Roosevelt track and field's Aster Jones cements legacy with third 100 title, second win in the 200

Roosevelt High School senior Aster Jones blasted the field in both the girls' 6A 100- and 200 meters at the OSAA track and field state championships on Saturday, May 30, at Hayward Field in Eugene, capturing her fourth and fifth individual state titles, sixth overall.

Though she wasn't quite able to set any new personal bests across the championship races, Jones was content in bringing home yet again more hardware to North Portland.

“It feels really special. I feel like you do hear a lot of negative things about our school,” Aster said. “I really just come here representing my school and my school only, and it’s really good to know my community supports me as well.”

Jones was dominant in both finals, winning in times of 11.53 seconds and 23.33. She won the 100 meters by a whopping 0.33, and held off Michigan-bound and 400-meter state champion Sophia Castaneda of Newberg in the 200 meters by a staggering 0.73.

Overwhelmingly the favorite entering the state meet, Jones fulfilled expectations. She finishes her high school career with three consecutive state titles in the 100 meters and back-to-back state titles in the 200 meters. Add in a 4x100 relay win from last year and Jones finishes her prep career with six total gold medals.

And though she makes it look easy, and maybe it truly is physically, Jones, who's committed to UCLA, still has to navigate the same mental rapids every elite athlete does.

“I think pressure just adds to that drive of wanting to win. I think if I didn’t have that pressure, I wouldn't be as motivated," Jones said. "I take all that and I come here, and I think it helps me bring out the performances that I put out here.”

Following the likes of recent Oregon high school sprinting giants Mia Brahe-Pederson and Sophia Beckmon, along with furthering the family legacy started at Roosevelt by her older sister and University of Oregon sprinter Lily Jones, Aster Jones has become another promising talent in a state that's growing accustomed to producing young track and field superstars.

It's unbelievable to think that her freshman year of high school was her introduction to the sport.

“Since before I did track, those three were such a big inspiration. (In 2022), my sister was a senior and just seeing her and Mia battle head-to-head throughout so many meets was just so inspiring," Jones said. "I think that really gave me the motivation to pursue track. Watching Sophia (sign an NIL deal with Adidas) and continue to get her name out there, it is also really inspiring to see how much talent can come out of a state that you don’t really hear about as far as track goes.”

The Roughriders produced only one other podium finish, but it was almost as impressive. Senior Lucas Moreira, who, according to athletic(dot)net, competed in his first high school season this year, set a new personal best of 6 feet, 3.50 inches in the boys 6A high jump to finish fifth.