Crater High School senior Tayvon Kitchen won the Boys 3,000m 5A title with a time of 7:58.92—the second-fastest outdoor 3,000m ever run by a high school athlete. Photo by Rian Yamasaki.

By Owen Murray, TrackTown USA

Results

The medal came off his neck when he hit the media mixed zone — instead, it went to Tayvon Kitchen’s younger brother.

It didn’t matter that Kitchen had just done what no Oregon high school runner ever had. “He’s probably happier than I am,” Kitchen said. “Medals are cool, but you don’t do it for the little thing on your chest.”

In the 5A 3000m race at the 2025 OSAA Championships, the Crater High School senior ran 7:58.92 to win — a new Oregon state record and US #2 all-time. It’s near-unprecedented. For him, the date, too, was special.

“I just wanted to go out and embody [Pre]—go from the front, go out hard, like he did.”

—Tayvon Kitchen, senior at Crater High School

“It’s Pre’s anniversary today,” Kitchen said. “I just wanted to go out and embody him — go from the front, go out hard, like he did, and try to get his record, too.”

The second day of the Championships featured the entrance of 4A, 5A and 6A athletes — including several of the state leaders. They showed out at Hayward Field: personal-bests and meet records fell as the upper-division long distance and field finals, and sprint preliminaries took the morning and afternoon.

Kitchen went out hard in his race (“I was hoping someone would take a lap or two, but no one wanted it,” he said) before closing his final lap in 64.51 to take the record.

“The last lap was hard — I was lactic, and I knew I just needed to hang on,” he said. “The people were so loud. I could hear people screaming. It was incredible, really. It was so fun.”

Crescent Valley High School senior Emily Wisniewski won the Girls 3,000m 5A title with a time of 9:39.35. Photo by Rian Yamasaki.

The energy didn’t stop. Crescent Valley High School senior Emily Wisniewski was ranked second in the state before Friday’s 5A 3000m run — and she paid it off. Wisniewski won her heat in 9:39.35 ahead of a talented field; more than half of her competitors ran personal-best times.

“I think that (Crater’s Brynn Davenport) was on me for a while, so I just wanted to push it in the middle,” Wisniewski said. “I wanted a little gap.”

Friday’s win was her fourth-consecutive state title in the race. She put it down to hear health — she’d experienced injury, but it had never held her out of the state championship race — and down to her team.

“I think just having such an amazing team — they’re all so supportive — makes it more fun,” Wisniewski said. “It’s awesome to have our state meet here at Hayward Field. It makes it a great experience.”

Lakeridge High School senior Chloe Huyler won the Girls 3,000m 6A title with a time of 9:25.01. Photo by Rian Yamasaki.

6A girls’ winner Chloe Huyler is very familiar with running at Hayward Field. Earlier this season, Huyler ran a then-U.S. #1 time (4:46.70) in the mile at the Oregon Relays. This time, she took the meet record in her 3000m division with a 9:25.01 meet-record time.

“I just wanted to come here and enjoy every single moment,” Huyler said. “I think I did that today.”

She blew away the field — runner-up Nelida Dalgas ran an OR #3 9:49.45 time, but Huyler, who announced her verbal commitment to run at Notre Dame last year, was more than 24 seconds faster.

“The race was a little slower than I wanted to go, but at the end of the day, that’s how this sport works,” she said. “Obviously, I’m really happy. My workouts have been amazing these past few weeks, so I have a lot of confidence right now.”

Carter Bengston didn’t have that same confidence before his 4A 3000m final.

“I was absolutely terrified,” he said. “I barely slept last night.”

He won all the same: a physical race in 8:26.40 — a new personal-best, OR #12 time.

“The race hurt a little bit at the start, but then I just got a second wind and felt awesome,” Bengston said. “I was not going to get outkicked a second year in a row.”

On the field, dual-event athlete Addison Kleinke won the 5A girls’ long jump with a 5.61m (18-05.00) mark. Kleinke, whose 4.29m (14-0.75) pole vault at this season’s Oregon Open ranks fourth among high schoolers this year, will compete in that event tomorrow.

“Long jump has been meshing really well with pole vault, so it’s felt pretty natural — my speed is definitely helping,” Kleinke said. “They feel mentally very different…it’s just about having fun.”

On the other runway, West Linn High School senior Hayden Williams-Downing won in her last OSAA Championship meet; she took the 6A girls’ javelin title with a 46.34m (152-00) throw.

West Linn High School senior Hayden Williams-Downing won the girls javelin 6A title with a throw of 46.34m (152-00 ft). Photo by Rian Yamasaki.

“I’m happy with how it’s ended,” Williams-Downing said. “I got past 150 feet, so I feel like it’s a good meet for me. It’s bittersweet, but it’s been good. At these kinds of meets, I’m way ahead of the other girls in terms of distance. So, really, the only competition is with myself. I want to PR. I want to push myself. I want to do as good as I can.”

She’s not going anywhere, though: Williams-Downing is committed to throw at the University of Oregon next year. Hayward Field feels just like home.

“Sometimes, I’m getting nervous out here — like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s Hayward”...and I’m going to be practicing out here every day. It makes it a little easier to throw. I’ve been here so many times that I’m more comfortable with it now.”

Finals on Saturday will feature upper-division sprint, middle-distance and relay finals. The first event — the 4A girls’ pole vault final — begins at 9:30 a.m. Pacific time; the 4A girls’ 4x100m relay starts at 12:30 p.m.