Federal Way has it rolling at Oregon Relays

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Federal Way swept the Class 4A boys and girls state titles in Washington last spring and are showing no sign of letting up.

On Saturday at the Oregon Relays -- where the point totals are a combined boys and girls effort -- Federal Way finished on top. And what's more, the team left several of its top stars at home for a variety of reasons.

But Ta'Mara Richey was at Hayward Field and she had a hand in 40 of the team's 111.5 points to help her school earn a victory lap and free pizza at the end of the meet. She won the long jump and triple jump, was part of the winning 4x100 and surprisingly won the 100 in the third of five sections.

Eastlake's boys pulled out a dramatic meet-ending 4x400 relay to secure second place and the second pizza party spot. Eastlake needed to outscore Sheldon OR by five points in the final event and both teams were entered in the fast section. Eastlake won it and Sheldon finished fifth (but was bumped back by the winner of a previous section).

Alexa Efraimson continued her weekend with an 800 in blustery conditions and ran 2:09.36. A half hour later she anchored her Camas' 4x400 relay.

Matthew Maton  of Summit ran 3:55.85 in the 1500 meters and held of Elijah Armstrong on the home stretch. 

Mt Tahoma WA thrower Brock Eager won the hammer with 210-8 feet. Eager is ranked US#3 with 220-6. National leader Hannah Frost of Mary Knight threw 155-6 in the girls hammer.

-- Friday- 

No matter where Alexa Efraimson goes these days, her races are always good theater. And Friday at the Oregon Relays was no exception. The sensational junior from Camas got a chance to do something for her team in the distance medley relay and she delivered, erasing an 11-second deficit and pulling out the victory in a US#1 time of 11.54.19.

TFX RESULTS

And Grant of Portland, with sisters Piper Donaghu on the lead-off 1200 and Ella Donaghu on the anchor, finished just a step behind in 11:54.74 for US#2. 

The DMR is not often run by the Northwest high schools but given the excitement of Friday night's race perhaps it should be. Camas' time also surpasses the 2005 Bellarmine Prep team that was anchored by Brie Felnagle as the best girls DMR ever by a Washington team. 

And Efraimson needed every bit of her 4:44 anchor carry to overcome Grant, located in Northeast Portland (across the Columbia River from Camas). Ella Donaghu, who owns the US#1 time in the girls 3,000, split 4:54 but couldn't stay away from Efraimson. Still. Donaghu refused to be put away and only lost by a step. That's the fastest girls DMR by an Oregon team, too, and both teams smashed the meet record. 

Meanwhile, in a stacked boys 3,000 mters, Matthew Maton moved to No. 9 in Oregon history by running 8:18.66 to beat a field that included Washington standouts Wolfgang Beck, Logan Carroll and Tristan Peloquin of Gig Harbor, Elijah Armstrong of Pocatello ID, and Cameron Stanish of Garfield WA. (By comparison, Blake Haney was timed en route of his 3200 at Arcadia in 8:16.75 for 3K).

The quartet of Gig Harbor guys (including Ryan Gregory) finished second in 8:22.08 (Carroll), fourth in 8:25.41 (Peloquin), sixth in 8:26.94 (Beck) and 21st in 9:01.20 (Gregory). 

For Maton, it was a 10-second PR and sets him up to come back on Saturday in the 1,500 looking for the double.

Brenna Peloquin of Gig Harbor won the girls 3,000 meters in 10:20.59, pulling away from Sheldon's Gracie Todd in the final 600 meters. 

John Nizich of Central Catholic OR, the US leader in the boys javelin, competed unattached in the open/college section and placed eighth with 195-10 -- well off his season best. But he did get to experience competing alongside US high school record holder Sam Crouser, who won it for the University of Oregon with 247-4.