Baker's Rasean Jones won both hurdles races during the Ray Uriarte Invitational on May 16, 2025, at Baker High School. (Stephanie Brown/Contributed Photo)

Rasean Jones has run his final race, and competed in his final athletic event, as a Baker Bulldog.

But his legacy, in school and state records and state championships, will last.

Jones capped his junior year by winning both the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles state titles at the Class 4A state meet Saturday, May 31, at Eugene’s Hayward Field.

He repeated the feat he accomplished as a sophomore in 2024 and as a freshman in 2023.

He never lost a hurdles race as a high school athlete at the famed facility on the University of Oregon campus.

And just as he did as a sophomore at the 2024 state meet, Jones set all-time Class 4A records in both races in this year’s state finals.

His time of 37.03 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles broke his own record of 37.38 seconds when he won the 2024 state title. It was also the third-fastest time in the race for any high school level in Oregon.

Jones’ time of 13.84 seconds in the 110 hurdles broke his own Class 4A state record of 13.96, set in the 2024 state finals. He is the only 4A hurdler to break 14 seconds in the event, and his time ranks second all time, at any level, behind only David Douglas’ Bob Gray, who ran 13.73 seconds in 1988.

But even as Jones was breaking his own records Saturday night, he admits the experience was “bittersweet” since it was the last time he would wear Baker’s purple and gold.

Jones’ family is moving to Idaho, and he will attend Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian for his senior year starting this August.

“I was glad to do everything I was able to do, running for Baker,” Jones said on Sunday, June 1. “I wouldn’t change anything. I’m pretty happy with what happened, ending on a good note.”

Jones has set five BHS records over the past three years. In addition to the two hurdles races, he also broke school records earlier this spring in the long jump and the 400-meter dash. He was also a member of the 4×400 relay team that set a school record in 2024.

In addition to his exploits on the track, Jones was a standout wide receiver on the Baker football team, and he was a member of the Bulldogs’ two-time state championship basketball squad in 2024 and 2025, playing for his dad, coach Jebron Jones, and with his brother, senior Isaiah Jones.

Rasean Jones said he’s “definitely excited” about the new challenges competing at a larger high school in Rocky Mountain.

“It will be good for me to be a little uncomfortable, to be in a position I haven’t been in before,” he said.

Jones said he plans to play football in college, and potentially consider competing in track although not initially as he adjusts to college.

Multiple Division I colleges have offered him scholarships, but Jones said he is focusing on Oregon State and Boise State, both of which he will visit later in June.

Threepeat at the state meet

Jones easily won the 110-meter hurdles on Saturday, winning by more than 1 second over Eli Oelkers of Crook County.

But the 300-meter hurdles final was a different matter.

River McClure of The Dalles ran a slightly faster time than Jones in the preliminaries on Friday.

“I came into the race knowing it wasn’t going to be easy,” Jones said.

Until he neared the finish, he said he didn’t realize how close McClure was to him.

“With three hurdles to go I felt he was right behind, so I said it’s time to go,” Jones said.

McClure’s time of 37.22 seconds would have been the fastest Class 4A time in the event — if not for Jones’ 37.03.

Jones said he talked with McClure after the race. He said they both were happy to have had such stiff competition in the state finals.

“It definitely helped me,” Jones said.

Jones said he was “blessed with this athletic ability,” and he thanked his coaches, including Baker head coach Suzy Cole, with helping him hone his technique over the past three years.

He said Cole reminded him before Saturday’s two finals that although the moment was big, it wasn’t too big, and that he should have fun.

“It’s what I’ve worked for all season,” he said.

Cole said Jones capped his Baker career with “another incredible meet.”