Oregon relays sped by – here is how South did.

This year the Oregon Relays, held April 4-5 at Hayward Field, once again brought together some of the most talented high school athletes from across the region. Among them, South’s track and field team delivered impressive performances, representing South with grit and speed.

In the distance events, South Eugene’s boys impressed in the varsity two-mile. Sophomore Hauke Kiley clocked a blazing 10:01.05, setting a new personal best and ranking No. 77 in the U.S. Junior Tejas Sanghvi wasn’t far behind, setting his own personal record at 10:03.68 rounding out a strong performance for the team.

On the girls’ side, South had three competitors finish in the top 125 nationwide. Senior Elizabeth McCart led the way with a time of 11:28.99, earning a ranking of No. 38 in the U.S. Sophomore Cora Ludwig and junior Frances Blake followed closely behind, each racing times that placed them among the nation’s best in the two-mile event.

Adding to the team’s standout performances was sophomore Yosuke Shibata in the boys’ mile. His strong 4:19.11 mile not only earned him a new personal record, but also the 62nd fastest time in the U.S. for 2025.

In the sprint events, South’s freshman talent made a strong impression. In the 100 meters, Isabelle Cherry and Amara Brooks both scored in the top 50 in Oregon, coming in at No. 50 and No. 47 respectively. Their performances signal a bright future for South’s sprinting team.

South also made its mark in the field events. In javelin, senior Grace Sharman threw 29.11 meters and reflected on the unique experience of competing at a meet like the Oregon Relays.

“It’s such a big venue, and it can be kind of intimidating to compete with so many people watching you,” Sharman said. “[However], the sense of camaraderie between javelin throwers at Oregon relays is unmatched. We were singing together, hyping each other up, and practicing drills together in our time off. Even though we were competing against each other, I felt like each of the athletes were genuinely supportive and kind, which made the meet really fun,” she said.

Sophomore Renee Watkins also echoed the team-first atmosphere of the meet.

“I felt like there was a lot of team spirit and camaraderie because so many people showed up to support the team and cheered and hung out,” she said.

This year, Watkins competed in four events: the 4x100m, 4x400m, 300m hurdles, and the Sprint Medley Relay 1600.

“It was a lot of fun to race events I don’t normally run [and] I felt fairly confident,” she said. 

But with the Oregon Relays only being the second meet of the season, there were some early challenges.

“It was hard to understand how the races would go because it was only the second meet of the season, and we didn’t have as much time to prepare as we normally have,” Watkins said.

Now with the season in full swing, South Eugene looks to carry this momentum into districts and beyond. With a balance of seasoned leaders and rising stars, the Axe are proving they are a team to watch in Oregon track and field.

Article by Jada Jones