Once Again, Maton and Peloquin Names To Watch At Portland Meadows

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Seeing the last names Maton and Peloquin on the entry list for Saturday's Jim Danner Championship boys race at Nike Portland XC, it's easy to think back to what happened at this meet five years ago. 

In 2013, this event at Portland Meadows was called Pre-Nationals and it was held on virtually the identical course as Nike Cross Nationals that year. (The last NXN at Portland's horse track). 

On a wind-swept, rainy day, Camas WA junior Alexa Efraimson won the girls race by 45 seconds over Grant OR's Ella Donaghu. This race was part of her build-up to the monumental showdown she faced a little more than two months later against Elise Cranny and Sarah Baxter. 

Matthew Maton, then a junior at Summit OR, won the boys race and then went on to take third at Foot Locker. The Gig Harbor WA boys ran a controlled race and easily won the team title that day. The Tide would go on to win the NXN team title. 

Flip ahead five years, and Maton's little brother, Daniel, is a senior at Efraimson's alma mater (Camas). Matthew Maton and Efraimson have been dating for more than two years. 

And Bradley Peloquin, the younger brother of Tristan, a member of the 2013 championship team at Gig Harbor, also figures prominently in Saturday's race. (Older sister Brenna Peloquin, an All-American at Boise State, was also in the 2013 meet). 

Saturday's meet, hosted by Aloha High (of Beaverton), will bring together 135 teams and 5,000 athletes to 17 races ranging from middle school to high school. 

The weather will be nothing like 2013. Forecasts call for 74 degrees and partly cloudy skies. 

Bradley Peloquin has already beaten Daniel Maton once this year, Sept. 15 at the Fort Steilacoom Invitational. Peloquin won that race in 15:22.5, while Maton was 10th in 15:51.2. Peloquin was also fifth at Nike Portland XC last year. 

Camas, however, placed third in a strong field and is one of the favorites this Saturday. Arcadia CA and Long Beach Poly CA are coming north and face a field that includes tradionally strong Northwest programs from Summit OR, Gig Harbor WA, Franklin OR, Sunset OR and Crater OR. 

Peloquin and Maton should be tested by William Frankenfeld of Long Beach Poly CA, who was fifth in the sweepstakes race at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic, Joe Waskom of Mt. Si WA, Crater's Jantz Tostenson, Tanner Sayers of South Medford OR and McMinnville OR's Zane Fodge. 

On the girls side, Summit OR comes in as the favorite with a deep squad that is ranked in the top 10 nationally. The Storm, led by Fiona Max, topped Jesuit OR at the Ash Creek XC Classic two weeks ago. 

Other top teams include Sunset OR, led by Lucy Huelskamp, Arcadia CA, Bellarmine Prep WA and Camas WA. 

Individually, Huelskamp and Max will be joined by Joyce Wu of Arcadia CA, Ashley LaJocies of Eagle ID (fifth at Bob Firman last weekend), Kelsey Swenson of Mountain View OR and Lauren Forster of Coeur d'Alene ID.