With sunny skies and the thermometer reaching 90 degrees the athletes needed to run with caution rather than abandon, so it was not a day to anticipate stunning times. In spite of the conditions, however, a number of the varsity girls ran quite well. Putnam’s Kelsey Hilsenteger took the lead early, even getting a ten meter gap for a bit, and led through the first mile, which was reached in 6:15. A trio of Sunset girls shadowed her about five meters back after being cautioned to run conservatively and in a pack of five runners early. Tigard’s Emily Walch held sixth for the first mile about ten meters in front of Krissy Peterson of Canby.
By the 3K mark in 12:10 the first Sunset pack had moved into the lead and their closest challengers were their team mates Emma Grosser & Greer Davis. The pack concept remained in place for the Sunset ladies until the leaders crossed the bridge with around 500-600 meters to go, when it devolved into an individual contest. That battle was won by Karen Qu, who earned her first invitational victory with a time of 20:17. The time is one of the top times on the course but even more noteworthy given the conditions. For Qu the beginning of the season has been quite stellar, as she also won her division of sophomores last week at Wilsonville. Charlotte Corless came in second – four seconds behind Qu and was followed by Sarah Fahmy, who placed third in 20:25. Emma Gosser & Greer Davis were both credited with 21:07 with Gosser getting the nod for fourth and their placement gave Sunset a shut-out with a perfect 15 point total.
The valiant Hilsenteger finished in sixth with a time of 21:32 and was followed by Sunset’s Dorothy Zhang, who ran 21:59. Canby’s Krissy Petersen, who was not only hampered by the weather but a nasty blistered garnered eighth (22:01) and was followed by Sunset’s Lauren Haedrich, who took ninth. Emily Walch of Tigard finished tenth & was followed by her team mate Elizabeth Dean. In the team scoring the Tigard girls scored 67 points to take second behind Sunset & Canby placed third with 79, as Erica Nizer added a 12th place effort for the home team.
Nathan Brown of Sunset moved out early and established a significant lead for the first 800 meters. He continued to lead at the mile mark, which was crossed at a brisk 5:01. The early speed was combined with the high temperature and he was joined by Emanuel Kraynick of West Salem & Scott Rice of Tigard after about one and a half miles. Although it seemed that Brown was destined to be swallowed up by the chase pack, he was somehow able to regroup and retake the lead. Once back in front Brown drew steadily ahead and crossed the line in triumph in a time of 17:13. Although this year’s mark hardly rivaled the record set by Badane Sultessa last year, given the conditions it was a very solid effort.
Emanuel Kraynick placed second in a time of 17:29, while Scott Rice finished third with 17:40. Matt Thomas of West Salem claimed third in a time of 17:41 and was followed by Nathan Geiter of Putnam. Sixth place went to Matt Carlson of Tigard, who led his team mate John Walker by two seconds. David Hahn of Sunset took 8th, while David Clark of West Salem finished ninth (17:59). Sunset runners Mark Sussman & Colin Petit scored tenth & eleventh.
The Tigard guys secured the team victory with a low of 43, while both Sunset and West Salem ended up tied with fifty points. The old adage that “everyone counts in cross country” was more than apt on this day and West Salem’s Sean Barr was the where he needed to be, as he placed 19th & was the sixth runner on his team. That placement made the Titans the second place team, when the Sunset sixth man followed him across the finish line in 21st place. Putnam was a distant fourth with 106 points & host Canby placed fifth. It should be noted here that Franklin held out Jackson Baker & a number of other runners, because they will face Hermiston on Saturday in another very hot day.
In other divisions John Caufield of Tigard, a ninth -grader, won the Freshman-Sophomore Boys’ race with 11:00. Grant Bingham, also from Tigard, finished second in 11:04, while Ubaldo Chavez of Canby placed fifth. Brian Opp of Sunset led the JV Guys with his time of 18:56. Mackenzie Smith (19:14) & Nathan Ditton of Tigard claimed second & third, while Chayse Gillespie of Canby followed in fourth with 20:12. Ana Harvey led a parade of Sunset runners in the JV Girls’ race with her 13:39 clocking. Maya Doherty (19:42), Hannah Braun (19:43) & Lydia Bangarter (19:45) chased Harvey home. Hannah Stobie of Canby placed 7th with 14:09.
