White of Federal Way WA. 

Sandborn is the Class 1A Washington champion; White is the Class 4A champion. 

Simon Rosselli of Mead WA is US#5 in the discus after throwing 198-1 on March 22 in Richland, Wash. He is also the defending Oregon Relays champion. 

Camas WA senior Chase McGee is the top entry in the boys pole vault with a best of 16-8. The meet record is 16-6.75.

Spectacular Throwers Highlight Girls Field Events

Tigard's Marissa Johnson could potentially win three events this weekend as she is the top seed in the girls shot put, discus and second in the hammer throw. 

Johnson is the reigning Oregon 6A champion in the shot put and discus. She opened her outdoor season with a PR 148-1 in the discus. 

In the hammer, the junior will face Canadian Gurleen Mander of Frank Hurt Secondary (BC). They have both thrown over 160 feet. 

Hayden Williams-Downing of West Linn is one of the top javelin throwers in the country and won last year's Oregon Relays title with 148-4. She is the Nike Outdoor Nationals champion and won the high school competition at American Jav Fest. She also competes on the Lions' 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams. 

Caroline Mauro from Catlin Gabel is the top entry in the girls high jump with a best of 5-10.75.

Oregon all-time record holder Addison Kleinke from Eugene's Churchill High is entered in the girls pole vault. 

Jesuit's Iman Foster, who jumped 41-1 indoors, is the top entry in the girls triple jump.