CORVALLIS — Senior Leo Pausch won the 3,000 meters and the Peters brothers were among the top throwers in their events to highlight Philomath’s performance Friday at the Spartan Challenge.
The team’s lone victory occurred in the final individual running event when Pausch won by more than 6 seconds over the rest of the field. Competing in the 3,000 for the third time this season, Pausch came in with a time of 9:12.97. His personal record dates back to his junior year when he ran an 8:59.87 in a meet at Central High.
Gallery: PHS track and field at Spartan Challenge (May 1, 2026)
A collection of photos from the Philomath High School boys and girls track and field teams at the Spartan Challenge on Friday.
Jamin Peters placed second in the shot put and third in the discus in what was a big day for the junior at the highly competitive meet. Peters had personal records in both events with a 52-5 in the shot put and 145-8 in the discus. He bettered his previous best in the shot put by 2 feet, 2 inches and his discus mark by 5 feet, 2 inches.
“Last time, I got a 50 (in a home field day competition four days earlier), so once you hit 50, you can go farther,” Peters said, adding that his goal is to reach 55 feet.
“I used to like discus more,” he said when asked which event he favored. “But now since I’m better at the shot, I’m liking it more.”
Peters credited weightlifting for his improvement. “We have weightlifting classes at the high school so I try to get in one of those every time,” he said.
Coach Joe Fulton sees more big throws ahead.
“He’s still got another year — he’s a big, strong kid,” Fulton said. “I could see him breaking the school record this year. That record’s been around for 43 years.”
John Thomas holds the PHS record with a 53-1 set in 1983.
Senior Josiah Peters was second in the javelin with a throw of 163-8. He cited wind as a factor on the day.
“Today was frustrating because of the weather — a lot of wind,” he said. “It was sunny though, I liked that temperature, but the wind really affected my throw … With the wind, you want to throw it pretty low.”
Peters also noted he was managing some back pain.
“My back was hurting and I don’t really want to destroy myself before districts and state,” he said, adding that regular-season meets still remain at Stayton and Cottage Grove.
Competing this spring has been impressive given what Peters has overcome. He worked through a serious medical condition late last year when he battled sepsis. After several weeks, his condition stabilized and he worked his way back through physical therapy. Although initial thoughts were that he might not be able to compete again in high school, he rejoined the Warriors basketball team in early February and finished out the season.
Peters has won the javelin in four of his six meets this season. He opened with a personal-record throw of 187-8 at the Elmira Relays, which ranks No. 1 in Class 4A this season by more than 7 feet and No. 2 in the school-record book. He also had a 205-foot throw at an April 8 meet at Cascade that was scratched. Kerrick Roach holds the PHS record with a distance of 200-7 set in 2011.
“I had a PR in the beginning and was doing pretty good and then I kind of lost whatever fire I had,” Peters said. “But I had a 205 but I scratched it, so that was very frustrating.”
Peters has his own formula for what it will take to break the record.
“Anyone can throw if they have the technique down … I need to get more muscle mass because I’ve got all the technique,” he said. “I’ve been doing it for like 10, 11 years so I just need to get that body mass, get the arm movement, faster arm speed, so I can throw a little bit further.”
Elsewhere in the field events, sophomore Sammy Hernandez cleared 6-2 and placed third in the high jump among a tough group of competitors. Senior Blake Hauck was seventh in the pole vault at 10-6.
In the 1,500, senior Lukas Hernandez was fourth in 4:11.93 and Pausch followed in fifth 4:12.11. Hernandez passed his teammate and a few others over the final 50 meters. Philomath sophomore Dreyton Nuño placed eighth in the 400 in 52.67.
On the girls side, sophomore Cassidy Smart turned in one of the day’s most memorable performances, sprinting the final 100 meters to pass several runners and finish third in the 3,000 in 10:26.27 — the fastest time in Class 4A this season by more than 10 seconds.
The race included two of the state’s top runners with South Eugene’s Evangeline Johnson winning in 9:48.55 and Banks’s Molly Schoolmeester second in 9:59.87.
“I knew there were going to be fast girls in this heat so I was just trying to stay a good distance behind them where I could catch them at the end and still get a good time,” Smart said.
She acknowledged the mental challenge of racing against two elite runners.
“It makes it easier in a way because I’m not having the pressure to get first and I know they’ll pull me to a good time,” she said.
Smart had missed the two previous meets while working through hip pain, and Fulton had considered having her sit out the 3,000. Friday’s race was just her second appearance in the event this season.
“This is definitely a confidence booster,” Smart said, the time ranking fifth in the PHS record book.Asked about her approach to the rest of the season, Smart said, “Just keep having good races, good strategies and trying to make my body feel better, like getting up from an injury.”
Junior Hailey Eckhold was second in the triple jump at 33-10, sixth in the shot put at 32-3.75 and eighth in the pole vault at 9-0, her first-ever nine-foot vault.
“Hailey is our little workhorse,” Fulton said. “She had her first nine-foot vault, which makes her one of the better vaulters in the state and she’s going to continue to improve. She’s a smart kid and works really hard and pays attention to the coaches.”
Through Friday’s results, Eckhold ranked fourth in the pole vault, sixth in the triple jump and ninth in the shot put in Class 4A.
Junior Jordyn Hood was fifth in the discus at 97-6. Sophomore Reagan Nuño placed eighth in the high jump at 4-6. Freshman Sienna Bushnell finishd eighth in the 800 in 2:24.78.
In the relays, the girls 4-by-400 team of freshman Ava Oster, Hood, Bushnell and Nuño took fourth in 4:14.47. The 4-by-100 relay of Nuño, Bushnell, Hood and sophomore Kya Bolton was seventh in 51.42.
Fulton noted that the length of the meet was a factor for some athletes.
“We had some good marks but I think the wind played a part and also the length of the meet,” he said. “Kids start getting warmed up and then they realize their race isn’t for another 45 or 50 minutes.”
In the team standings, the Philomath boys tied Dallas for fifth. Silverton won the boys title by a fair margin over runner-up Corvallis. The girls placed 10th in a field won by Silverton ahead of Crescent Valley and Dallas.
Philomath’s next meet is scheduled for May 9 at Stayton.
Spartan Challenge
Friday, May 1, at Corvallis HS
BOYS
Team scoring: 1, Silverton 100; 2, Corvallis 79; 3, Crook County 69.5; 4, Roseburg 56; 5, Philomath 50; 5, Dallas 50; 7, Churchill 48; 7, South Eugene 48; 9, Molalla 46; 10, Blanchet Catholic 40.5; 11, Crescent Valley 30; 12, Banks 28.5; 13, Central 28; 14, Hillsboro 26.5; 15, Estacada 18; 16, South Albany 11; 17, North Eugene 7; 18, Stayton 5.
PHS results: 100 — 10, Kaden Howard, 11.74. 400 — 8, Dreyton Nuño, 52.67; 26, Braeden Colvin, 56.43. 800 — 19, Galen Murch, 2:09.64. 1500 — 4, Lukas Hernandez, 4:11.93; 5, Leo Pausch, 4:12.11. 3000 — 1, Leo Pausch, 9:12.97. 110 hurdles — 19, Bryce Hruska, 18.17. 4×100 relay — 11, Philomath (Bryce Hruska, Cameron Mastrianni, Dreyton Nuño, Kaden Howard), 45.10. 4×400 relay — 9, Philomath (Esias Sapp, Braeden Colvin, Bryce Hruska, Dreyton Nuño), 3:41.03. Shot put — 2, Jamin Peters, 52-5; 35, Isileli Tuiaki, 28-9. Discus — 3, Jamin Peters, 145-8; 19, Jonah Sailor, 112-8. Javelin — 2, Josiah Peters, 163-8; 15, Esias Sapp, 132-7. High jump — 3, Samuel Hernandez, 6-2. Pole vault — 7, Blake Hauck, 10-6. Long jump — 22, Cameron Mastrianni, 16-11.75. Triple jump — 16, Esias Sapp, 35-9.25.
GIRLS
Team scoring: 1, Silverton 89; 2, Crescent Valley 73; 3, Dallas 72.5; 4, Crook County 57; 5, South Eugene 55; 6, Banks 50; 7, North Eugene 40.5; 8, Molalla 39.5; 9, Corvallis 39; 10, Philomath 31; 11, Stayton 29; 12, Blanchet Catholic 28; 12, Churchill 28; 14, Catlin Gabel 22; 15, South Albany 20; 16, Roseburg 18.5; 17, Central 14; 18, Putnam 13; 19, Estacada 7; 20, Hillsboro 2.
PHS results: 100 — 14, Kya Bolton, 13.62. 200 — 16, Kya Bolton, 27.81; 34, Adilee Stewart, 30.78. 400 — 9, Reagan Nuño, 1:01.71; 27, Ava Oster, 1:06.73. 800 — 8, Sienna Bushnell, 2:24.78; 30, Eden Phelps, 2:58.41. 1500 — 15, Libby Kramer, 5:28.64; 20, Abby Phelps, 5:41.58. 3000 — 3, Cassidy Smart, 10:26.27; 19, Syd Clark, 12:37.30. 100 hurdles — 18, Jordyn Hood, 18.65; 22, Annaleise Brown, 19.00. 300 hurdles — 24, Annaleise Brown, 55.90. 4×100 relay — 7, Philomath (Reagan Nuño, Sienna Bushnell, Jordyn Hood, Kya Bolton), 51.42. 4×400 relay — 4, Philomath (Ava Oster, Jordyn Hood, Sienna Bushnell, Reagan Nuño), 4:14.47. Shot put — 6, Hailey Eckhold, 32-3.75; 22, Rebekah Workman, 24-4. Discus — 5, Jordyn Hood, 97-6; 35, Rebekah Workman, 45-3. Javelin — 20, Rebekah Workman, 75-0; 25, Caelyn Avery, 65-10. High jump — 8, Reagan Nuño, 4-6. Pole vault — 8, Hailey Eckhold, 9-0. Long jump — 14, Annaleise Brown, 14-3.5. Triple jump — 2, Hailey Eckhold, 33-10; 9, Kya Bolton, 31-7.5.
For complete meet results, click here
