Where Are They Now? More than 30 years later, Benson’s 4x400 relay still holds Oregon record

By Dave Ball 

There was no way Benson track coach Leon McKenzie was getting out of the stadium without being soaked. 

The Techmen had just won their first state title in more than 50 years, highlighted by their 1,600-meter relay team breaking the state record in the final race of the day. What awaited McKenzie was no ordinary Gatorade bucket dump. 

Instead of bringing the water to him, the Benson relay was taking McKenzie to the water. Two racers latched onto each of McKenzie’s legs, the other two grabbed his arms and they carried him to the far end of the stadium for a Steeplechase Splash.

“It was great seeing them take their victory lap and seeing all that adrenaline and that sheer joy,” McKenzie said. 

More than 30 years later, the tag team of Vince Watson, Andre Jamison, Jay Miles and Lavon Pierce remains the only group to crack the 3:17 barrier. 

“People have been after that record for a while now,” McKenzie said with a chuckle. “They did all the work we asked them to. They had the talent, but they earned what they accomplished with massive work. They really set the standard for Benson track and field.” 

Benson would win three more boys state titles and seven girls titles under McKenzie’s guidance.

“Giving Coach McKenzie that first title will always be special,” Miles said.

It took a record time to win on that day in 1990, as both Benson and Wilson featured stacked relays that season. The Trojans had reason to be confident entering Hayward Field in Eugene after winning both regular-season showdowns. But Benson knew it had saved its best combination for this day. 

“Wilson really felt like they had the upper hand on us,” Jamison said. “But John Mays (Benson’s sprint coach) was a chess master. He didn’t mind losing a dual meet; he wanted to save his best people for the biggest meets.”

The race started with Benson’s biggest question mark.

Watson, the relay’s only junior, suffered a quadriceps injury late in the season that hindered him at the district meet. Was he healthy enough to get around the opening lap at full speed?

“It was a friendly rivalry between schools. Both of us had a couple sports with some really talented people — it was all about pride,” Watson said. “I felt the gravity of the moment. I wanted to get us out to a good start.”

He did, in fact, get around the track in a flash, keeping the Techmen squarely in the hunt.

Jamison took the baton and zipped around the corner, making up the opening stagger and turning it into a three-team battle between Wilson, Beaverton and Benson. He continued to close the gap late in his leg, coming up on the heels of the lead runners when everything got a little fuzzy.

“It was one of those rainy Oregon days, and back then I wore goggles when I ran,” Jamison said. “Water was getting kicked up into my face and everything was getting blurry.”

Miles was next up for Benson, part of a busy weekend in which he placed third in the triple jump, the 100-meter dash and the short relay.

With one event remaining, did he have enough left in the tank?

Noted for his long stride, Miles made it look effortless as he closed down on the leaders.

“I was able to find a gear on the backstretch to stay in touch,” Miles said. “The guys up front were busy struggling with each other, and they weren’t paying attention to what I was doing behind them.”

Coming into the final exchange, Miles had overtaken Beaverton for second place, leaving the final lap as a showdown between Portland rivals. 

“You should have heard the crowd erupt — it was like an NFL football game,” Jamison said.

Pierce, who won the 200 and 400 finals earlier in the day, was itching to get the baton in his hands.

“I just kept telling myself, ‘Just bring it to me. Just bring it to me’,” Pierce said. “I don’t know if I actually verbalized it, but I let out a, ‘Woot, Woot,’ like a train taking off.” 

Pierce pulled up on Wilson’s Damien Smith and the two went stride for stride down the backstretch. Pierce was measuring his prey, preparing to pounce.

Coming around the final turn, he put on the turbo boosters and surged to the lead, maintaining the edge through the finish. 

The Techmen hit the line in 3:16.82 — beating their record from the season before by more than a second.

“All four of our legs were sub-50s. Teams just don’t have that kind of depth,” Miles said. “The 400 is all about top-end speed and a tolerance for pain. That monkey is going to jump on your back every day in practice, and you have to want to keep going — it takes a different mindset.”

More than 30 years later, the times posted that day remain the fastest two ever run in the state.

“Still, whenever I run into (Wilson coach) Hal Jackson, he always says, ‘How could we run a 3:17 and not win it?’” McKenzie said with a laugh. “They just picked the wrong year. It was a thrilling race.”

Also intact years later is the bond between the members of that team, who continue to exchange Christmas cards and phone calls. Pierce sends out a group text every year on March 16, in honor of the record time, to remind everyone that the mark still stands.

“It’s a brotherhood that has lasted more than 30 years,” Watson said.

Watson played football at Portland State and Boise State. He has spent 18 years in sales management with Michelin, overseeing the company’s East Coast dealers. A gold-framed photo from the podium on that record-setting day sits on his desk at work.

“It’s a company that still has the values of the Michelin family, which fit well with my personal values — basically, respect and treating people well,” Watson said. 

He lives in Troy, Michigan, with Bethany, his wife of 21 years, and their two teenage sons, Evan and Jacob.

Jamison continued his athletic career in college, playing football at Oregon State and Portland State. 

His professional calling was evident much earlier in life. A talkative third-grader growing up in Kansas, Jamison got called out by his teacher for disrupting class.

“She said if I wanted to keep talking, she would reserve the end of class for me to put on a show,” he recalls. “I ended up doing impersonations of The Three Stooges and Elvis and got my classmates laughing. I’ve always been the class clown.”

He lives in Los Angeles and performs stand-up comedy under the stage name Andre Paradise.

“That high you get out competing on the track, it’s the same high you get being on stage,” Jamison said. “Captivating people on stage and putting on a show — it’s a great feeling. We always say doing comedy adds seven years to your life.”

He has an 11-year-old daughter, Mina, who was her age group’s long jump champion at last summer’s Junior Olympics.

Miles was a member of record-setting relays three consecutive seasons at Benson before competing at Washington State University. 

He remains entrenched in the track and field world, spending 16 years coaching at Aloha High School before taking over the Benson program from McKenzie four years ago. 

“It’s good to be back. I have been exactly where they are, wearing those same colors,” Miles said. “I enjoy giving back to a sport that has been a huge part of my life. Track gave me a lot of opportunities, and now I can help put kids on that same path — that is what motivates me.”

He is with Amy, his girlfriend of four years, and has a grown son, Alonzo.

Miles works as a Registered Behavior Technician in the Evergreen School District.

“I’m working with kids who truly need the assistance,” Miles said. “Their disabilities are so severe that it is hard for them to be a part of mainstream society.”

Pierce continued his racing career at the University of Oregon and now works as an Information Technology Engineer with Moda Health. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Twila, for the past 30 years and has two grown children, Jada and Xavier.

He volunteers as an official at area meets and has spent time coaching the Albina Road Runners track club. 

McKenzie continues to coach with the Albina youth club, and he spends plenty of time with his 2-year-old grandson. He and his former sprint coach, Mays, are active on the walking team Classic Soul that competes at various masters meets and has walked the Portland-to-Coast Relay. 

—

All-time Top 50 state leaders