Fresh off record-setting performance, Oregon City boys looking to make more noise at 6A track championships

The Pioneers 4x100 relay team recently set a state record with a time of 41.00

Oregon City’s (from left) Keaton Moore, Easton Hunt and Colin Smith celebrate after the Pioneers’ 4x100-meter state-record run of 41.00 seconds at the Three Rivers League district championships. / Dan Brood

OREGON CITY — Entering the Three Rivers League district track and field championships, the Oregon City boys 4x100-meter relay team already boasted the state’s fastest time this season.

The Pioneers team of senior Easton Hunt, junior Chase Borden, sophomore Colin Smith and senior Keaton Moore set the 2025 Oregon standard of 41.73 seconds when the Oregon City team played host to Tualatin in a league dual meet May 7.

Impressive? Sure. But the Pioneers wanted more — much more.

And on the second day of the Three Rivers League championships, they got it — in a big, big, big way.

Oregon City’s (from left) Chase Borden, Easton Hunt, Keaton Moore and Colin Smith with their state-record time of 41.00 at the finish line at Friday’s Three Rivers League district championships. / Dan Brood

In the TRL 4x100 finals, held Friday at Pioneers Memorial Stadium, the Oregon City foursome went from having the fastest time this season to having the fastest time in state history, setting a state record of 41.00.

“That was obviously our goal. We ran a 41.7, and we were shooting for the record after that,” said Moore, who ran the anchor leg for the Pioneers. “It was so surprising. I wasn’t expecting that at all. Our team was jumping up and down. It was really joyful. It was definitely our highlight of the season.”

“We’re very happy. That’s what we’ve been working for all year,” said Hunt, who ran the leadoff leg.  “I think getting a school record was our goal, but the state record was attainable, and we did it. It means a lot. Being in the record book for the school is one thing, but for state is totally different. It’s really amazing.”

Oregon City senior Easton Hunt smiles as he sees the 4x100 relay team’s state-record time of 41.00 on the scoreboard at Pioneer Memorial Stadium. / Dan Brood

“We said that, from the beginning, that was our goal for this year,” said Smith, who ran the third leg. “It’s just a product of our hard work. There was so much put into it. The results on the track are because of the work we put in on a daily basis, and it feels good.”

The Oregon City foursome broke the record of 41.19 set by Sheldon in 2014, meaning the previous record was more than a half-second better than the 41.73 that was the Pioneers’ best mark entering the district meet. So, what led Oregon City to stepping up by so much to set the record?

“Our team is full of a bunch of studs, and we did our thing,” Hunt said.

The Pioneers 4x100 relay team of (clockwise from top) Keaton Moore, Colin Smith, Chase Borden and Easton Hunt take the top spot on the podium at the Three Rivers League district championships. / Dan Brood

Hunt’s fast start definitely seemed to be a key to the record run.

“Leading off, the blocks are scary, you can false start and mess the whole thing up, but I went out there and did what I could,” he said. “I was very pumped up.”

“We had a little bit of a slow start last time,” Smith said. “Today, we just came back and did our thing. All of the training paid off, and we’re feeling good.”

“Honestly, I wasn’t feeling too good myself,” Moore said. “Maybe the weather played a role. We’ve been running in bad weather all year. We finally got some good weather, and I think that played a role. I think everyone understood the impact this team could make. It went very smooth. I’ve been running tight lately, so I was really focusing on running loose, being relaxed.”

Oregon City senior Keaton Moore nears the finish line in the 4x100 at the Three Rivers League district championships. The Pioneers set a state record with their winning time of 41.00. / Dan Brood

Whether it be a good start, running loose or the weather, it all resulted in a state-record run and a jubilant Oregon City celebration after the time showed up on the big scoreboard at Pioneer Memorial Stadium.

During the celebration, Hunt almost seemed to be a bit in awe and a bit overwhelmed. That makes sense, as he’s part of a state record-holding relay team in his very first year competing in high school track.

“This is my first year running track,” Hunt said. “My buddy, Keaton, he got me into it. I’m very glad he did.”

Oregon City senior Easton Hunt, in his first year running high school track, gets the Pioneers off to a fast start in the 4x100 event at the Three Rivers League district championships. / Dan Brood

Now, the Oregon City 4x100 relay team is looking to run to more glory at the upcoming Class 6A track and field state championships, which will be held May 30-31 at Hayward Field in Eugene.

“We went 41.0, so we’re looking to go under that,” Moore said.

“We just need to do the same thing,” Hunt said.

“We just need to rest up, practice, keep practicing, and be ready,” Smith said.

While the record-breaking run by the 4x100 relay team provided the biggest moment at the meet, the Pioneers boys had plenty of other highlights at the TRL district event.

Moore sprinted to victory in the 100 in 10.71.

“The 100 was good,” he said. “I had a way better start than I had in prelims. Once I knew I had a good start, I just said I was going to do what I needed to do to finish that race.”

Oregon City sophomore Colin Smith (center) runs to victory in the 400-meter dash Friday at the Three Rivers League district championships. / Dan Brood

Smith picked up a district title in the 400, where he had a winning mark of 48.20.

“I felt like I got a good start,” Smith said. “I felt good coming through the 200, and I just trusted my training and came through with the win.”

Smith also sprinted to victory in the very competitive 200, where he had a winning time of 21.79, giving him two individual district titles as a sophomore.

“It feels good,” he said. “I just put in the work, and the results are showing that it’s paying off.”

Oregon City sophomore Colin Smith puts his index finger in the air after winning the 400-meter dash at the Three Rivers League district championships. / Dan Brood

Senior Bear Hatch picked up another district title for the Pioneers, triumphing in the javelin with a throw of 171 feet, 11 inches.

Besides all the district champions, the Oregon City boys will have plenty of other competitors at the upcoming state event, as the top two finishers in each event at the district event, as well as those competitors who better state qualifying standards, advance to the 6A championships.

Oregon City senior Tyler Scott was second in the 800 in 1:58.45. Junior Rory Hartley was second in the 110 high hurdles in 15.17. Borden was second in the long jump with a distance of 22-0.25. Borden, who placed third, and junior Trenton Tallmadge, who was fourth, are advancing in the high jump, where they each matched the state qualifying standard of 6-2.25.

Moore was fourth in the 200, but his time of 21.85 bested the qualifying standard of 22.25. That race was so fast and so competitive that seven of the eight finalists had faster times than the qualifying standard.

Oregon City senior Keaton Moore sprints to victory in the 100-meter dash at the Three Rivers League district championships. / Dan Brood

The Oregon City 4x400 relay team of Smith, junior Cole Solari, junior Logan Sorensen and Moore finished third at district with a time of 3:21.00, which bettered the state qualifying standard of 3:22.97.

There’s a possibility the Pioneers could get some additional wild card bids to state.

No matter what, the Oregon City boys should have plenty of momentum on their side going to the state meet, as they claimed the team title at the TRL district championships with 147 points. West Linn was second with 139.

Oregon City junior Rory Smith (center) ran to second place in the 110-meter high hurdles at the Three Rivers League district championships. / Dan Brood

At the state meet, the Oregon City boys, who finished in sixth place in the team standings a year ago, seem to have a chance at winning their first state team championship since 2017.

“I think there is a chance. It’s definitely the biggest chance we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Moore said. “This is the most well-rounded team that we’ve had. We’ve got our jumpers, a few mid-distance guys that are coming up, and we’ve got a hurdler. We’re hoping to bring a lot of guys to state and make an impact there.”

“We’re up there for potentially winning state. We need all of the guys to do their things. We have a really good chance to do it,” Hunt said. “It would be really awesome to do it.”

“The state championship is the goal. State title — we want it. It’s been our goal this whole year, and we know we can do it,” Smith said. “We need to stay focused, stay the course knowing our goal, be fresh, be ready, and come out confident.”

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