West Linn’s Hayden Williams-Downing wins state javelin title

Published 10:00 pm Friday, May 30, 2025

By Miles Vance

As it turns out, Hayden Williams-Downing finished her last high school javelin competition right where she’d finished so many others – standing atop the awards podium in first place.

Williams-Downing, a West Linn senior, capped her star-studded high school javelin career with a flourish at the Class 6A state track meet on Friday, May 30, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

An Oregon commit, Williams-Downing went unbeaten in the javelin for the second straight year, and in the process, won her second straight 6A title, ending Friday’s competition with a winning mark of 152 feet.

Also a four-time Three Rivers League champion, Williams-Downing dominated at state as she had throughout the regular season, eventually beating Beaverton senior runner-up Alison Pace by more than 22 feet.

“(In) these kind of meets … I am way farther than a lot of the girls, so really, the only competition is … with myself,” Williams-Downing said. “I want to PR. … I want to push myself. I want to do as good as I can, so really, I’m not thinking about anyone else. I’m just thinking about myself and my PR. I am just trying to push myself as far as I can.”

In addition to her state and TRL titles, Williams-Downing recorded a number of other notable accomplishments during her storied high school career, winning at the Oregon Relays two years in a row, notching the third-best throw in the nation at the Jesuit Twilight Relays in 2024, and winning again at the 2024 Nike Outdoor Nationals.

Now, with her high school career nearly behind her – she still has the U20s and nationals this summer – she said Williams-Downing says she’s satisfied with what she accomplished during her years in the Lions’ forest green and gold.

“I was talking about getting state and national records, (and) there’s still two meets, but it didn’t happen in the high school season and that’s okay,” she said. “I’m very happy with how this has gone. You know, as a freshman, I never … imagined that all of this would have … opened a door for myself and I’m very satisfied with how it’s gone.”

Beyond the individual accomplishments, however, Williams-Downing said that the friendships she’s made at West Linn may be even more valuable.

“Honestly … my team this season, it’s been so fun. We’re all so close and I’ve made a lot of friends,” she said. “We’re gonna continue hanging out even outside of track. I’ve made friends that I’m gonna have for a lifetime and I’m really grateful for that. … I don’t want to leave them.”

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