Entering the cross country season, expectations soared for Scappoose freshman Kate Kessi, who has the potential to become the state's next great runner.
In her first 5,000-meter high school race Saturday, Kessi more than lived up to the hype. She pulled away to win the Oregon City Invitational in 17 minutes, 19.9 seconds, the top time in the state so far this season.
For perspective, it is faster than the time that Lincoln star senior Ellery Lincoln – the reigning 6A champion and state record-holder in the 1,500 and 3,000 – recorded as a freshman (17:21.1).
“She felt good about her race, but she said she could have pushed more, could have got that 17,” Scappoose coach Corey Hedger said of Kessi, who broke the school record by more than one minute. “She wants to go sub-17. That's her goal.”
Kessi led wire-to-wire on the Oregon City High School course. She began to create separation from West Linn junior Eleanor Wyatt at about 1,000 meters and held a 15-second lead throughout. Wyatt (17:35.3), Corbett freshman Claire Horton (17:39.0) and Tigard junior Sophia Service (17:48.2) finished behind her.
“She finally got in a race where she was pushed from the beginning, and it made her engage in a different level than she was used to,” Hedger said.
Kessi was dominant in cross country as an eighth-grader. Last fall, she won Junior Olympic state and regional titles for the 13-14 age group and took fourth at nationals. In track, she clocked 9:50.61 in the 3,000, which would have ranked No. 5 in the state for all classifications in the 2026 high school season.
The 5-foot-9 Kessi chews up ground with her long stride.
“She's a gamer, and she has a lot of natural ability,” Hedger said. “She has good turnover, good stride, but she runs really confident. She doesn't run tight, she just flows really well. Even if she has to kick it into another gear, you can't even tell. It just seems so smooth.
“She's got that extra gear always kind of sitting in the back. But she's a competitor. You put her up against somebody, she's going to give it everything she's got.”
Kessi is pulling double duty in the fall as a forward on the varsity soccer team. She does weekly speed work with the cross country team but mostly maintains fitness by playing soccer, where she puts in five to eight miles a day, according to Hedger.
“She does all of her training in the summertime,” Hedger said. “You tell her to go for a run, she'll go for 10, 12 miles. It's just unheard of for a freshman girl.
“She always wants to improve on herself, even though she's already incredible. Her ceiling is so high. It just depends on how she develops.”
Kessi will be tested in the coming weeks. She is scheduled to run in The Mook Invitational on Saturday at Alderbrook Golf Course in Tillamook and in Nike Portland XC on Sept. 26 at Blue Lake Park in Fairview.
Kessi's senior brother, Will, is the standout quarterback on Scappoose's football team. Her junior sister, Grace, is on the school's basketball team.
Add Oregon City Invitational
Sherwood finished first out of 23 girls teams in the Oregon City Invitational. Led by seniors Tyler Thomas (sixth) and Evylee Bugher (seventh), the Bowmen scored 62 points to beat runner-up Franklin (102).
Tigard senior Paul Hretcanu (15:02.03) prevailed in a duel with Grant senior Jack McDaniel (15:02.56) to finish first in the boys race. Grant, which also had the next two placers in freshman James Fullerton (15:09.91) and senior Eben Cole (15:16.94), outscored West Linn 28-90 to win the team race.
Ash Creek Invitational
South Eugene sophomore Eva Johnson Hess followed up her win in the Ultimook Race on Sept. 5 by prevailing in the Ash Creek Invitational at Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth on Saturday.
Johnson Hess finished in 18:25.20 to beat Banks sophomore Molly Schoolmeester (18:52.56) and South Eugene junior Julianne Bawden (19:02.72). South Eugene (36) and Banks (59) led the scoring in the 17-team meet.
South Eugene also had the boys winner in junior Khalil Sabzalian, who ran 15:13.61 to beat Central Catholic freshman Maximillian Nevarez (15:43.33). South Eugene (60) and Central Catholic (70) topped the 21-team scoring.
Summit boys dominate
Summit's boys turned in four of the top six times in 5A this season in winning the Wolfpack 5K at Big Sky Park in Bend on Saturday.
The Storm had the first four finishers in senior Bjorn Blankenship (15:03), juniors Clayton Jero (15:26) and Landon Kjorstad (15:35) and senior Hudson Boaz (15:35). Summit scored 16 points and second-place Bend finished with 57 in the nine-team meet.
Blankenship's time is No. 2 in 5A this season behind North Eugene senior Ashenafi McKinnis (14:43.0). Jero, Kjorstad and Boaz rank behind Springfield junior Adrian Estes (15:18.1).
jerryu@osaa.org
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