Locally, it's no secret 2018 Tigard athlete Braden Lenzy is fast.
But he's beginning to build a national reputation as well.
At this weekend's Under Armour All-American Los Angeles regional, Lenzy competed against many of the West region's top football talents, and earned his place as one of two Los Angeles finalists for the iLLSPEED Finals in Baltimore on April 23.
The iLLSPEED test measures burst, agility, quick reaction, footwork and speed.
Here's a description of the event, courtesy of Rivals: "Competitors got two individual runs through the drill where they began two yards behind the start line, burst out of their stance once the red light on the first gate is illuminated and then were off to the races."
Lenzy advances to the finals alongside cornerback Olijah Griffin, both of whom are rated four-star prospects:
Athlete Braden Lenzy and cornerback Olaijah Griffin winners of illSPEED following UA camp https://t.co/2eQBHJppjI pic.twitter.com/DyqgFnLTA4
-- Erik McKinney (@EMcKinneyESPN) February 19, 2017
While Lenzy's advancement to the finals is certainly noteworthy, it was not unexpected for the local track star.
Perhaps equally eye-opening was the finish of South Medford wide receiver Chase Cota.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound pass-catcher, who holds early offers from Oregon, Oregon State, USC and others, is an elite route-runner with strong hands and a nose for the football.
His lone knock early in his high school career? A lack of speed.
Cota quelled much of that discussion with a laser-timed 4.6 40-yard dash last year, but he buried all doubt this weekend, nearly advancing to the regional final despite his long, muscular frame.
Two Oregon prospects, @blspeedy21 and @ccota_ with the close finish in the #illspeed Finals at the UA All-America camp in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/lyA5MoHILQ
-- Kevin Wade (@KwadeSays) February 19, 2017
Both Oregon coach Willie Taggart and Oregon State coach Gary Andersen have publicly discussed the importance of keeping the state's top talent at home.
That will be imperative in the 2018 recruiting cycle, as Lenzy and Cota are joined by several athletes who have earned national recognition, including bubble five-star athlete Talanoa Hufanga (Crescent Valley), four-star offensive linemen Dawson Jaramillo (Lake Oswego) and Travis Spreen (Jesuit), four-star athlete Trey Lowe (Jesuit) and four-star linebacker Eli'Jah Winston (Central Catholic).
-- Andrew Nemec
anemec@oregonian.com
@AndrewNemec
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