OREGON STATE MEET

Brahe-Pedersen Helps Deliver Two State Records For Lake Oswego In 6A Team Tie With Tualatin; Carter Cutting Runs 3:47/1:50 Double In 5A; Sophia Beckmon Jumps 20-9 And Runs 11.32/23.16; Lincoln Boys Win 6A Title; Tyrone Gorze Runs No. 4 All-Time 8:04.58

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Becky Holbrook photos

EUGENE -- The Oregon high school state track championships has seen more than its share of outliers come through and entertain not only the fans but the other competitors at Hayward Field. 

But Saturday's main draw, Lake Oswego's Mia Brahe-Pedersen and Oregon City's Sophia Beckmon, stood out, as they always do. 

MEET VIDEOS/RESULTS | INTERVIEWS | PHOTOS

Brahe-Pedersen ran the fastest 100 meters of her life so far, 11.00 seconds, and it produced one of several collective gasps from a crowd eager to see her run. 

It was the third-fastest 100 by a girl in American high school history, the fastest ever in a state championship meet (an NFHS record). And it would have taken second in the 4A boys race that followed it (Oregon has six classes). 

It made her the 59th fastest American woman of all-time, at age 17. 

Hayward's 'magic' stopped just short of a number she really wanted to see: 10.99.

"It's just going to be all that more sweet when I actually do it," she said. "So I'm happy with my performance today and it shows me what I need to work on."

If she remains healthy, Brahe-Pedersen will return to Hayward Field for Nike Outdoor Nationals and the USATF Outdoor Nationals with more opportunities to break the national high school record of 10.94 by Briana Williams in 2018. 

Brahe-Pedersen delivered perhaps the fastest second leg of a girls 4x100 relay in history when she tore through the backstretch and took her team from nearly last to first. The Lakers won it in 46.91. 

In the 200 meters, she broke another meet record with 22.65, just off her personal best of 22.61. 

In the 4x400 relay, she split 53.6 for a team that needed the win to forge a tie with Tualatin for the 6A team title. The Lakers ran 3:48.78 to break their state record.

The morning began with Beckmon trying to do something special with her six attempts in the long jump. She began a cool morning with temperatures in the low 50s with 20-9. A new meet record, yes, but she wanted to get back to her PR distance of 22-4. 

The weight of big expectations is something that she lives with, but she's also still learning what to do with it. 

"It's an honor, but it's also a little scary sometimes knowing how many people look up to you," she said. "But I feel like someone who can take that energy, because I live off it, basically. When the clap gets going in long jump, I live off of that stuff. I love that people love me and I love to give them some entertainment, so they don't have to be sitting in the hot sun all day just bored."

Like Brahe-Pedersen, her abilities nearly run off the spectrum of performance that is typical in a high school setting. And when you've done one mind-bending thing, like jump 22-4, there seems to be no limit on what you might do next.

"I was in my head a lot, trying to figure out what to do," Beckmon said. "As soon as I didn't trust my instincts, it all fell apart."

Her sixth and final attempt was a scratch by about a centimeter but appeared to be beyond 21 feet. 

Saturday's final day of the state meet popped off in some other events, too. 

Three superior efforts came from athletes doubling in the 800 and 1,500 meters. 

Wilsonville's Carter Cutting enjoyed the kind of day he's been dreaming of since moving back to Oregon from Utah last summer. He successfully held off Crater star Tyrone Gorze on two attempted passes and ran to the finish line of the 5A boys 1,500 in 3:47.12.

Cutting's time was US#3 and Gorze ran a personal best 3:48.67 for US#4. 

Cutting came back later and powered through the 800 meters to win again in 1:50.64. 

Gorze's 3,000 meters was the highlight of the day Friday, when he ran 8:04.58 for No. 4 in prep history and just missed Galen Rupp's 2004 state record.

In the 6A races, William Heslam from Roosevelt ran US#5 3:49.36 as Central Catholic's Wes Shipsey ran US#8 3:50.37. And Heslam completed his double in the 800 with 1:53.03 after appearing to falter with 250 to go and then finding a reserve to sling-shot back into the lead. 

In the 6A girls finals, Jesuit sophomore Emma Bennett completed her return from an injury last fall to pair 4:27.43 with 2:10.62 for two wins. 

Lake Oswego's Josie Donelson, a junior, was part of both relay wins for the Lakers, ran a personal-best 53.94 in the 400 meters that nearly broke a 26-year-old all-time state best held by Sasha Spencer (53.93), and won the 300-meter hurdles in 42.60 in just her fourth meet in that event. 

Donelson's 400/300 hurdles double was the first in Oregon's largest classification since Christine Schiel of Sandy did it in 1986.

Donelson's switch from the 200 meters to the 300 hurdles was crucial to helping L.O. tie Tualatin. 

The Timberwolves scored in 10 events and placed in the top four in nine of them. Isabella Kneeshaw was fourth in the 200 and 400 in addition to her relays, Lauren Ayers won the 3,000 and took second in the 1,500, and Elizabeth Graham and Maya Loudd pulled a total of 24 points out of the long jump and triple jump. 

Churchill freshman Addison Kleinke made history when she re-broke the all-time state record in the pole vault, clearing 13-4.50 (4.08m) to win the 5A title. 

Lincoln of Portland won the 4x400 relay to put the boys team over the top for its first state championship since 2007. 

Alexander Rhodes, a goalkeeper for the soccer team who came out for track to gain some conditioning for the transition to college, became a revelation as a sprinter. After a DQ in the 200 meters on Friday for stepping on the line, he came back Saturday and pulled off one of the meet's biggest upsets in the 6A boys 400 meters final, running 48.52. He was running side by side with Westview's Fuad Omer on the homestretch when Omer got over-extended and fell 10 meters from the finish line. 

Summit of Bend, which dropped down from 6A to 5A this season, swept the team titles with contributions coming from nearly every event group. 

Senior leaders Ella Thorsett (second in the 3,000, fifth in the 1,500) and Barrett Justema (first in the 1,500, second in the 800) helped power the Storm's girls team. 

Benjamin Strang (300 hurdles), Noah Goodrich (triple jump) and Spencer Elliott (shot put) were all individual winners for the Summit boys. 

Marshfield, which got two wins from Alex Garcia-Silver (1,500/3,00) and one apiece from Body Lutes (48.29 in the 400) and Jonathon Parks (pole vault) won the 4A boys title with 70.5 points. 

Philomath rolled up 90 points to win the 4A girls championship. Natalie Dunn won the 400 meters final in 58.32 and Janice Hellesto won the long jump, placed second in the 200 and third in the 100. 

In the small-school classifications that ended Friday, the Siuslaw boys and Coquille girls won the 3A championships. 

Kyle Hughes jumped 15 feet in the pole vault, fourth-best in the state, and he also placed seventh in both the 1,500 and 3,000 meters. Sam Ulrich won the 800 and was second in the 1,500 and was part of the clinching 4x400 relay victory. 

Coquille scored 61 of its 66 points in the field events. Holli Vigue won the discus, Callie Millet led a 1-2 finish in the javelin and Reagan Krantz won the pole vault. 

East Linn Christian's boys and Bandon's girls won the 2A team titles. 

Kaleo Wellman led the East Linn Christian team with his victories in the triple jump (44-8.50) and long jump (22-0.25w). 

Marley Petrey, a freshman, led Bandon's effort with victories in the 300 hurdles (46.70) and long jump (16-8.75) and second place in the triple jump and 100 meters. 

Freshman Owyhee Harguess of Enterprise won the 2A 400 meters in 57.79 and the 800 meters in 2:23.87. She also anchored the winning 4x400 relay. 

Jace Martin's triple (100/200/400) powered Adrian to the 1A boys title. Damascus Christian edged Adrian for the girls team title, 67 to 64. 

Joseph's Kale Ferguson threw 189-3 to win the 1A boys javelin. 

Team Champions - 

Class 6A - Lincoln boys 55 points, Tualatin and Lake Oswego girls (tie) 77 points - RESULTS

Class 5A - Summit boys 118.5 points, Summit girls 99 points - RESULTS

Class 4A - Marshfield boys 70.5 points, Philomath girls 90 points - RESULTS

Class 3A - Siuslaw boys 90 points, Coquille girls 66 points - RESULTS

Class 2A - East Linn Christian boys 53 points, Bandon girls 61 points - RESULTS

Class 1A - Adrian boys 57 points, Damascus Christian girls 67 points - RESULTS