Sophia Castaneda from Newberg caught everyone's attention during the Oregon Relays on Friday afternoon when she had an impressive performance in the girls' 400-meter dash.
The young athlete secured victory in the concluding heat with a timing of 54.16 seconds. This performance marks not only her personal best, surpassing her previous record by merely a thousandth of a second, but also ranks as the fifth fastest time ever recorded in Oregon’s history. Additionally, it stands out as both the leading time for this season within the state and currently holds the sixteenth spot nationally among performances this year.
Castaneda seized her opportunity as she rounded the last turn, passing McMath’s (Virginia) Payton Rogers right before the concluding leg of the race.
For the final 100 meters, she maintained her lead with a significant advantage. Roosevelt’s Ellis Heslam, who came in second at 54.94 seconds, narrowed the distance only towards the end. Rogers secured the third position with a time of 55.45 seconds.
I keeps reminding myself, 'You gotta go, Sophie, you've got to go,' Castaneda stated. "I keep encouraging myself to keep pushing forward.
For Castaneda, Friday's triumph could be considered the most significant achievement of her career. She finished as the runner-up in this competition last year when Lake Oswego’s Josie Donelson dominated and won.
Now that Donelson has moved to Vanderbilt, Castaneda believes this is her moment to excel.
I was determined to secure a win this time since I hadn't defeated Josie in the past two years," Castaneda stated. "I thought, 'Well, now that she's not here anymore, I should seize the opportunity. Put forth your best effort because it would allow me to enhance my track wall with new achievements.
Donelson holds the Oregon high school record in the 400 meters with a time of 52.83 seconds set during the Class 6A state championships last year. Castaneda mentioned that she gained significant insight into racing by competing against the all-time top performer in the 400 meters in her state over the past two years.
Castaneda usually excels in the latter part of the race, and she mentioned that Donelson's advantage stemmed from her rapid start. This is an area where Castaneda has concentrated her efforts this year as she aims for state championship glory by season's end.
Castaneda stated, “You must quickly make your move and continue exerting pressure.”
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— Nik Streng He covers high school athletics in Oregon. Contact him at nstreng@oregonian.com or @NikStreng
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