Embleton collects fourth gnome at Wilsonville Night Meet

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

No matter what else happens during his senior cross country season, Jerik Embleton of Eugene's Marist High has something that no one can take away from him. 

Four things, actually: Garden gnomes. 

Embleton kicked down preseason No. 48 Alex Slenning of Wilson in front of a raucous crowd at the Wilsonville Night Meet, the unofficial kickoff to the high school cross country season in Oregon with more than 40 schools in attendance. RESULTS

The races are 3,000 meters and organized by class. Emberton won his class race all four years and has collected the Night Meet's trophy of choice -- a gnome -- every year.

Embleton ran 8:57.1 for the tight win over Slenning (8:57.3) in a scenario that was reminiscent of the junior class race in 2016.

"I saw him ease up a little bit and I just closed my eyes and dug," Embleton said.

It was the conclusion of a big week for Embleton and many other Oregonians who assembled in the shadow of the eclipse Monday. Embleton and his family drove an hour north and camped at Willamette Mission State Park in order to get a pristine view. INTERVIEW

It was a big night for Sunset, which finished with four gnome-winners. Lucy Huelskamp won the sophomore girls race in 10:25.7. Ember Stratton won the junior girls race in 10:22.7. 

Stratton, the NXN runner-up last year, has been hampered since last February by knee pain caused by Osgood-Schlatter's disease. She is doing several workouts a week and supplementing with aqua jogging as she eases into a season that still contains high hopes for a big finish.

"I'm definitely going to try and stay out of some of the smaller meets," said Stratton, who has three gnomes.

Her senior teammate, Kelly Makin, ran 10:12.9 for a senior race meet record and her third gnome. Sunset enters the season ranked US#11.

"Tonight has gotten me more pumped for cross country," Makin said.

They were joined by junior Ethan Reese, who won the boys P-Z sophomore/junior race in 9:04.5.

"I worked reallly hard this summer," Reese said.

Quincy Norman of Forest Grove ran alone to win the boys sophomore race in 9:16.5 and Zane Fodge of McMinnville took home the gnome in the junior class A-O race in 9:01.2.