Top 10 Teams Jesuit (6A), Crater (5A) Win Boys Team Titles At LCC; Ana Peters Keeps 6A Girls Title In Family

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Kim Spir photos | Becky Holbrook photos

Post-race Interviews

5A/6A MERGE

EUGENE -- When the high school cross country season began in late summer, buzz still lingered over the impact of backyard World Championships and two high school distance phenoms who represented the United States at the World U-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia. 

Tyrone Gorze and Kate Peters, already within reach of being among the greatest runners in Oregon prep history, came home to vastly different final cross country seasons. 

Gorze and talented team have both risen to new levels this fall after his 12th place finish in the 5,000 meters in Cali. On Saturday, he tore out in front of a strong 5A field and chased down history by covering the Lane Community College course in 14:37.9. 

A week earlier, Gorze toured the same ground in 14:41 at his district meet wearing Nike's thick foam road racing shoes. On Saturday, after the course received an inch of rain overnight, he donned spikes.

He agreed that the state final race was a superior effort and his time exceeded that of Matthew Maton, a sub-four high school miler from Summit who ran 14:45 in 2014. Maton's time improved upon the 14:55 by Galen Rupp in 2003. (The 2019 course was not accurately measured and Ashland's EJ Holland's eye-popping time of 14:30 was run about 100 yards short of 5,000 meters).

Gorze went through the mile in a blistering 4:29.9 and through two miles in 9:15.

"Sometimes in big races the pressure kind of hits me a little bit and I don't perform how I want," Gorze said. "But today I kind of showed up. I'd say last week and this week were both super-good performances."

Peters came home from Colombia with an ankle injury and spent the first part of the season in a boot as a precaution, but was hopeful of returning to defend her state title. Unfortunately, the injury persisted and Peters was forced to scrap the season and look ahead to her next opportunity on the track. 

However, her younger sister, Ana, stepped up on Saturday with her best race and outkicked Central Catholic's Ella McGillis and Jesuit's Maura O'Scannlain to keep the title in the family and with Lake Oswego. 

"I am very proud of Ana," Kate Peters said. "She ran amazing, the perfect race. I am happy she was able to show people what she is made of in cross country! I was happy seeing her pass those girls right at the end. She scared me with 200 meters to go. It looked like she was falling back but she came around the bend and kicked by them. It was amazing to watch."

Peters finished with fastest female performance of the day, 17:56.8. 

The team performances by US#4 Jesuit and US#7 Crater lived up to the billing. 

The Crusaders of Portland, who finished third at the RunningLane Championships last December, got an individual victory by Jacob Nenow and three of his teammates finished in 15:31 or better. Nenow, the son of former American 10,000 meters record holder Mark Nenow, ran his best race of the season to finish in 15:06.3.

Remarkably, Nenow is Jesuit's first individual state champion on the boys side. 

Jesuit scored 33 points, the lowest score since Central Catholic put up 33 in 2013. Lincoln was second for its best finish since 2015 and West Salem ran to a program-best third. 

Gorze and Crater were nearly as good in the 5A race. All five of the Comets scorers finished in the top 10.

Jesuit made it a program sweep with a girls victory that was enhanced by the return of sophomore standout Emma Bennett, who returned from injury in time to finish 19th and serve as her team's fifth scorer. O'Scannlain, Liliana Hudnut and Maggie Bennett finished third, fifth and seventh on the way to 40 points. 

Lincoln's second-place finish on the girls side was its best since 1994.

Summit, which beat Jesuit for the 6A title last year, has moved back to 5A. The Storm collected their 14th consecutive girls state championship in cross country. Seniors Barrett Justema and Ella Thorsett placed second and fourth, respectively. Camille Broadbent (seventh) and Claire McDonald (10th) also made the podium.

Crescent Valley sophomore Emily Wisniewski won her second consecutive Class 5A title in 17:58.6 -- almost 30 seconds faster than her winning time in 2021. 

A forecast that left many in attendance bracing for the worst, with heavy rains and wind, thankfully did not come to pass. The majority of the six-hour meet was held in perfect conditions and the rain came late and fell only on he 6A boys. 

Marshfield senior Alex Garcia-Silver became the first runner from his school to win back-to-back state titles since Steve Prefontaine. The Colombia native pushed himself throughout the race, as if he were chasing Pre's ghost, and finished in 15:22.2 -- 40 seconds faster than his winning time in 2021.

"There's a lot of history on my mind today and a lot (on my mind) about having a big performance," Garcia-Silver said. "Going to Marshfield is so special and I enjoy getting questions about Pre, just because I've met his family members and he seems like such a great guy and I've read his books. He's inspired me this year and throughout the years growing up in Coos Bay."

The Dalles, led by runner-up Juan Diego Contreras won the 4A team title with 57 points, edging past Philomath (60). 

La Grande got a 2-3-4 finish from its front three to win the girls 4A title, again leaving Philomath in second. Kyla Potratz of Phoenix, whose town in Southern Oregon was ravaged by fire two years ago, ran to the victory in 18:47.5. 

Siuslaw's depth powered the Vikings to the boys 3A title, the seventh boys team title for head coach Chris Johnson. Santiam Christian's Benjamin Bourne won the race in 15:57.2. 

The Enterprise girls, featuring six freshmen and one senior, won the girls 3A/2A/1A team title. East Linn Christian sophomore Daisy Lalonde won the race in 18:43.7.

In the 2A/1A boys race, Heppner duo Trevor Nicholas and Grady Gatewood went 1-2 and were separated by two seconds. The two almost never get to train together, however. Nicholas lives in Heppner and Gatewood lives almost an hour away, in Condon. They do most of their running together at meets. 

Knappa had the most complete team through five and won the small-school team title with 53 points. 

Team Champions - 

Class 6A - Jesuit boys 33 points, Jesuit girls 40 points - RESULTS

Class 5A - Crater boys 30 points, Summit girls 36 points - RESULTS

Class 4A - The Dalles boys 57 points, La Grande girls 62 points - RESULTS

Class 3A - Siuslaw boys 52 points - RESULTS

Class 3A/2A/1A - Enterprise girls 63 - RESULTS

Class 2A/1A - Knappa boys 53 points - RESULTS