Tayvon Kitchen Runs Fastest In-Season High School-Only 3,200 Meters; Josiah Tostenson Pushes Near 4-Flat In Mile; Ellery Lincoln Run's Oregon's Fastest Mile

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Kim Spir photos

RESULTS/VIDEOS | INTERVIEWS

It's the Year of Tayvon and Josiah in the state of Oregon and they took turns leaving a mark on one of Oregon's largest mid-season invitationals, the 25th Nike Jesuit Twilight Relays. 

Tayvon Kitchen, who ended a protracted college choice process when he picked Brigham Young last weekend, ran a National Federation of High Schools record in the 3,200 meters on a warm and breezy afternoon at Jesuit, running 8:33.82. 

Kitchen's 2-mile coversion would be about 8:36.6, putting him at No. 10 on the all-time outdoor list. 

The NFHS record, however, has a narrower parameter. It has to come in a high school regular season meet (no later than the state meet) and be conducted in a high school-only race. 

Kitchen ran faster Friday than anyone has ever run the 3,200 meters at the Arcadia Invitational. 

It's also an Oregon all-time best, taking that distinction from former teammate Tyrone Gorze. His 3,000 meters en route time was 8:01.56, also a state best, surpassing Galen Rupp's 8:03.67 from 2004.

High school pacing provided by two Jesuit runners held together for three laps, leaving Kitchen on his own for more than a mile. 

Kitchen returned to the track less than an hour later to pace Tostenson through half a mile of the elite boys mile. 

Tostenson seemed to be on his way to a first outdoor sub-four but came up a bit short with 4:00.69. An in-the-face breeze on the homestretch helped prevent the second sub-four mile in meet history. The en route 1,600 was timed in 3:59.25. 

The time is US#2 this season behind Tommy Latham's solo 3:59.79 on March 28 in Georgia. 

Theoretically, Tostenson's 1,500 meters at The TEN, where he ran 3:40.06 was a bit better. 

In the girls elite mile, Lincoln sophomore Ellery Lincoln reasserted herself into the national conversation with a big return to defend her Jesuit mile title in 4:39.37. That's an all-time state best, breaking a record held by former Jesuit star Chloe Foerster, now running at Washington. It's also a US#1. 

Lincoln was suffering from pneumonia in March and has been slow to get up to her normal speed in the first part of the outdoor season. But two strong weeks of practice gave her the confidence to run 70-second pace in Friday's race and not afraid to challenge Lakeridge's Chloe Huyler and Mercer Island's Sophia Rodriguez. 

Huyler, who had asserted her dominance over the state since the start of last cross country season, finished second in a time of US#3 4:41.57. Rodriguez was third in 4:46.14, a personal best. 

The top three order was idential to 2024, but all three ran faster. 

The elite 100-meter dashes were run into a slight headwind. 

Roosevelt's Aster Jones pulled away from the girls field and won in 11.58 (-2.1w) and said the wind felt like a "force field." Depite that, she was close to her personal best of 11.55. 

Curtis WA's Nicholas Altheimer was the class of the boys 100 meters, winning in 10.56 seconds. (-1.7w).

Chase McGee of Camas WA broke the meet record in the boys pole vault when he cleared 17 feet, despite rubbing the crossbar with his chest. One side of the bar popped up and then back down, resting on the peg. He moved the bar up to a height of 17-6 but advanced no further.

The Camas girls (9:30.43) and Caldera OR boys (7:58.39) won the 4x800 relays. 

Grant OR ran a state-leading time of 41.74 in the boys 4x100 relay and Jesuit held on against Roosevelt in the girls 4x100, 47.83 to 47.93.

Churchill's Addison Kleinke was a double winner, with a personal best 19-0.50 to win the long jump and also 12-9 in the pole vault.  

Anoher double winner was Tigard's Marissa Johnson, who threw 44-8 to win the shot put and 148-6 to take discus.

Hayden Williams-Downing of West Linn threw 159-1 to win the girls javelin again.

Topher Gabel of Sandy won the boys high jump with a clearance at 6-10. 

Will Foster from Prairie WA won the discus with a US#19 mark of 191-5. He, too, was a double winner as he won the shot put with 58-10.50. 

McNary's Derek Olivo thew 199-2 to win the boys javelin. 

Oregon City OR won the boys 4x400 relay with a state-leading time of 3:19.70. 

Sumner WA won the girls 4x400 relay with 3:55.89.