The best line-up of prep competition in meet history is ready to compete at Hayward Field, April 19-20

EUGENE, Ore. - Get ready. Get set. Go watch the best high school field from top to bottom to ever compete at the Oregon Relays presented by AthleticNET. This year’s line-up of prep competition is ready to challenge not just meet records, but national records. 

Here are ten of the top events fans need to follow this weekend at Hayward Field.

(Note: High school junior Josiah Tostenson of Crater, OR is attempting to break the four-minute mile in the Pro Men’s Mile Challenge on Saturday)

Girls 300m Hurdle Championship - Saturday at 7:50pm PT

The girls 300m hurdle event is a marquee match-up of defending champion Kaylin Edwards (Jr., Wilson Long Beach, CA) versus home state favorite Josie Donelson (Sr., Lake Oswego, OR). Edwards threw down a 41.57 personal best in the event last year, while winning the 300m hurdle and 100m hurdle events in Eugene. 

Meanwhile, Donelson is on a tear this season. The Vanderbilt-bound senior won the 400m at the Arcadia Invitational earlier this month in 53.17, which both broke the Oregon state record in the event and currently ranks her US#5. She attempted to break the Oregon state record in the 300m hurdles last weekend of 42.23, but tripped over the final hurdle - she still won the race. Donelson has a personal best of 42.60 and seems more than capable of running sub-42 if she can run a clean race.

Boys 400m Championship - Friday at 12:36pm PT

The boys 400m is sure to provide some serious fireworks on Friday at the Oregon Relays. It’s a match-up between Ronnie Kendrick (Sr., Liberty, NV) and Jayden Horton-Mims (Jr., Imhotep Charter, PA), two of the finest one-lap runners in the country. Kendricks is on a roll this outdoor season, having run faster than 47-seconds three times, including big wins at the Arcadia Invitational and NIKE Chandler Rotary Invitational. The TCU-bound senior also owns a 200m PR of 21.17

Horton-Mims won the 400m at Nike Indoor Nationals and placed second in the 200m, while throwing down PRs of 21.20 and 46.85 during the indoor season. He’s since lowered his 400m best running 46.52 at the Haverford Invitational. These two are ready to battle and challenge running sub-46.

Boys DMR Championship - Friday at 7:40pm PT

The meet record in the boys distance medley relay is 10:03.43. For the past few years, the DMR has become one of the pinnacle races at the Oregon Relays and in 2024 the boys DMR is the strongest it’s ever been.

Leading the charge is Nike Cross Nationals champion Herriman (UT). The squad has tremendous depth and follows the lead of William Steadman and Tayshaun Ogomo, with Steadman having run 4:08.93 in the mile and Ogomo having run 4:13.54.

Fellow Utah squad Riverton (UT), Coeur D’Alene (ID), and Franklin (OR) are three others to watch, all bringing deep and experienced distance squads to the race. All three teams showed their talent in the fall by running at Nike Cross Nationals and each is showing incredible talent already this track season. 

John Dye DyeStat Girls Mile Championship - Saturday at 9:00pm PT

The distance races are simply incredible across the board at the Oregon Relays this year, but the event that looks strongest on paper is the John Dye DyeStat Girls Mile. On Saturday evening, under the lights at Hayward Field, an incredible group will look to run historic performances.

Lexi Dow (Jr., Frances Kelsey, CAN) enters as a bit of an unknown to many American distance fans, but the Canadian has PRs of 4:18.64 (1500m) and 2:06.98 (800m) to her name. Dow was runner-up in the 800m at the Canadian U20 Outdoor Championships last summer.

Dow will be joined up front by the duo of Stella Kermes (Sr., Cuthbertson, NC) and Justine Preisano (Sr., Cuthbertson, NC), as well as Chloe Huyler (Jr., Lakeridge, OR) and Anna Callahan (Sr., Skyline, WA). Kermes owns a 4:42.90 mile best, while Preisano ran a 4:51.22 mile indoors. Huyler enters Saturday’s contest having placed sixth in the mile at the Arcadia Invitational in 4:44.22, while Callahan owns a 4:47.64 1600m best and placed fourth at the Arcadia Invitational in the 3200m in 10:04.80.

Sophia Rodriguez (Fr., Mercer Island, WA) and Emily Wisniewski (Jr., Crescent Valley, OR) are two others who should make a charge to run 4:45, both having run extremely well in the 3200m at the Arcadia Invitational two weeks ago. Rodriguez placed 11th in 10:10.90, while Wisniewski earned eighth in 10:09.26.

1000m HS Record Attempt Showcase - Saturday at 8:05pm PT

The spotlights at Hayward Field will be pointed on Owen Powell (Jr., Mercer Island, WA) on Saturday night, as the distance standout looks to break the 1000m national record of 2:24.79 set by Bobby Curtis in 2003.

Powell, who won the 800m at Nike Indoor Nationals in 1:52.29 and ran 4:06.46 for the mile at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix is in even better shape this outdoor season, having just finished tenth (second non-senior) in the 3200m at the Arcadia Invitational in 8:41.03.

Girls DMR Championship - Friday at 7:25pm PT

During the indoor season, no distance squad was more dominant than Cuthbertson (NC). The squad from North Carolina won both the distance medley relay and 4xmile relay at New Balance Nationals Indoors, while setting national records in both events. Now, the team turns their sights on Hayward Field, and it’s not without question that they could very well challenge their incredible 11:17.50 performance from indoors.

Cuthbertson will be pushed by Skyline (WA), who are running behind the dynamic senior duo of Rebecca O’Keefe and Anna Callahan. Both O’Keefe and Callahan have run sub-4:45 for 1600m and 2:10 for 800m. While much will hinge on their other legs, the two standouts will no doubt keep them in contact for most of the race.

Other top squads include Lincoln (OR), Lakeridge (OR), Prospect (IL), York (IL), and Mercer Island (WA). Lincoln, Prospect, and York all ran at Nike Cross Nationals and each team has both upfront talent and depth to push for sub-11:45.

Boys 800m SMR Championship - Saturday at 8:10pm PT

A new addition to the Oregon Relays event line-up this year is the 800m sprint medley relay. The boys field is stacked with talent, with top squads eyeing the national record of 1:28.20 set by New Bern (NC) in 2009.

Leading the charge is Liberty (NV) with star senior sprinter Ronnie Kendrick leading the charge. Liberty is entered with a 1:30.23. Lake Oswego (OR) has a similar star leading the way, as senior James Bauman eyes becoming one of the top sprinters in Oregon state history. Lake Oswego has a 1:30.80 entry. The other main competitor in the 800m SMR event is Cuthbertson (NC), entered with a mark of 1:31.00, following the lead duo of Brenden Robbins and Robert Lausen.

Girls Pole Vault - Saturday at 2:30pm PT - Follow Along on AthleticLIVE

2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals and USATF U20 Outdoor Championships runner-up Ella McRitchie (Sr., Bainbridge, WA) leads a fantastic line-up of competitors in the girls pole vault. McRitchie had a slow start to her 2024 season, but has come on strong over the past week, flying over 13-06 not once, but twice. McRitchie will no doubt be looking to push her 14-02 personal best in the event higher this Saturday. McRitchie currently sits US#5 in the event.

Landry Allen (Jr., Hanford, WA) and Addison Kleinke (So., Churchill, OR) are two others who should challenge 13-06. Allen soared over 13-04 last weekend at the Pasco Invitational and ranks US#7 in the event. Kleinke placed third at the Oregon Relays last year and has a best of 13-07.5.

Boys Discus - Saturday at 10:00am PT - Follow Along on AthleticLIVE

Defending discus champion Kai Twaddle-Dunham (Sr., Centennial, ID) returns to defend his title and will look to push the vaunted 200-foot barrier under what promises to be near perfect conditions at Hayward Field on Saturday. The Washington State commit has already thrown 187-06 this season and gone over 185 feet three times. 

Twaddle-Dunham will be joined in the battle for victory by Simon Rosselli (So., Mead, WA), who currently ranks as the third best sophomore discus thrower in the country with a personal best of 182-09. Rosselli has gotten progressively better all season long and will look to toss another big best in Eugene.

Girls 800m Championship - Saturday at 7:40pm PT

Cuthbertson’s top runner Charlotte Bell (Sr., Cuthbertson, NC) is the top seed in the girls 800m, but she won’t be without tough competition. Bell ran a personal best of 2:08.67 last year in addition to breaking 2:10 four separate times. Bell will no doubt be looking to break 2:10 again, this time at Hayward Field.

Bell should be joined up front by freshman phenom Ellery Lincoln (Fr., Lincoln, OR). Lincoln ran 2:09.85 at the Sherwood Need for Speed Classic last weekend, that mark coming off a big indoor season in which she ran 4:51.20 in the mile to place eighth overall at Nike Indoor Nationals.

Rebecca O’Keefe (Sr., Skyline, WA), Emma Bennett (Jr., Jesuit, OR), Esme Daplyn (Sr., Greenwich, CT), and Julia Couch (Sr., Auburn Riverside, WA) are four others fully capable of challenging for a top three finish and should be keeping pace with Bell and Lincoln early.

Single-day and multi-day ticket packages are available for purchase at the University of Oregon Ticketmaster website. 

For those not able to watch from the Hayward Field stands, RunnerSpace will be streaming the Oregon Relays live both days with a +PLUS subscription and live results and field event videos can be tracked via AthleticLIVE.

For up-to-date news, event schedules, and other updates, visit www.oregonrelays.com.

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