TILLAMOOK -- Siuslaw continued its impressive season with a convincing sweep of the boys and girls individual and team titles at the West Coast Classic cross country meet at Alderbrook Golf Course on Friday.
Siuslaw senior Rylee Colton won the girls race in 19:16.50, leading five Vikings in the top 13 places to win the team title over St. Mary’s Academy, 34-43. Tillamook finished third with 82 points and Newport was fourth with 99.
Neah-Kah-Nie senior Jordan White was second in 19:28.90 and St. Mary’s Academy junior Sadie Drucker was third in 19:39.20. Newport senior Aliya Larsen (19:51.20) also broke 20 minutes.
Siuslaw senior Chad Hughes looked strong winning the boys race in 16:05.00, a 24-second personal best, leading the Vikings to the team title with 25 points.
“I had a lot of fun,” Hughes said. “Yesterday I was talking with a friend and they asked me why I ran. I had to think about that and on the bus ride up here, we had some time, so I thought about it. I went out and just tried to have fun. The whole race was just giddy pleasure, even the pain, it was just fun.”
Hughes loved the layout at the golf course, mostly flat with some rolling hills, and the weather was fantastic for mid-October cross country running near the Oregon coast, partly sunny in the mid-60s.
“This course is amazing,” Hughes said. “It was flat, it was fast, it was just a super fun course.”
Hughes led a 1-2-3 Vikings finish with five runners in the top 10 overall.
“We’ve been practicing well,” Hughes said. “We know we are pretty good, based on rankings and how we have run so far.”
Siuslaw juniors Samuel Ulrich (second in 16:27.70) and Kyle Hughes (third in 16:50.60) gave the Vikings a 1-2-3 finish. Newport senior James Lackey also broke 17-minutes in 16:58.50. Newport finished second in the boys race with 100 points, followed by Astoria (107) and Tillamook (114).
Hughes and his teammates are not taking their No. 1 ranking in the OSAA coaches poll for granted.
“We used to be an underdog team,” Hughes said. “We know there are teams that are trying to get us, so we show up every single day to practice to get better and better.”
Asked about what’s ahead for the final three weeks of the season, Hughes said it's all about the state meet.
“I think we are just trying to stay healthy and get ready for the championship race,” Hughes said. “A lot of us are clawing for the individual title, trying to get one-percent better every single day.”
A look at other meets this week:
Harrisburg Gatorade Challenge, at Harrisburg HS, Monday
Girls -- Central Linn sophomore Katja Griffith won in 21:38.7 and Pleasant Hill freshman Elle Epperson was second in 22:01.7. Harrisburg had the only complete team. Team Scores: Harrisburg 15.
Boys -- Mohawk senior David Rowe won in 18:08.2 ahead of Harrisburg freshman Luke Cheek (18:17.9) who led the Eagles to the team title over Country Christian, 35-44. Team Scores: Harrisburg 35, Country Christian 44, Willamette 64, Pleasant Hill 96, Douglas 102.
Estacada Invite, at McIver Park, Wednesday
Girls -- Estacada junior Heather Shaver won a close race in 20:58.4 over Blanchet Catholic senior Emma Lutz (second in 21:04.4) and Madras junior Hannah MacDuffee (third in 21:13.90), leading the Rangers to the team title.. Team Scores: Estacada 20, Riverdale 35.
Boys -- Ridgefield (Wash.) junior Liam Rapp won in 18:08.90, leading a 1-2-3 finish as the Spudders dominated the team race with 24 points. Molalla senior Riley Reynolds was the first Oregon finisher in fourth (18:20.70). Team Scores: Ridgefield 24, North Marion 77, Corbett 94, Molalla 98, Estacada 118, Gladstone 136, Riverdale 142, Sheridan 171.
Max King Invite, in Central Point, Wednesday
Girls -- Ashland senior Grace Yaconelli won by more than a minute in 18:24.67, while North Medford junior Estella Gutches was second in 19:25.71 to lead the Black Tornado to the team title by one point over the Grizzlies, 45-46. Phoenix junior Kyla Potratz was third in 19:37.62. Team Scores: North Medford 45, Ashland 46, Klamath 74, Phoenix 87, Crater 97, South Medford 179, Henley 210.
Boys -- Crater junior Tyrone Gorze stayed undefeated on the season, winning his fifth consecutive race in 15:36.51 to lead five Comets in the top 15 places to outdistance South Medford for the team title, 33-53. Crater freshman Josiah Tostenson was second in 15:50.50 ahead of Ashland junior Nathan Stein (15:54.57) and Comet sophomore Jeffrey Hellman (15:57.31). Team Scores: Crater 33, South Medford 53, Hidden Valley 113, Ashland 126, Klamath Union 134, Phoenix 147, North Medford 154, Cascade Christian 216, Henley 251, Grants Pass 253.
Clash in the Cascades, at Black Butte Ranch, Thursday
Girls -- Philomath freshman Adele Beckstead ran to victory in 20:11.70, leading five Warriors in the top 17 places to win the team title with 29 points. Mountain View senior Hannah Tranby was second in 20:18.65 and Ridgeview junior Ella Bartlett was third in 20:45.90.
Team Scores: Philomath 29, Bend 58, Mountain View 75, Crook County 109, Cottage Grove 113, Redmond 131, Regis 193.
Boys -- Ridgeview senior Finn Anspach won convincingly in 16:14.78 and Mountain View had six of the top 12 finishers to easily win the team title with 34 points. Mountain View senior Chase Schermer was second in 16:46.11 and La Pine junior Wyatt Montgomery was third in 16:57.45. Team Scores: Mountain View 34, Bend 92, Cottage Grove 97, Sisters 100, Philomath 105, Stayton 159, Crook County 182, Ridgeview 196, Redmond 241, Regis 291.
Vernonia Invitational, at Anderson Park in Vernonia, Thursday
Girls -- Vernonia sophomore Delaney Draeger won convincingly in 19:22.70, leading four Loggers in the top five overall to easily win the team title. Vernonia senior Sadie Gump was second in 20:16.00 ahead of Kennedy freshman Rachael Kintz (20:19.70). Team Scores: Vernonia 23, Kennedy 54, Oregon Episcopal 70, Southwest Christian 82.
Boys -- Knappa junior Isaiah Rodriguez got the individual victory in 15:57.50, but Heppner won a very close team race over Knappa and Vernonia. Heppner junior Trevor Nichols was second in 16:13.40, well ahead of the Oregon Episcopal duo of junior Olin Gister and senior Tyler Edwards, third and fourth (16:50.20 to 16:50.60). Team Scores: Heppner 69, Knappa 72, Vernonia 74, Oregon Episcopal 93.
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