Oregon's Runners Embrace, Excel At End-Of-Season Championships

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Culmination Day felt like a championship day for most of Oregon's top high school cross country programs, who found ways to make the final day of the odd spring season meaningful. 

The mid-sized schools (Class 4A) met up in Eugene at Marist High, where Siuslaw pulled out close team victories in both the girls and boys races. 

If there was some karma involved there, it was because Siuslaw coach Chris Johnson forged the Oregon 4A XC Championships out of thin air when the Oregon Schools Activities Association said it wouldn't organize state playoffs and championships in sports that were pushed out of last fall due to the COVID-19 crisis. 

Baker's teams traveled more than 400 miles to take part in the event. It was a chance to break out of a year-long bubble near the state's eastern border. RESULTS

Further north, in Lebanon, the 3A/2A/1A schools gathered for a meet to end the season. RESULTS

And in Portland, at Rose City Golf Club, many of the state's best 6A and 5A schools showed up for the most significant cross country meet they've been part of since the first Saturday in November, 2019.  RESULTS

Not everyone was in attendance. Jesuit held its own event on the track and Summit remained in Bend for a local meet. 

But Saturday's meets were a celebration for those who did show up to compete. 

"It meant everything," Philomath coach Joe Fulton said. "A lot of my kids are seniors and they're ready to move on, and without a goal like the state championships, I probably would have lost them."

The OSAA left an open weekend at the end of its modified cross country calendar and let schools do with it what they wanted. 

Some of the state's coaching leaders stepped in quickly. 

Pat Zweifel of Tillamook offered to host the 4A meet, but a hard-to-reach destination and rising numbers of COVID cases in Tillamook County forced a change to the plan. Johnson put the meet together in Eugene and found a willing partner in Marist. 

"I promised (my runners) that there was going to be a district meet and a state meet, even if the OSAA says otherwise," Johnson said. 

Johnson's boys and girls teams both won Saturday. 

Junction City's Anika Thompson, after two previous runner-up finishes at state, was all smiles after her victory in 17:57.3. 

"This is probably one of the happiest moments of my life, probably," Thompson said afterward. "Thank you to the OSAA, our governor, everybody who let this happen, the 4A coaches committee. Moments like these are what sports are all about.

"I'm going to remember this forever."

In Portland, runners raced on lush green fairways on a chilly afternoon as wind swayed the branches of tall firs at the Rose City Championships Invite. | PHOTOS by Kim Spir

The rise of the city teams was evident at Ida B. Wells (formerly Wilson), Lincoln and Franklin swept the top three team spots and individual places. Wilson's Charlotte Richman pulled away over the final mile to win in 17:30.5.

Ashland's Cameron Stein caught up to earlier flyer Keller Norland of Crescent Valley and then blasted away from everyone in a high quality pack in the boys race. 

Stein, who was the fourth man on Ashland's 2019 team, covered the 5,000-meter course in 14:32.4. 

"In Ashland, we have a bunch of hills, so I've been told Ashland kids go hard in the hills," Stein said. 

Giuliano Scasso's second-place finish in 14:38.8 added to Ida B. Wells' big day. 

Uphill rises were compenstated by generous downhills, but the course was in perfect shape and the early pace was quick. 

But it was the sound of cheering and excitment, by a crowd following all of the COVID protocols, that made the experience worth it. 

"This environment makes me so happy to be back in this running realm," Crescent Valley senior Sunitha Black said.