Chloe Foerster Runs Fastest 800 In Oregon In 42 Years With 2:05.66 As Three Go Under 2:10

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Oregon's shortened high school track and field season ended Saturday with three meets that attempted to fill the gap caused by the missing OSAA Championships. 

At Oregon City High, coaches put on a meet that provided a state competition that included almost everyone at the Class 6A level. 

The results revealed much about the current circumstance as the track community continues to claw its way back to normal after more than a year of unprecedented disruption. 

WEBCAST REPLAY | VIDEOS | PHOTOS by Kim Spir

6A RESULTS

The distance athletes are thriving, perhaps in part due to the fact that they have been training since last summer with few obstacles. 

Chloe Foerster seized on the opportunity at Oregon City, called the Oregon 6A Track and Field State Showcase, and ran the fastest 800 meters in the state in more than 40 years with 2:05.66. She was pushed by Summit's Maggie Williams, who ran 2:08.03, and her teammate, Molly Grant, who ran 2:08.79. 

Those three are joined by only three from the past who have run under 2:10 in state history. 

Foerster returned to the track later and tried to catch Oregon City's Sophie Beckmon and Lake Oswego's Josie Donelson for a comeback win in the 4x400 with a furious late kick. 

In a blanket finish, it was Donelson pulling out the victory for the Lakers in 3:54:15 to Oregon City's 3:54.16 and Jesuit's 3:54.23. 

Those were just a couple of the indelible images from the meet at Oregon City, where parents who were excluded from the usual grandstands watched from a high perch on 12th Street. 

"Kudos to (Oregon City coach) Adam Tygeson and his school district for getting this done," Jesuit coach Tom Rothenberger said. "I'm proud of him for doing that. I think the spirit of what was done, in many ways, was more positive than a state track meet. It was not so uptight."

The 6A Showcase began just two days after several Portland-area district meets concluded. The results in some of technical field events and hurdles lacked some of the usual depth due to the constraints of the season and the lack of big invitationals. 

The meet also revealed a youth movement that sets the state for what's to come. 

Lake Oswego freshman Mia Brahe-Pederson lived up to all of the hype and flashed speed not seen in the state in girls sprints in more than a decade. She won the 100 meters in 11.68 seconds and Roosevelt junior Lily Jones was second in 11.97. 

Brahe-Pederson won the 200 meters in 24.09, anchored the winning 4x100 relay in 47.35 and was part of the winning 4x400. 

However, it was the host Pioneers that earned first place in the team standings. The last time Oregon City won a state girls track and field title was 1988 and 1989. 

Harley Daniel swept both hurdles events and Beckmon won the long jump (19-8.50) and scored in both sprints to lead the way. 

On the boys side, Sherwood rolled up a big lead on Day One with points coming from field events and then kept adding points in a variety of ways on Day Two to win the school's first 6A track title. 

It was special for the Bowmen because many on the team believed 2020 was a missed opportunity to win. They scored in 11 of the 17 events and accumulated 73 points.

"It was very satisfying to win knowing we probably could have (also) won last year. That made it that much better. We had a lot of guys scoring points," said Noah Culbertson, who won the shot put and finished second in the discus.

Sherwood needed only to score in the 4x400 to clinch the victory and didn't play it safe, running hard and taking second. The Bowmen also got a key eight points from unexpected second-place high jumper Davyon Sanders.

Sherwood withstood a challenge from Ida B. Wells, which got 18 points from hurdler Nolan Malcomson, a 100-meter win from Rolin Griffiths and a 4x100 relay victory. 

Sheldon's Vincent Mestler won a tactical 800 meters in 1:56.55 and placed second to Lincoln's Mateo Althouse in the 1,500 (3:51.16 to 3:51.59). 

"It feels good to finally check that box," Mestler said of his state win, the first of his career. 

Likewise, Althouse, the 2019 Foot Locker West Cross Country Champion, got a final opportunity to win a meaningful title before he graduates. 

"I am definitely super grateful for this weekend," Althouse said. "It was amazing."

Central Catholic's Liam Shores had a big weekend, winning the 400 and 200 and anchoring the winning 4x400 relay to close out the meet. 

Franklin's Autumn Ost swept the girls distance events, taking the 1,500 (4:36.43) after the 3,000 (9:56.46). 

On Friday evening, Franklin's Charlie Robertson won the 3,000 meters in a race that produced fast times across the board.

Robertson crossed the finish line in 8:14.71, Althouse was next in 8:17.54 and South Medford's Michael Maiorano was third in 8:23.43. Twelve runners ran under 8:40, a time that used to be good enough to contend for the state title.

Williams and javelin thower Kohana Nakato (155-1) led Summit to a runner-up finish on the girls side with 64 points. 

5A RESULTS

In Wilsonville, the meet was arranged so that all of the track events went on Friday and the field events were held Saturday. 

Churchill's deep boys team won with 92 points, getting a sprint double from Jacob Trone (11.23/23.01) and a 1-2 finish in the triple jump by Nathan Fields and Trone. 

The big headline came out of the boys 1,500 meters, where Crater's Tyrone Gorze beat the talented Ashland duo of Cam Stein and Reed Pryor, 3:50.88 to 3:51.15 and 3:51.42 in a sensational race.

Stein doubled back to win the 3,000 in 8:44.14.

Cody Gehrett of Ridgeview swept the 110 hurdles (14.60) and 300 hurdles (39.00). 

North Salem dominated the girls competition with 104 points, doubling the total of runner-up Crescent Valley. 

Nerissa Thompson swept the 100 and 200 for the Vikings and teammate Eimy Martinez won the 1,500 (4:46.19) and the 3,000 (10:19.22). 

4A RESULTS

In Florence, Siuslaw coach Chris Johnson did everything in his power to create a special setting for the 4A state championship. 

On Saturday there was a fly-by overhead. Flags flapped in the coast breeze. Every winner was given a medal and flowers. Johnson organized the meet, saw to every technical aspect of its execution and even interviewed the winners for posterity. 

"The Siuslaw community did everything we could do to provide a competition that was worthy of all the sacrifices we all had to makde for the past 13 months because of COVID-19," he said. "I couldn't be more proud of what we were able to accomplish and I was excited to hear from athletes, coaches and fans that felt the same way."

Johnson, for one, is adamant that the results of his meet be entered into the records book-keeping of the state meet. 

Hidden Valley's Kaiah Fisher launched a discus mark of 166 feet, 10 inches -- farther than any throw in state meet history. 

Fisher's discus and shot put titles were part of a massive performance by Hidden Valley, which won the girls championship with 82 points. Jada Hurley won the 100, 200, 400 and anchored the winning 4x100 relay. 

Junction City's Anika Thompson demonstrated her dominance in the distance events, running 9:46.88 in the 3,000 meters Friday and then 4:39.87 in the 1,500 on Saturday. 

Hidden Valley also won the boys title with 77 points. Gabriel Burchfield (110 hurdles, high jump champion) and Jeremiah Noga (200-400 double) led the way for the Mustangs. 

4A Photos by Cameron Jagoe