EUGENE – Josiah Tostenson had a year to think about how his sophomore track season ended in disappointment.
Friday, the Crater junior erased the memory of a last-place performance by cruising to victory in the 3,000 meters in the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 5A championships at Hayward Field.
Tostenson's time of 8 minutes, 12.94 seconds not only gave him a comfortable win over junior teammate Tayvon Kitchen (8:19.55), but it was more than one minute faster than last year, when he clocked 9:16.90 to place 13th at state.
“Going into this race, I had a lot of fire coming in,” Tostenson said. “I was like, 'I need to show the world who I am.' I'm happy I came out here and was able to perform.”
Tostenson was one of the state's hottest young talents as a freshman, capping a brilliant rookie season at state by beating former star teammate Tyrone Gorze to win the 1,500 and finishing second to Gorze in the 3,000.
Tostenson won the mile at Nike Outdoor Nationals in the summer following his freshman season and was primed for a big sophomore year, but couldn't find his groove. He was hopeful to make up for it with a big state meet,but took 13th in the 3,000 and fourth in the 800.
“I just wasn't happy with my season, so I really wanted to come out and show where I was, and I ended up having a terrible race and getting last,” Tostenson said. “All track season, I came out this year and I was ready to explode in every race and show everybody who I am.”
Kitchen and Tostenson, who finished first and second, respectively, in the 5A cross country meet last fall, set the pace from the start Friday.
“At districts, we took the same approach,” Tostenson said. “We worked on that at districts so we could come out here at state, execute and see what we could both do.”
Tostenson's time was just off his personal best of 8:09.28, which ranks No. 4 all-time in the state. It's not far off the record of 8:03.67, set by Central Catholic's Galen Rupp in 2004.
“The expectation is to come here next year, and if I don't get it by then, break Rupp's 3K record,” Tostenson said.
Tostenson will go for a double Saturday in the 1,500, where his PR of 3:46.34 is No. 3 in state history, one second behind Rupp's record of 3:45.3.
The season has been a dramatic turnaround from last year for Tostenson.
“I've ran way out of my expectations,” he said. “All I'm looking for now is trying to dip under four (minutes) in the mile.”
Also in 5A boys competition, reigning champion Summit grabbed two individual titles. Senior Noah Goodrich repeated as champion in the triple jump (46-11 ¾) and senior Benjamin Hill won the discus (159-2).
Lebanon senior Hayden George claimed the title in the shot (52-8).
Boys
6A
It was a big day for Franklin senior Ethan Aman, who took home titles in the shot and discus.
Aman was fifth in the shot and 11th in the discus in last year's state meet, but added nearly nine feet to his best in the shot and 28 feet in the discus.
He opened Friday with a win in the shot, throwing 60-1 ¼. In the discus, he was trailing Mountainside senior Drew McCarty (156-3) before uncorking a throw of 159-4 on his final attempt.
Sheldon sophomore Malachi Schoenherr edged Wells senior Asher Danielson by .75 seconds to win the 3,000.
“It was getting away from me on the last lap,” Schoenherr said. “I didn't think I had it at all in the last 200, but then I kept getting closer and closer, and I was thinking, 'Let's get this done.'”
Schoenherr said he fulfilled a promise to former teammate Jonah Donde, who missed his senior season last year due to injury.
“I told him a couple weeks ago, 'I'm going to get that state title that you never got a chance at,'” Schoenherr said. “And I did it. It means so much to me and to my team.”
It was the second time this season that Schoenherr narrowly edged Danielson to win the 3,000. They also finished 1-2 in the Sherwood Need for Speed Invitational on April 13.
Junior Eli Forsha picked up a second win for Sheldon on Friday by prevailing in the triple jump with a mark of 45-6 ¼.
David Douglas senior Troy Hockett won the pole vault by clearing 15-0, soaring past his PR of 14-5 ¼.
4A
Marshfield senior John Parks completed a three-peat in the 4A pole vault. He cleared 14-9 ½ to edge senior teammate Danner Wilson (14-6 ¾).
Estacada senior Hayden Slaughter, who had the best discus mark in the state this season at 177-4, captured the event with a throw of 175-4.
Slaughter was sixth at state last year, when former teammate Cody White won the event. He added nearly 33 feet to his best from 2023.
“I just put in the work,” Slaughter said. “I knew I had the capabilities, so I just let it go. “(White) being better than me last year really pushed me over the summer and in other sports.”
Other 4A winners were Newport junior Finn Collson in the 3,000 (8:35.36) and Junction City sophomore Kaleb Moore in the shot (54-1 ¼).
Girls
6A
McDaniel senior Maleigha Canaday-Elliott put on a show for the ages in setting a state record in the triple jump.
Canaday-Elliott won with a jump of 41-2 ¼, beating the previous state record of 40-7 ¾, set by Benson's Sara Callier in 2005.
Canaday-Elliott jumped 40-6 ¾ to win the event in last year's state meet, tying her for second place all-time with Sunset's Keoma Wardford (1992). But her best this season was 39-4 ¾, ranking her second in the state behind Westview sophomore Saskia Dorf (39-7 ¾).
In Friday's duel with Dorf, Canaday-Elliott dominated from the start. She went 40-8 on her second attempt to break the state mark, and hit 40-0 ½ and 40-4 ½ before exploding for 41-2 ¼ on her last try.
The performance ties Canaday-Elliott for No. 12 in the nation this season. Dorf finished second at 39-1 ¼.
Canaday-Elliott and Dorf will square off again Saturday in the long jump, where they have the top two marks in the state this season at 18-10 and 18-8, respectively.
Lakeridge junior Chloe Huyler, the Nevada 1A champion in the 1,600 and 3,200 the last two years, won the 3,000 in 9:33.15.
“I definitely had no competition whatsoever,” Huyler said of running in Nevada. “It's so much fun to actually be in a real race. To say I won state is an accomplishment.”
It was redemption for Huyler, who led the 6A cross country championships about two-thirds into the race before dropping out due to illness.
Huyler will enter Saturday's 1,500 with the best time in the state this season.
“Honestly, this race didn't feel too hard, so I'm hoping to save a lot,” she said.
Also claiming 6A titles were Nelson sophomore Kinsley Juliano in the pole vault (12-4 ½) and West Linn junior Hayden Williams-Downing in the javelin (141-7).
5A
Crescent Valley junior Emily Wisniewski, who won her third 5A cross country title last fall, collected her third state title in the 3,000 on Friday.
Wisniewski hardly worked up a sweat, finishing in 9:46.39, well off her personal best of 9:28.52 from last year.
“I was hoping to go a little faster today, maybe a PR, but I just felt a little off,” Wisniewski said, saying that the college recruiting process, combined with school, has taken a toll on her.
Wisniewski was hoping to save some energy for Saturday's 1,500. She has never won a state title in the event, finishing third as a freshman and second last year.
Ridgeview junior Zowie Nunes wrapped up her third 5A title in the javelin. Her winning throw was 146-4, off her best of 151-9.
“It means a lot,” Nunes said of her third title. “I was really excited and nervous. There's a lot of good competition this year. I was pretty consistent in my last three throws in the 140s, so that felt really good.”
Nunes was pleased with her progress this season.
“One-forty was what I was aiming for, but I skipped that and got to the 151,” she said.
After finishing second in the triple jump last year, Wilsonville senior Caroline de la Motte won the event Friday with a mark of 37-8 ½.
“It's super sweet,” she said. “I've been building up to this meet all season. And it being my senior season, I'm glad I got to come out strong and finish strong. It's a really fun season.”
De la Motte's best jump was her last one.
“That's usually my best,” she said. “I was happy with how I did, but I definitely wanted to go bigger. I was able to pop that on the last one.”
De la Motte will go for a repeat title in the long jump Saturday.
“I think it takes a little bit of the pressure off,” she said. “I have one win under my belt. I'd love to get a second.”
Parkrose junior Maya Kruger prevailed in the high jump by clearing 5-4 ¼.
4A
La Grande sophomore Brooke Perry repeated as champion in the 3,000, turning back a late challenge fron North Bend sophomore Ellie Massie. Perry ran 10:30.87 to win by just under four seconds.
“It kind of surprised me,” Perry said of Massie's surge. “I knew she was right behind me, so I knew I had to turn it on.”
Perry will go for another repeat in the 1,500 on Saturday. Her experience from last year has helped quell her nerves.
“It's a lot less scary than last year,” Perry said. “It's more fun and enjoyable because I know how it works this year.”
Hidden Valley senior Aja LaPan successfully defended her triple jump title by winning a duel with Mazama junior Mada Lee. LaPan went 36-4 to win by one inch.
Molalla junior Peyton Craven, the 2A 100 hurdles champion at Colton last year, grabbed the 4A title in the high jump by clearing 5-4 ½.
Philomath senior Ahnika Tryon claimed the javelin with a throw of 123-8.
jerryu@osaa.org
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