Tostenson, Kitchen win individual races and team with Miracle, Schmidt for another title in Boston for Oregon Distance Project

Crater track and field athletes came away with championships in three events recently as part of the Oregon Distance Project, which was competing in the New Balance Nationals in Boston.

A seemingly never-ending tour of triumphant stops for Crater senior standouts Josiah Tostenson and Tayvon Kitchen carried a few more classmates this time around, but still plenty of golden treasure at the finish line of the indoor event.

Tostenson earned the boys two-mile championship, Kitchen won the boys 5,000-meter run championship and, for fun, Oregon Distance Project runners Tostenseon, Kitchen, Max Miracle and Preston Schmidt teamed to win the 4xMile relay to highlight the team’s efforts under the direction of head coach Justin Loftus.

“We’ve been super busy,” Loftus said of the indoor track season. “Guys have been in Seattle twice, Boston three times and Tayvon’s actually been to Chicago as well. They’re crushing it, they’re doing amazing.”

Tostenson and Kitchen have been headliners at events like the Husky Classic and BU Terrier DMR Challenge over the past month or so, and only seem to extend an already stellar resume each time they compete.

Prior to the New Balance Nationals, Tostenson and Kitchen became two of three high schoolers to clock in below four minutes in a historic day for the high school boys mile at the BU Terrier DMR Challenge in Boston.

Tostenson moved to No. 2 all-time indoors with his 3:57.47 effort, and Kitchen joined the sub-four-minute club with a U.S. No. 7 indoor all-time 3:59.61 run.

“Those guys are made of a different material,” said Loftus. “They have something that not the average person has, that’s for sure. With their training cycle, their studies and keeping up on top of school and even doing college visits, too, it’s been somewhat hard to keep up on, but I planned for almost all of it. We threw a couple extras in there — with the sub-four mile attempt, that was extra — but most of the rest of it was planned, so the guys were ready back in December.”

Kitchen got the group off to a fantastic start last Thursday, finishing 12 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor to win the 5,000 in 14 minutes, 1.14 seconds. The mark was a 2025 season best for high school boys, with Bend’s Hayden Boaz placing second (14:13.28).

Kitchen switched off with Zafer Courcelle of Franklin High in Portland in the lead spot until the uncommitted Crater senior took off for the last mile.

“Tayvon played it a little safe for the first probably 800 to 1,2000 (meters),” said Loftus, “and then he popped out.”

On Friday, Tostenson took advantage of a good early push and then held on for victory in 8:46.09 to finish just ahead of Louisiana’s Aiden Monistere (8:46.78).

Tostenson’s mark was the fourth-best U.S. time in 2025 for high school boys, and No. 2 mark in Oregon.

“In Josiah’s two-mile, they had a couple pacers and it got paced out really fast, it was like a 4:17 mile,” said Loftus. “Even he would tell you he was feeling it around 1,800 to 2,000 (meters). He had somebody on his back up until the last 400 and then closed it out.”

On the third day of racing, Tostenson and Kitchen were joined by Miracle and Schmidt in a race the Oregon Distance Project boys typically don’t compete in but most definitely had the legs for in a strong showing.

With each runner taking on one-mile legs, the sophomore Miracle went first and was followed by the junior Schmidt before Kitchen and Tostenson took the track in order in the seeded race.

The quartet finished in 16:59.08 for a seven-second victory over Brothers Track Club (17:06.61).

“We had probably an 80- to 100-meter gap on the leader after Preston got the baton,” said Loftus, “but Tayvon made it up, and then Josiah finished it off that last mile.”

While some running clubs regularly compete in the event, it was kind of a rare outing for the ODP crew and they made the most of it, with their time ranking fifth on the all-time 4xMile list — bumping a 1976 effort by South Eugene.

“It’s all very impressive,” said Loftus. “I just try to manage and keep them hungry, and they seem like they’re having lots of fun week in and week out. I think we’re ready to be done with indoors and move to outdoors, though.”

The Oregon Distance Project also saw Crater junior Claire Davenport finish 32nd overall in the girls high jump at 5 feet, 2.25 inches, while freshman Mari Dunlap posted a 5:21.98 mark in the girls one-mile run.

In the regular “A” heat relays, the girls 4xMile group of Brynn Davenport, Gwen VanWart, Dunlap and Haddie Barsalou was 18th (21.58.81), and the group inserted Claire Davenport for VanWart for the girls distance medley relay and finished in 13:02.73.

The boys DMR crew of Reese Hvall, Grant Headley, Nate Goode and Ivar Hokanson finished in 10:41.35. Miracle and Schmidt joined Goode and Headley to run 8:09.28 in the boys 4×800 relay.

Crater is set to open its outdoor slate at 4 p.m. Thursday with the Crater Classic Invitational at Dutch Meyer Field in Central Point. Athletes from North Medford, South Medford, Eagle Point, Ashland, Cascade Christian and North Valley are also expected to compete.

Reach sports editor Kris Henry at khenry@rv-times.com or 458-488-2035