Nathan Neil, Dominck Corley, Braelyn Baker, Josie Donelson Headline Weekend Event At The Podium

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Phil Yearian photo

The Podium's indoor track and field will see its 2024 season come to a close this Saturday and Sunday in Spokane, Wash. with the STCU West Coast Championships set to take place and feature some of the top prep standouts from around the Northwest region.

Nike Cross Nationals third-place finisher Nathan Neil headlines the weekend with his entry in both the boys mile and 3,000-meter races. The Bozeman MT senior finished second in both races at last year’s meet behind former teammate Weston Brown, running 4:20.71 in the mile and 8:42.71 in the 3,000.

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Neil, who’s opened the year with 1:56.85 and 4:18.53 efforts in the 800 and 1,600, is set to face his NXN Northwest teammate Noah Laughlin-Hall of Summit OR in both events, along with Great Falls MT’s Ryan Harrington, Summit OR’s Hayden Boaz and Yemane Mulugeta of British Columbia, Canada.

Dominick Corley returns to Spokane following his 13th-place finish in the men’s 60 preliminary at the USATF Indoor Championships in Albuquerque on Feb. 17 as the Mead WA senior is set to race in the 60 and 200.

Corley, ranked U.S. No. 2 in the 60, finished third at last year’s West Coast Championships in the 60.

Braelyn Baker, Josie Donelson and Clara Adams are among the notable returning champions on the girls side in sprint events.

Baker, who won the 60 in last year’s final, is set to race the 60 and 200, while also taking on the long jump competition. Another Washington prep standout, Journey Cole of GLS Speed, will also be in those same events.

Donelson, who won the 400, is slated to race the open 300 and 60 hurdles. The Lake Oswego OR senior is coming off a personal best effort at the USATF Indoor Championships in the 400 where she ran 53.44 to place 10th in the prelim.

Adams of Central Coast Cheetahs out of Salinas, Calif., who won last year’s 300 as an eighth grader, will race in the 60, 200 and 400.

Charlotte Cullen of Mead WA is the top entry in both the girls 800 and mile races, having already ran 2:13.88 in the 800 and 4:57.16 in the mile this indoor season.

Lake Oswego OR’s Ana Peters, the 2022 Oregon 6A state cross country champion, is entered in the girls 3,000.

On the field side, Elise Drake, a 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals third-place finisher in the hammer throw from Kelowna, Canada, will compete in the girls weight throw competition. The University of Hawaii signee threw 161 feet, 8 inches (49.28m) to earn top three at last year’s outdoor nationals at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Tomeko Cates, USATF Junior Olympic runner-up in the decathlon from Mary Walker WA, will compete in both the boys high jump and long jump.

Oregon 6A girls state triple jump champion, Maleigh Canaday-Elliott of McDaniel High in Portland will aim for the event title with the top entry mark of 38-3.75 (11.67m) from this indoor season.

Jack Murray, the 2023 Montana Class AA state runner-up in discus from Gallatin High, will throw in both the boys shot put and weight throw competitions, with Aberdeen WA’s Tyler Bates joining him in the weight throw.

Tualatin OR’s Kyra Bakke, third at the 2023 Oregon 6A State Championships in high jump, enters the girls competition in search of her first win in the event this indoor season.

Chase McGee of Camas WA is the top entry in the boys pole vault with a clearance of 15-8.25 (4.78m). Landry Allen of Hanford WA is top entry in the girls competition, jumping 13-1.75 (4.00m) this indoor season.