Warmer Weather A Key Factor In Beckmon's No. 7 All-Time Long Jump Last Weekend

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

John Nepolitan photos

Best friends from nearby high schools, Mia Brahe-Pedersen of Lake Oswego and Sophia Beckmon of Oregon City, are the can't-miss stars of Friday's Nike/Jesuit Twilight Relays. 

Building upon last weekend's record-breaking performances, the two of them will be greeted by something they both covet: an 86-degree day. 

Wednesday brought the first 70-degree day to Portland since last October. 

The heat coming late in the week is well-timed for the Jesuit meet, which features elite 100-meter dashes and miles in the prime evening hours. 

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Brahe-Pedersen anchored her Lakers squad to an all-time state best in the 4x200 last week and also ran the fastest auto-timed 100 yards (10.48) in prep history at the Oregon Relays. 

Beckmon, who will face Brahe-Pedersen in the 100, soared to a No. 7 all-time prep mark in the long jump (US#1 21-4.25) last Saturday at the Gear Up Eason Invitational in Snohomish, Wash. That was a lifetime best by more than six inches for the two-time Nike Outdoor Nationals champion. 

"Finally getting to run in warm-ish weather made a really big difference to me," Beckmon said via text. "I believe after running a really good 100 prelim, it got me warmed up perfectly for my jumps."

Beckmon ran personal best times of 11.50 and 23.47 to win the 100 and 200 as well -- times that make her the fourth-fastest in Oregon history in the 100, third-fastest in the 200. 

Brahe-Pedersen's best this spring are 11.17 to win the Arcadia Invitational 100 meters and 23.01 in the 200. 

Both of them could rise even higher on the all-time prep lists on Friday. 

In March, Brahe-Pedersen and Beckmon finished 1-2 in the 200 meters at Nike Indoor Nationals at The Armory in New York. 

The Twilight Relays have historically produced fast sprint times. Micah Williams of Benson ran his fastest high school 100 at Jesuit, 10.21 for an all-time Oregon record, during his junior year of 2019. (His senior season was lost to the COVID-19 pandemic). 

In last year's girls race, Brahe-Pedersen edged out Lily Jones of Roosevelt, 11.45 to 11.46, in cool and damp conditions. Beckmon was third in 11.86.

Andrew Walker from South Medford is the top entry in the boys 100 this time, with a best this season of 10.64. 

The boys mile is also loaded. Tyler Sainsbury of Rocky Mountain ID, US#2 in the 1,600 meters with 4:04.91, will race Roosevelt's Will Heslam, Crater's Tyrone Gorze and Josiah Tostenson, Central Catholic's Wes Shipsey, Wilsonville's Carter Cutting, Ida B. Wells' Kai Mitchell-Reiss, Valor Christian CO's Drew Costelow and Bishop Blanchet WA duo William Schneider and Vincent Recupero, Bozeman's Weston Brown and Jesuit's Jacob Nenow.

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Last year, 12 boys broke 4:10 and Caleb Lakeman of Tualatin won it in 4:04.46. 

Gorze won the mile last weekend at the Oregon Relays in 4:08.30. Heslam became the fourth Oregon prep to break 1:50 in the 800 meters as he won at Hayward Field with US#5 :1:49.79. 

Anna Callahan of Skyline WA is the favorite in the girls mile. The ninth-place finisher at last December's Nike Cross Nationals has a best of 4:45.29 for 1,600 this season. 

Barrett Justema and Ella Thorsett of Summit, Lauren Ayers of Tualatin, Emma Bennett of Jesuit, Rebecca O'Keefe of Skyline WA and Ana Peters of Lake Oswego are leading contenders.