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100 greatest girls athletes in Oregon high school sports history (Part 1)

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100 greatest girls athletes in Oregon high school sports history (Part 1)


On Feb. 3, 1987, President Ronald Reagan signed Proclamation 5606, declaring Feb. 4, 1987, National Women in Sports Day.

Every year since, National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) celebrates female athletes’ accomplishments and honors the progress women in sports have made toward equality in participation and access.

Wednesday, Feb. 4, is the 40th NGWSD.

A year ago, longtime high school sports writer René Ferrán unveiled for High School On SI a list of the 50 greatest girls athletes in Oregon high school sports history.

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Headed up by St. Mary’s Academy legend Anna Maria Lopez through No. 50 Ashley Smith of Oregon City, the list celebrated the rich history of the state’s top female athletes on the 39th anniversary of the creation of NGWSD.

Now, with NGWSD turning 40 this month, The Oregonian/OregonLive tasked Ferrán with adding to the list another 50 athletes who have made significant contributions to the state’s high school sports scene.

We’ll be counting down all week, starting today with No. 100 through No. 91. (The year listed beside each name is the year she graduated from high school.)

Let’s celebrate together the best of the best and their many achievements in their favorite sports.

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100. Piper Daskalos, Jesuit, 2023 (lacrosse)

The Crusaders picked up the mantle as the state’s preeminent girls lacrosse program from Lake Oswego at the end of last decade, ending the Lakers’ three-year championship streak in 2019 to start a run of five consecutive state titles for the Southwest Portland school.

One of the leaders of the changing of the guard was Daskalos, an attacker and midfielder who played on three title-winning teams from 2021-23, earning state player of the year honors in 2022, when she had 62 goals and 21 assists.

She repeated as a USA Lacrosse Magazine All–American her senior year, playing through a broken thumb during the postseason to net three goals in a 15-10 victory over Lake Oswego in the 2023 final. She went on to play at Johns Hopkins University, where she was an Academic All-Big Ten selection last year.

99. Sari-Jane Jenkins, South Salem, 2005 (softball, volleyball, basketball)

Jenkins grew up as the only girl among seven siblings, and she told a reporter at the University of Oregon newspaper, “I worshiped the ground my brothers walked on. I really look up to my brothers as role models.”

One older brother, Andy, starred for the Oregon State baseball team and played six years in the minor leagues, getting as high as Triple-A. Another, Riley, helped Linfield win the NCAA Division III football national championship in 2004.

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And Sari-Jane? She earned 11 letters in three sports with the Saxons, twice making the all-state softball team as a catcher before moving to the outfield when she joined the Ducks, where she was a four-year starter and three-time all-Pac-10 selection. She is second on the school’s career stolen base list with 96 and seventh in hits with 230.

98. Isabella Thorndike, Ashland, 2008 (skiing)

Thorndike won the Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association (OISRA) combined state title in 2006 and 2007 — denying Olympian Jacqueline Wiles the overall title in 2007, the Canby skier’s senior season — and placed second as a senior in 2008.

While Thorndike twice won the overall championship, she never won an individual event title. She twice finished second in the giant slalom and placed third in the slalom each of her final three seasons.

Thorndike didn’t pursue a racing career after college, instead translating her love of the outdoors to becoming a floral design artist in the Medford area and exhibiting with Art Beyond.

97. Rebecca Kim, McNary/Tigard, 2006 (golf)

Kim completed her high school career as a three-time state champion, winning her first two clad in the blue and white of McNary before transferring to Tigard for her final season.

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She was the first girl to win three solo titles in a row, twice winning by 10 strokes, and she had a then-state-record round of 69 in each of her three championships.

Rebecca Kim won three consecutive individual state titles golfing for McNary (two) and Tigard (one).Frederick D. Joe

After her senior year, she won the Oregon Golf Association’s Public Links Championship and the Tournament of Champions, then headed to Duke University, where she played for two years before turning professional.

She played in six USGA events — the 2005 U.S. Girls’ Junior, the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2006-07, the U.S. Women’s Public Links in 2007-08 and the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open.

96. Stephanie Horton, Tigard, 2007 (track and field)

Nine years ago, The Oregonian/OregonLive asked whether anyone would break several of the state’s longest-held track and field records. While some of them have fallen since that time, one that stands is Horton’s 2005 mark in the shot put.

Horton became the first girl in state history to break the 50-foot barrier at an April 27, 2005, dual meet in Forest Grove, throwing 52 feet, 7 inches — the best throw of the year nationally and breaking North Valley’s Christy Ward’s previous state record by almost four feet.

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Stephanie Horton
Many of the state’s track and field records have been broken in recent years, but the shot put mark set by Tigard’s Stephanie Horton has stood for two decades.Sol Neelman

She won the 4A state titles in the shot put and discus that year before heading to the University of Kansas, where as a freshman she won bronze in the shot at the U.S. Junior National Championships.

As a Jayhawks junior, she was an All-American with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, throwing 54-2.5 to set the school record (since broken by Alexandra Emilianov).

95. Taylor Wallace, Henley, 2008 (track and field, cross country)

Wallace won 10 individual state championships and three relay titles with the Hornets, becoming the first Oregon runner to win the 1,500- and 3,000-meter gold medals four consecutive years.

She holds the 4A state record in the 800 and 1,500, although she never ran the 800 at the state meet. She did run the 400 as a senior, placing fourth — and then came back to anchor the Hornets to a third victory in the 4×400 to cement the team championship.

Taylor Wallace
Henley legend Taylor Wallace won 15 high school gold medals in cross country and track.Klamath Falls Herald and News

Wallace won two 4A cross country state championships, running the fastest time of the four title-winners as a junior and winning Gatorade Runner of the Year as a junior and senior.

After her senior season, she finished third in the 1,500 at the Pan American Junior Championships in 4:31.76 and won the 2009 Steve Prefontaine Award as Oregon’s best high school runner. She then ran at the University of Oregon, where she became a steeplechaser, qualifying for the NCAA championships in 2012.

94. Kennedy Blanton, Forest Grove, 2025 (wrestling, soccer, track and field)

As girls wrestling continues to increase in popularity, Blanton’s state-record 163 wins likely will fall one day, but until then, the two-time 6A/5A state champion and four-time finalist sits atop the list for most wins and most pins (126) during her four years in a Vikings singlet.

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Kennedy Blanton
Forest Grove’s Kennedy Blanton holds the Oregon girls wrestling records for victories and pins.Mark Ylen

Blanton wasn’t just a standout on the wrestling mat. She was a four-time 6A state qualifier in the pole vault, winning a district title as a freshman and clearing 10 feet in all but two meets her final two seasons. Her steady vaulting never resulted in making the podium at state, as tiebreakers kept her from medaling three times.

She also was a midfielder on the soccer team, playing varsity all four years as the Vikings won 38 games during that time. She decided not to wrestle in college and is attending Oregon State.

93. Madison Odiorne, Summit, 2015 (golf)

Odiorne made history at Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis on May 19, 2015, when she carded an even-par 72 to finish at 4-under 140, tying Daniele Giles of Crater atop the 5A leaderboard to secure a piece of her fourth state title.

Odiorne became the first Oregon golfer (boy or girl) to win four individual championships at any classification. She almost didn’t achieve that distinction — as a freshman, she finished behind Churchill senior Caroline Inglis, who was going for her fourth title, but Inglis was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.

Madison Odiorne
Madison Odiorne of Summit made Oregon history by becoming the state’s first golfer to win four individual state championships.Randy L. Rasmussen

Odiorne’s victory her senior year garnered her the National High School Senior Girls’ Golfer of the Year award from the National High School Coaches Association. Later that year, she won the Future Collegians World Tour girls 13-19 division title.

The two-time Junior America’s Cup team member played at Washington State, where she had three top-10 finishes and seven in the top 20 before graduating and pursuing a medical career. She is now a board-certified physician assistant in cardiology at the Bend Heart and Lung Center.

92. Jamie Stone, Centennial, 2017 (swimming)

Stone dominated the sprints during her four seasons at the Gresham school, becoming the first Oregon swimmer to win four state titles in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles.

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She broke the state record in the 100 freestyle as a junior, winning her third championship in 49.46 seconds. Wilsonville’s Helena Jones broke the record in 2023, but Stone still holds the 6A mark.

Jamie Stone
Jamie Stone graduated from Centennial with her name all over the Oregon high school swimming record book.Miles Vance

Stone never broke the state meet record in the 50 free but held the state record of 22.68 that stood until Kaitlyn Dobler of Aloha surpassed it four years later.

Stone swam at the University of Arizona, where she was a stalwart on the Wildcats freestyle relay teams, earning All-American honorable mention in the 200 and 800 relays as a freshman and sophomore.

91. Sarah Conner, Central Linn, 2019 (wrestling, softball, volleyball, basketball)

Conner was one of the pioneers of girls wrestling in the state, joining North Medford’s Kyleigh Lopez her senior year as one of the first four-time girls state titlists. Lopez and Conner won their first three at OSAA exhibition meets, and they helped the OSAA inaugurate the official girls state championships, with Conner earning the 135-pound title.

Conner was a five-time USA Wrestling All-American, winning a Fargo Cadet national title in 2017, and a three-time Junior National All-American. She was the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Outstanding Female Wrestler of the Year for the state as a senior.

That spring, she was a first-team 2A/1A all-state selection as an outfielder for the Cobras softball team, the second time she was an all-state honoree (she made the second team as a sophomore). She was a second-team all-league volleyball player, and she made the 2A all-tournament first team after helping Central Linn place fourth in the state in basketball.

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The Oregonian/OregonLive will be counting down the state’s 100 greatest girls athletes throughout the week. Check back Tuesday for Part 2 of the series.



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Oregon Ducks Recruiting Target Darius Johnson Announces Finalists

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Oregon Ducks Recruiting Target Darius Johnson Announces Finalists


The Oregon Ducks have been progressing through the class of 2027 with hopes of landing some of their top target’s commitment on both the offense and the defense.

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With many names left on the board, the Ducks have started to receive some great news, including some news from someone they have been targeting since they offered back in January of 2025.

Darius Johnson Releases His Top Four Schools

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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning takes the field as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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One of the Ducks top targets’ in the 2027 class at the cornerback position is Darius Johnson. Johnson recently released his top schools with Hayes Fawcett, as he is entering a crucial part of his recruitment. The four schools he has listed at the top include the California Golden Bears, Michigan Wolverines, UCLA Bruins, and the Oregon Ducks.

Johnson is one of the better cornerbacks in the country. He currently ranks as the nation’s No. 178 prospect in the country, No. 20 player at the position, and the No. 14 player in the state of California, according to Rivals. Landing his commitment would be major for any of the schools, as he is someone who could see the field early due to his size, and his growing ability to lockdown a side of the field all by himself.

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More About Darius Johnson

Dec 31, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning during the Rose Bowl head coaches press conference at Sheraton Grand LA. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Johnson currently measures in at 6-1 and 155 pounds, and will be someone who continues to add weight through his high school program, and will eventually have the chance to really improve his frame when he gets to college. As of now, each of the four schools has a solid chance to win its recruiting battle, but there seems to be a clear leader at this moment.

The leader for the Ducks target seems to be the Michigan Wolverines, who have the only scheduled official visit at this moment. It seems likely that the talented prospect will schedule his other official visits sooner rather than later now that he has officially cut down his list. If the Ducks want to land his commitment, they will need to get him on an official visit because they are likely trailing at this point.

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What If He Committed to Oregon Today?

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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If he were to commit to the Ducks today, he would be the ninth commitment for the Ducks in the class of 2027. He would also be the third cornerback commit for the Ducks in the class of 2027, which is a position they have been recruiting heavily. The cornerbacks the Ducks have at this moment are four-star Ai’King Hall from the state of Alabama and four-star Josiah Molden from the state of Oregon.

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Some of their other commits at this moment include four-star EDGE Rashad Streets, four-star defensive linemen Zane Rowe, and four-star EDGE Cameron Pritchett. This class is shaping up to be another top-five class if the pieces continue to fall into place for Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff.

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Oregon Tight End Jamari Johnson Speaks Openly About New Role

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Oregon  Tight End Jamari Johnson Speaks Openly About New Role


Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson, after an impressive 2025 season with the Ducks, now becomes the leader at his position following the departure of star Kenyon Sadiq to the NFL. 

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With an Oregon offense set to return several top stars and bring in two talents at the tight end position, Johnson looks to not only improve as a leader but build off his impressive 2025 season, in which he recorded 32 receptions for 510 yards and three touchdowns. 

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Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson hauls in a touchdown reception as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here’s everything Johnson had to say during his media appearance following Oregon’s scrimmage on Saturday, with the spring game on the horizon. 

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Everything Tight End Jamari Johnson Said After Spring Scrimmage

What He Learned From Playing With Tight End Kenyon Sadiq:

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Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) looks on before the game against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

“So many, but one is training. Everybody in this facility harps on it, and it’s just a standard here. It’s like him from last year, that man strained his guts out almost every play. I just feel like I got to do the exact same thing or even more to uphold the standard.”

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Stepping Up At Tight End:

“It just changed because obviously Kenyon leaving somebody has to step up and be a leader in the room, and me being one of the older guys, it just happens to be me. I just accepted that role, and I actually kind of like it, getting these young guys going, getting them in the playbook and getting them used to college football.”

Participating Again In Spring Practice:

“It feels good coming back. Feels like I have something to prove for me personally, I feel like I haven’t really done anything in college football. I feel like this year is that year for me to show everybody what I’m about.” 

On Tight Ends Kendre Harrison and Andrew Olesh:

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July 27, 2024; Eugene, OR, USA; Kendre Harrison part of the top-ranked recruits flocked to Eugene for the 2024 Oregon Ducks Saturday Night Live ; Mandatory credit: Zachary Neel-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images | Ducks Wire-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Both good dudes, they both got that dog in them. Andrew, he came from Penn State. He’s been coming along well, getting in the playbook. Kendre, he’s a big, tall guy, getting in the playbook too. They’ve been getting after it, man. It’s been good taking them under my wing. Hopefully, we just get going this year.”

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Goals and Expectations Ahead of Spring Game:

“I’ll say one expectation that we really try to harp on in the room is just going 100 percent. That’s with your effort, that’s with knowing the plays and just giving it your all. A goal is just to get in that endzone. That’s one of the goals for the tight end room right there.” 

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Why He Returned to Oregon:

“Like I said earlier, to me, I felt like I haven’t really done anything in college football. That was one of the reasons, and another is I wouldn’t say I’m not ready for the NFL, but like that’s pretty much what I’m getting at, is just like I have a lot of stuff to work on that’s within footwork and hand placement, block in the run game, and route details. Getting to the right depth and just touching up everything I can so when I get to the NFL, there’s none of those problems, it’s just the big problems I have to fix.” 

How Reps Helped Him Improve:

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Oregon’s Jamari Johnson, left, pulls down a reception on his way to a first-quarter touchdown against James Madison at Autzen Stadium in Eugene Dec. 20, 2025. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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“It really helped me. Last year, we ran a lot of twelve personnel at the end of the season because we had a couple of injuries, but that really helped me. This year, I feel like I’m coming in rolling off the ground. It’s just so much more fluent, and those reps really helped me with the playbook. Playbook is way easier now, and I’m getting a good feel for it.”

His Leadership Traits:

“I like to get the guys going. I have a real voice on the field, and if y’all hear me on the field, I get the guys going. I wouldn’t say I’m a vocal leader, but I lead by example. Vocal leader, probably something I need to work on.”

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On New Offensive Coordinator Drew Mehringer:

“It’s been different. They’re two different people, coach (Will) Stein and coach Drew. My guy’s getting us going. I’m excited for this season.”

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Supporting Dakorien Moore At Track Meet:

Nov 14, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) watches teammates warm up before a game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

“Yesterday, that touched my heart, man. Just all of us going out there, and it wasn’t even just for Dakorien. It was really for Oregon. It was just more for Dakorien because we see him every day. That really touched my heart, and the connection is just unbelievable. I don’t think many people are doing that for their teammates.”

Quarterback Dante Moore’s Growth:

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“That guy has his head on his shoulders at all times. He’s been growing consistently, but it’s a couple of different things. I probably can’t name them right now, but he’s been having his head on his shoulders. He’s just been on the climb.”  

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Oregon man mounted a jet engine on a 60-year-old fishing boat to blast around a lake and thinks he may have set a world record

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Oregon man mounted a jet engine on a 60-year-old fishing boat to blast around a lake and thinks he may have set a world record


A man from Oregon has unveiled something truly crazy after he added a jet engine to the back of a 60-year-old fishing boat – and he suspects he might have broken a world record.

YouTuber Robert Maddox from CrazyRocketman mounted a pulsejet engine and its 230lbs of thrust to the back of a 1965 12-foot Sears fishing boat.

A wild juxtaposition by any standard, and the video he posted on YouTube confirms that as the diminutive boat roars away.

But did the YouTuber actually actually get the record?

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How does this 1965 Sears fishing boat get its power?

The video shows the Oregon man hurling the boat around a lake, with the engine glowing behind him.

Strapped to the back of the boat is a pulsejet engine that produces 230lbs of thrust.

Pulsejet engines are smaller, lighter jet engines with combustion occurring in pulses.

Such is their simplicity that they can be made with few or even no moving parts at all.

Engines like these were used on the German V-1 Flying Bomb from World War II.

These were the Argus As 014 engines, the very first pulsejet ever to be mass-produced.

It is a smaller and even simpler version of these that Maddox has put on the back of his boat.

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The funny noise they make comes from the way in which the jet makes its power.

This old boat could be a record holder

In his video, Maddox had clearly enjoyed his outing on the boat.

“Man, this boat really is super controllable,” he said, highlighting the ease with which it handles.

The video suggested there are a few niggles still to sort out on the boat.

“It was making all kinds of fuel noises, I’ve probably got a fuel pump out or something,” he added.

Yet this isn’t the end of the road for this particular project.

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“I’m going to do a lot with this boat, and put a twin engine on it,” Maddox said in the video.

Given the speed of the vessel, with two pulsejet engines, this should rocket through the water.

That means another world record could be up for grabs for the Oregon YouTuber.

If there was any doubt over a world record with one engine, two engines should end the debate in an instant.

Jet engine timeline

150 AD – Hero of Alexandria invents the aeolipile, a steam-powered device demonstrating the basic jet principle

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1930 – Frank Whittle successfully patents the first design for a working gas turbine jet engine

1937 – Hans von Ohain tests his first centrifugal turbojet engine prototype in Germany

1939 – The Heinkel He 178 makes the first successful flight powered entirely by a jet engine

1941 – The Gloster E.28/39 completes the first British jet flight using Whittle’s engine design

1944 – The Messerschmitt Me 262 enters combat service as the world’s first operational jet fighter

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1949 – The de Havilland Comet makes its maiden flight to become the first commercial jet airliner

1958 – The Boeing 707 enters commercial service and officially kicks off the global Jet Age

1969 – Concorde takes off for the first time to pioneer supersonic passenger jet travel


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