Juma Sei, Maya Rayle put spotlight on Catlin Gabel at Centennial

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Catlin Gabel may be a small, elite private school in Portland's West Hills, but its track team has a dynamic duo who starred in Saturday's 54th annual Centennial Invitational. 

CENTENNIAL INVITATIONAL - RESULTS | MEET VIDEOS 

Juma Sei ran 21.64 to win the 200 meters and also ran a PR 10.80 for second place in the 100. INTERVIEW

Maya Rayle has made a bold move toward becoming the best female distance runner in the state and ran 9:57.40 to win the 3,000. INTERVIEW

In a graduating class of about 80, Sei and Rayle are among a group of eight or nine who are headed to Ivy League schools next fall. 

Sei actually flew east Sunday to be part of a Bulldog Days, for first-year newcomers to Yale University. 

Rayle will begin studies at Harvard in the fall. 

"When we were freshmen or sophomores we came together and it was like, 'Ok, Juma, let's figure this whole college thing out,'" Rayle said. "We talked to a bunch of people together, and went on the same visit to Brown."

Ultimately, Sei and Rayle decided to go separate ways, and will be rivals in future Heptagonal track meets. 

But as seniors together this spring, they are re-writing the school record book for small schools in Oregon (Class 3A out of six classifications). 

"Juma is an amazing teammate," Rayle said. "He's always there for you. He's one of the most genuine and sweet, hard-working people you can meet."

Sei ran a US#12 time of 47.34 in the 400 meters at the Oregon Relays that was the fourth-fastest performance in state history. 

He spent the week thinking about what that means.

"Obviously I felt like a serious runner and felt as if I was taken seriously in the Oregon scene running 48.15 coming in from last year, but 47.3 just seems like it opens a whole new door of possibilities."

Rayle has watched Sei progress for four years as a teammate and was thrilled for him.

"I remember talking to him early in the meet and saying 'Good luck, you're going to break 48 today,'" Rayle said. "I watched his race before I started warming up. He was racing harder than I've ever seen him run before. That last 50 was the first time I've ever seen him look tired."

Sei, Catlin Gabel's student body president, is unsure whether he will have another opportunity to find the competition necessary to drive for another PR. As soon as the Oregon state meet ends (May 19), he will fly to China to visit his father, who works for Intel.

Rayle produced lifetime bests of 4:33.87 (1,500) and 9:51.17 (3,000) at Oregon Relays.

"I'm a sprinter and she's a distance runner," Sei said. "But in talking to one another about our races and how we approach things, we've learned a lot more about the sport. In Maya (I see) a parallel. She has a genuine love for track and a thirst for knowledge and understanding the history of the sport."

Rayle has raised her game this year, going from consistent Class 3A title threat to perhaps the best runner in the state.

"I kind of changed a little of my mindset going into cross country season, just knowing it 's my last year and I wanted to go all out," Rayle said. "I've been riding that energy and transitioning into track."

It was a very good night for the host school, Centennial, at its annual invite. 

In the span of about 20 minutes, the Eagles got big wins from sophomore Jimmie Barton in the 100 (10.78) INTERVIEW, Saifullah Tajik in the 400 (51.45) and Madison McHone in the 100 hurdles (15.27). 

McHone also won the 300 hurdles in 36.82 and led Centennial to the team title with 82 points, edging Clackamas (77). 

Central Catholic, with a 1-2 finish in the 300-meter hurdles from William Mundy and Elijah Elliott, and victories in the 4x100 (42.40) and 4x400 (3:22.28), carried the day with 90 points. Sophomore Joe Nizich added a 197-10 win in the javelin. Centennial was second with 80.5 points.

Brooklyn James of Clackamas ran a PR time of 56.81 in the 400 meters and returned to the track 25 minutes later to run the 800. INTERVIEW She finished second to Sunset's Lucy Huelskamp (2:14.61) with 2:16.93. 

James used the night as an experiment to see how she handles the rigors of the 400-800 double -- plus relays. She may attempt to go for that ambitious individual double at state. 

Franklin's Will Eaton outdueled Wilson's Alex Slenning in a high quality 3,000 meters. Eaton had too much speed at the end and ran a state-leading time of 8:27.90. Slenning was second in 8:29.03. Five runners went under 8:36.