By Brett Taylor
In the open women’s 3,000 meters Saturday at the Portland Track Festival, Sadie Sigfstead, of Canada, and Fiona Max, of Summit High School in Bend, Oregon, stayed neck-and-neck through each lap, trading the lead multiple times.
Sigfstead finally pulled ahead on the last lap to defend her title with a time of 9 minutes, 45.06 seconds at Lewis and Clark College, more than six seconds ahead of Max.
“I feel pretty good about winning,” Sigfstead said. “There is tons of great competition here, so it means a lot to me.”
Sigfstead, who had won last year’s event with a personal best of 9:44.93, had to fight for the victory against Max, who was the Oregon School Activities Association 6A state 3,000-meter champion this year with a personal best of 9:43.91.
Max had the early lead through the first three laps, but Sigfstead was tucked just behind Max, with only an arm’s distance between them.
“I knew that Fiona had an excellent seed time going into the race and a lot of great accomplishments,” Sigfstead said. “So I just wanted to stick with her, and I knew we’d run a fast time no matter what.”
Around the 4:30 mark, Sigfstead made her move, taking the lead from Max. But Max didn’t let Sigfstead’s lead last for long. Within the next 25 seconds, she retook the lead. From that point, it was a back and forth battle. Sigfstead would slowly pull ahead and then Max would answer right back, retaking the lead.
In the last lap, Sigfstead took control, creating a gap that Max could not make up in the final 100 meters.
“I had no idea who was in the line-up, but I wanted to see who goes with me and pushes me,” Max said. “And ‘fast girl’ definitely pushed me.”
As Sigfstead made her way to the mix zone after her win, a race official offered her the prize for the champion, a beer, not realizing her age, which is 15. Her response: “I’m not even close enough to drink alcohol,” she said, jokingly.
The back-to-back 3,000-meter champion then went to celebrate her victory with her family in the best way that she knows how.
“I think I’m going to go get a burger,” she said. “It’s my favorite thing to eat after a race.”
