Heading into the stretch run of the cross country season, Crater's nationally ranked boys team – led by seniors Tayvon Kitchen and Josiah Tostenson – appears to be shifting into high gear.
Coming off a strong performance in the prestigious Asics Clovis Invitational in Woodward Park, Calif. on Oct. 12, Kitchen and Tostenson led the way with blazing-fast times on the track in the Crater Twilight Invite on Oct. 17.
Kitchen completed the 5,000 meters in 14:23.7 to narrowly edge Tostenson (14:23.9) at the finish line. They are the two fastest times in the state this season.
Kitchen and Tostenson broke away from Caldera junior Mason Morical with about 1,000 meters left and dueled to the end. Tostenson took the lead with one lap remaining but Kitchen fought back and won with a lean.
“They basically soloed it,” Crater coach Justin Loftus said. “They're pretty fit. It should be a good lead-up for state and regionals and beyond.
“Josiah has been pushing out a lot of these races, and that's something he hasn't done in the past. But he's super strong right now. Tayvon just didn't let him go, and they flew in together.”
Kitchen and Tostenson – who finished 1-2, respectively, in last year's 5A championships – have a healthy competition between them.
“I wouldn't say that they're competitive in the way that they're annoyed with each other. They support each other,” Loftus said. “They see the benefit of pushing each other.”
The duo also shined five days earlier at the Clovis meet. Tostenson finished first out of 126 runners in the championship division in 14:41.3, the No. 13 time ever recorded at the 45th annual invitational. Kitchen took third in 14:44.5, behind senior Griffin Kushen (14:43.8) of Tesoro (Calif.).
“Josiah pushed that Clovis course pretty much halfway through the meet all the way to the finish,” Loftus said. “He's feeling really good about his fitness and where he's at right now. We're just going to keep that rolling.”
Crater finished in third place with 116 points, behind two California teams in Beckman (83) and Jesuit (97). Senior Ivar Hokanson (24th) and junior Preston Schmidt (42nd) were the Comets' next-highest placers.
Crater's combined time was the best for a non-California team in the meet's history. The meet is run on the same course as the California state championships.
“To go down to California and be in that atmosphere was pretty cool,” Loftus said.
After the Clovis meet, Crater slipped from No. 5 to No. 8 in the DyeStat national rankings. Beckman and Jesuit (Calif.) are ranked fifth and seventh, respectively.
“It was a little bit of a home-course advantage there because we weren't ready for the hills,” Loftus said.
The Comets had five days to recover for the Crater Twilight. Loftus said he was hoping that more of his team would stay near Kitchen and Tostenson at the two-mile mark, but they fell back. Hokanson took fourth (15:01.1), well behind the third-place Morical (14:42.3).
“I think it was just coming back from Clovis,” Loftus said. “It's hard to bounce back that quick. I feel good about getting fresh for state and beyond and seeing where that goes.”
Add Crater Twilight
Caldera sophomore Maddie Carney pulled away to win the girls race at the Crater Twilight Invite, winning in 17:19.7. It is the third win of the season for Carney, who took Nike Portland XC on Sept. 28 and the Oxford Classic on Oct. 5.
Crater senior Emma West placed second in 17:39.6, narrowly ahead of sophomore teammate Brynn Davenport (17:39.8). Ashland freshman Natalie Kupka (17.42.0) was a close fourth.
La Grande duo leads 4A
La Grande junior Brooke Perry and senior Cecilia Villagomez Edvalson posted the two top times in 4A girls this season in the Kyle Burnside Memorial Invite on Oct. 17 at Golf Course at Birch Creek.
Perry clocked 18:05.2 to win and Villagomez Edvalson was second in 18:13.9, both personal-best performances. In the meet last year, Villagomez Edvalson beat Perry for first place 18:36.6 to 18:44.5.
Villagomez Edvalson and Perry placed 1-2 in the 4A championships in 2023.
Lalonde extends streak
East Linn Christian senior Daisy Lalonde, the 3A/2A/1A champion in 2022 and runner-up last year, picked up her sixth consecutive victory Oct. 17 in the Harrisburg Invitational at Harrisburg High School.
Lalonde finished in 18:45.4 to easily outdistance Salem Academy junior Clara Persons (20:04.7) for first place. Lalonde leads 3A/2A/1A this season with a time of 17:39.5.
Valley Catholic senior Peter Davis won the boys race in 16:40.8. Westside Christian seniors Nathan Contreras (17:35.0) and Mihiretu Greene (17:35.9) were next.
