In a dramatic finish to the Therapeutic Associates Chehalem Classic at Newberg Friday night, Philomath High School came from behind to win the mixed 4-by-400-meter relay on the strength of a blazing final lap by Warwick Bushnell.
Competing in the event’s second heat against only Class 6A schools, the Warriors were in third place behind Newberg and Sherwood through the first three laps with legs by juniors Janice Hellesto and Natalie Dunn and sophomore CD Nuno. Bushnell, a junior, took the baton and sprinted the oval in 49.37 seconds, the third-fastest 400 relay split in the school’s record book.
“Sherwood had a 30-meter lead when Warwick got the baton from Natalie. Newberg was about 10 meters ahead of Philomath,” PHS coach Joe Fulton said. “Warwick methodically closed the gap and roared down the homestretch to out lean Sherwood.”
In the team standings, the 4A Philomath’s girls finished an impressive third at the large-school meet behind Westview and Sherwood and ahead of neighboring 5A schools Crescent Valley (seventh) and Corvallis (ninth). The boys were 10th out of the 18 schools that sent athletes.
Besides the impressive visual of a perfect rainbow seen in the distance from Newberg High’s Loran Douglas Field, the Warriors had a couple of other exceptional performances.
In the meet’s featured event, the Elite 1,500, junior Adele Beckstead came from the back of the pack to finish sixth in 4:55.57, a personal-best time and tops in all of 4A so far this season. Beckstead then anchored the girls 4-by-800 relay with a 2:26 split.
Junior Anneka Steen was in contention for the top spot in the high jump but had to settle for second at a height of 5 feet. Newberg’s Sophia Carpenter also cleared 5-0 but did it on her first attempt while Steen cleared it on her third try.
Hellesto and senior Ellie Morton put in a strong showing in the long jump with a 2-3 finish for the Warriors. Competing in a rainstorm at the time, Hellesto went 16-6 and Morton went 16-2.25. Westview’s Saskia Dorf took first with a 17-3.
Bushnell had a PR-time of 51.27 in the open 400 and placed second. Dunn ran the 400 in a season-best 59.18 and also placed second.
“Virtually every distance runner recorded lifetime bests or placed in their events,” Fulton said. “It was nice hearing Philomath announced so many times over the PA system with such big schools in attendance.”
In the sprint medley relay, which features two 100s, a 200 and a 400, the PHS boys foursome broke a 12-year-old school record. Sophomore Seth O’Harra, Nuno, senior Simon King and Bushnell covered the distance in 1:37.79, which placed them sixth in the meet. The previous school record had been 1:39.36, set in 2012 by Alex Munsee, Matt Larrabee, Austin Brown and Zach Trask.
In addition to those mentioned, other individual PRs turned in included sophomore Lukas Hernandez in the 1,500 (4:24.47), sophomore Mason Stevens in the 1,500 (5:00.47), sophomore Leo Pausch in the 3,000 (9:31.31), freshman Galen Murch in the 3,000 (10:06.30) and junior Madyx Mooney in the javelin (75-7).
Others scoring points with top-eight finishes included sophomore Josiah Peters in the javelin (fifth, 155-9) and Pausch, Hernandez, senior Lukas Dunn and King in the 4-by-800 relay (eighth, 8:37.02) for the boys; and Hellesto in the 100 (fifth, 13.04), Morton in the 100 (eighth, 13.26), senior Ahnika Tryon in the javelin (seventh, 104-6), junior Hanna McDaniel in the high jump (tied fifth, 4-10), junior Aspen Russell in the pole vault (eighth, 7-6), Steen in the triple jump (eighth, 32-5) and junior Melea Lattin, junior Kateri Pindell, Beckstead and sophomore Ana Candanoza in the 4-by-800 relay (fifth, 10:24.25) for the girls.
Philomath’s track and field teams are scheduled to compete again Tuesday with a trip to the coast for the Newport Open. The Warriors will then host the Philomath Invite Relays on April 13.
