Distance Races Highlight a Competitive Oregon Relays
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The Oregon Relays delivered a weekend packed with top-tier performances, rewriting the national leaderboard across several distance and field events.
Boys Recap
On the boys' side, Kellen Williams broke through in the mile with a time of 4:09.96, good for U.S. No. 10 and making him the 10th athlete this outdoor season to dip under the 4:10 barrier. The most electric boys race of the weekend came in the 2-mile, where Max Billett stormed to the national lead with a time of 8:59.55. The race featured six sub-9:10 performances, with Zackery Cervi-Skinner close behind in 9:01.26 for U.S. No. 2, followed by Max Cervi-Skinner (9:01.35, U.S. No. 3) and Ty Cirino (9:02.16, U.S. No. 4).
In the 2000m steeplechase, Aidan Wendring ran away with the national lead in a U.S. No. 1 time of 5:59.02, becoming the first boy to go sub-6:00 this season. Right behind him were Luke Friedl (6:02.75) and Henry Tait (6:03.07), who moved into the No. 2 and No. 3 spots nationally.
In the field, Simon Rosselli launched a massive personal best of 211' 7.25" in the discus, good for U.S. No. 2 and making him just the sixth thrower over 200 feet this year. His mark was over 13 feet better than his previous best and puts him within striking distance of the national lead.
Girls Recap
The girls competition was equally impressive. In the mile, Chloe Huyler surged past a loaded field to win in a U.S. No. 1 time of 4:46.70, beating out top competitors Addison Ritzenhein (4:51.08, U.S. No. 5) and Chloe Elbaz (4:51.54, U.S. No. 6). Meg Peterson and Anna Prok also clocked U.S. top-10 times with performances of 4:54.06 and 4:54.09, respectively.
The girls 2-mile was historic, with nine of the nation's top ten times coming from a single race. Sophia Rodriguez broke the 10:20 barrier with a national-leading time of 10:17.34, becoming the first girl to do so this season. The depth of the field was unmatched, with the next finishers posting U.S. No. 3 through No. 19 times on the season.
In the 2000m steeplechase, Victoria Rodriguez-last year's Nike Outdoor Nationals champion-opened her season in dominant fashion, running a U.S. No. 1 time of 6:41.62. The effort marked a one-second PR for Rodriguez, who appears primed for another strong championship campaign.
The Oregon Relays didn't just produce fast times-it redefined the national rankings across several events and established a new wave of contenders heading into the heart of outdoor season.