This Weekend in Track April 21 - 22
Oregon Relays – April 21 & 22
Hayward Field – Eugene, OR
Oregon Relays at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon's campus starts on Friday and concludes on Saturday night. The meet is a middle, high school and professional meet.
800
A pair of Canadian athletes, Maya Baechler of Kitsilano and Maella Hodgson of Elgin Park are entered in the Oregon Relays Invitational 800-meter race. Emma Bennett of Jesuit ran the invitational 800 at Arcadia and is also in the race. Charlotte Cullen of Mead (WA), Ella McGillis of Central Catholic (OR) and Daniella Henderson of Castilleja (CA) are other athletes to watch in the 800. Carter Cutting of Wilsonville (1:50.24) has the top seed time entering the meet and Wes Shipsey of Central Catholic will also challenge. JT Kraemer and Marcell Francis-Mitchell of Long Beach Wilson ran the invitational 800 at Mt. SAC last week. Hudson Irvine of Earl Marriott (BC), Isaac Briggs of Rogers (Puyallup) and Will Heslam of Roosevelt (OR) are other challengers in the 800.
Mile
Bethany Michalak of Air Academy (CO) finished third at NXN in December and is entered in the mile. Canadians Ella Ballard of Royal Bay and Ruby Broadbent of Parkland, who will run for Oregon State next year, are entered in the mile. Lauren Ayers of Tualatin, Tessa Walter of Air Academy, Amaya Aramini of Bishop Manogue (NV) and Keira Saavedra of Lincoln are other top milers. Chris Caudillo of Clovis (CA) won this race last year and is entered. Tyler Sainsbury of Rocky Mountain (ID) ran 4:04.91 to win last weekend’s Pasco Invitational. Crater’s duo of Tyrone Gorze and Josiah Tostenson are entered in the mile. Brody Hartley of Walla Walla, Landon Heemeyer of Rocky Mountain, Samy Anderson of Lincoln and Jacob Nenow of Jesuit are also in the mile.
2-Mile
Canadians Ruby Broadbent of Parkland, Maella Hodgson of Elgin Park, Ella Ballard of Royal Bay lead the field in the girl’s 2-mile. Annastasia Peters of Post Falls (ID) ran in the epic 3200 at Arcadia two weeks ago and is entered. Emily Wisniewski of Crescent Valley is the two-time 5A Oregon State Cross Country champion and has one of the top times in 3000 in Oregon. Ana Peters of Lake Oswego, Ella McGillis of Central Catholic and Maura O’Scannlain of Jesuit renew their battle from last November’s Oregon State 6A Meet with Peters winning the title. Tyrone Gorze of Crater is hoping to break the long-standing Oregon State 2-mile record set by the great Steve Prefontaine of Marshfield HS in 1969. Current Marshfield star Alex Garcia-Silver is entered as well as Brody Hartley of Walla Walla, Gus Clevenger of Jesuit, Tyler Sainsbury of Rocky Mountain, Josiah Tostenson of Crater, Justin Pretre of Menlo, Logan Law of Milwaukie, Kai Mitchell-Reiss of Ida B Wells and Owen Powell of Mercer Island.
Distance Relays
Mt. Prospect girls of Illinois are the top seed in the 4 X 800 and Summit of Oregon has been the dominant Oregon girl’s program in the last fifteen years. Menlo boys of California have run impressive distance relays this season and is the top seed in the 4 X 800. Bishop Blanchet of Washington finished third at the Arcadia 4 X Mile and is in the 4 X 800. Long Beach Wilson has a number of strong 800-meter runners. In the girl’s DMR, Air Academy (CO) and Lincoln (OR) are the top seeds. Last year Clovis won a close DMR at the Oregon Relays and Jesuit finished second at Arcadia’s 4 X Mile two weeks ago and can challenge Clovis.
In the men's professional mile, Aaron Sahlman of Newbury Park is running against Olympians Charlie Hunter and Matthew Centrowitz.
Look for the photo gallery of the invitational distance races after the meet!