News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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Sometimes I wonder what I will miss most about South Korea when I come back to the U.S. Will I seek out the hot red sauce that is served alongside many Korean meals? Will I build a Korean-style barbecue in a deck table so I can have friends over to share thin slices of beef laid out on a lettuce leaves with rice and sauce? Will I begin a new fashion trend in America with his-and-hers matching (from head to toe) hiking outfits, replete with articulated pants and telescopic hiking sticks? One thing I would like to bring back... Full story
Sloshy mud and steady rainfall do not typically translate into personal records on cross-country courses, but Aria Blumm is anything but typical. The senior runner took the lead from the gun and never looked back on her way to a personal-best 5,000-meters time of 19:29, well over a minute ahead of last year's winner, Breanna Wright of Cottage Grove. Expectations were high for Blumm after she placed third at last year's 3,000-meter race at the OSAA 4A Track and Field... Full story
Running in the last five-kilometer race of the regular season at the George Fox Classic on Saturday, October 11, the Sisters Outlaws cross-country teams were looking forward to recording fast times and competing head-to-head with some of the best competition of the season. Things worked out fairly well for the boys team, but the girls team ended up relying on younger runners for the meet after the top four Outlaws did not compete. In addition to the challenges faced by the Outlaws girls, the meet director, Randy Dalzell,... Full story
A Friday meet in Central Oregon gave the Sisters Outlaws the chance to run a race without having to sit on a cramped bus for hours ahead of time. Whether it was that or the competition that Bend High attracted to the Oxford Classic, the team achieved some strong results. Aria Blumm ran within a second of her career best on her way to eighth place in the elite girls' race, finishing in 19:53.2, one place behind Danielle Jantzer of Phoenix, the top 4A runner in the race. "It was good to see Aria really race the girls around... Full story
I have never witnessed the Olympic Games first hand, but I believe I may have now experienced the next-best-thing after attending the Asian Games XVII for track and field on Saturday, September 27. The "Asiad," as the Asian Games are known, has rotated among the countries of Asia every four years and includes many of the events typical of the Summer Olympics, including "athletics," or as we know it in America, track and field. Forty-six countries were represented. So after consulting my calendar, I conspired to complete a... Full story
The hallmarks of a successful athletic program include "going the extra mile" in ways the average teams simply don't do. The Outlaws cross-country program has been a perennial power over the past 20 years, earning numerous district championships, appearances at the state meet and state-level trophies. The team often has members numbering over 50. What is the key to this success? "Consistency of coaching and giving kids a well-rounded experience," says Coach Rima Givot, who has been part of the program for the past 14 years.... Full story
The weather forecast called for rain and wind with high temperatures in the 80s to go along with the regular humidity of August in South Korea, but I went on a 30-mile bike ride anyway. As I headed up and over the hill toward the Gapcheon River bike path, the familiar excitement of being "one of the few" to brave the outdoors despite the wet and wind caused me to smile. I may have even let out a whoop of joy. There is something deeply satisfying about embracing challenges that are totally optional. Who would know or care if... Full story
What began as an innovation to expand activities at Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) turned into a very successful camp for 23 runners from throughout Oregon who participated in the inaugural Great Northwest Sports Camps cross-country camp, according to SPRD Executive Director Liam Hughes. The camp began Sunday, June 22 and drew to a close Saturday, June 28. Patterned after the Sisters Outlaws' traditional team camp, high school runners ran the trails, climbed... Full story
Just when I thought I had begun readjusting to being in the Pacific time zone after returning from South Korea, I flew to Florida for a conference focused on the International Baccalaureate program to which my school in Korea belongs. After four days in the Eastern time zone and at sea level in humidity, I headed to Fort Collins, Colorado, which is a mile high and in the mountain time zone. Today I got back home and knew just what I needed to adjust to my normal time zone and... Full story
A day after arriving back in Sisters after a school year in South Korea, my wife and I gathered up our two dogs and hit the trail for our first run since our return through the forest at the edge of town. Dust puffed up from the trail, coating our shoes. Indian paintbrush, balsam root, and lupine lined the trail. Through the ponderosas we caught glimpses of the bright white mountaintops backed by the clear blue sky. Despite my being quite out of condition, my soul felt renewed. Locals know it in their hearts what a special... Full story
A week after signing a letter of intent to run for Division 1 Gonzaga University, Brandon Pollard showed why the 'Zags want him on the team. The Outlaws senior ran away from the rest of the 800-meter field at the OSAA 4A State Track and Field Championships held at Hayward Field on Saturday. His victory gave him some sense of redemption after he lost an epic battle in the 1,500 with defending state-champion Mack Marbas of Siuslaw earlier in the day by just .4 seconds - 3:58.45... Full story
Rain and cool temperatures had no adverse effects on at least two Outlaws track athletes as two more school records fell at the 14-team Wally Ciochetti Invitational, held at Cottage Grove High School Friday, May 9. Brandon Pollard, who broke the school record in the 1,500-meter race earlier this month, continued his assault on the Sisters High School middle-distance record-book with a wire-to-wire win in the 800, clocking a 4A best time this season in 1:55.92. His victory... Full story
Brandon Pollard made the record books in more ways than one at the Jesuit Twilight Relays, crushing the school record for 1,500 meters in what may have been the fastest field ever assembled at a high school meet in Oregon. Pollard place fifth in the elite section of the metric mile in 3:56.02 as 10 boys cracked the four-minute barrier. Matthew Maton of Summit High School won the race in 3:49.38, which is the fastest time in the entire nation this year. Included in the field... Full story
Elite-level meets produce elite-level times, and the 50th annual Centennial Invitational gave three Outlaws runners the chance to re-write the record books. They all came tantalizingly close at last Saturday's meet. Brandon Pollard, returning from a slight injury to his foot that kept him out of competition for the past two weeks, showed no signs of rust as he blazed to second place in the 1,500 meters in 4:00.81, over four seconds faster than his third-place finish at the sta... Full story
Mid-season track is often a time for some of the best training of the year. Which, Coach Josh Nordell notes, can be tricky when you're also participating in two meets a week. Which is why the team sort of mixed things up last week, giving some of the younger athletes a chance to shine at a league meet at La Pine Thursday and then having a little fun in the Elmira Relays on Saturday. Thursday's meet against Sweet Home and the Hawks turned out to be more of a junior varsity... Full story
Picture a running-race like any other race: Bright colored running gear ranging from short shorts to full-length spandex, Nikes, Asics, Mizunos, Adidas in every model and color, worn by athletes all milling around with pre-race jitters in a city park on a beautiful spring day. I, along with nine of my colleagues from Taejon Christian International School, are among the crowd about to take part in the Three Rivers Marathon. (For the record: nearly every running-race is called... Full story
Living up to the name of the meet, Aria Blumm ran the finest race of her career on her way to becoming the champion of the 3,000 meters at Saturday's Meet of Champions (MOC) held April 12 at Willamette University in Salem. The MOC features top track and field athletes from 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A classifications, which typically results in strong fields and top marks. Blumm's victory, in 10:52.22, brings her within five seconds of the Sisters High School record, established by... Full story
The best weather in the 12 years since its inception may have explained why the Peterson Ridge Rumble also had a historic number of finishers for the annual 20- and 40-mile trail run held Sunday, April 13. A cool morning at starting time gave way to pleasant temperatures and a light wind, much to the pleasure of the ultra runners according to race director Sean Meissner, who returned to Sisters from his new home in Flagstaff, Arizona for the event. "The snow-capped Three Sisters shining in all their glory combined with the... Full story
The first track meet of the season is a test of pre-season conditioning and a chance to get into the competitive spirit. The Sisters Outlaws got that chance at the Mountain View Icebreaker, held March 19. In the second race of the day, Brandon Pollard showed that he is a true force to be reckoned with as he opened the season with a speedy 1,500-meter race of 4:10.64 that included a brilliant kick. Dyut Fetrow (4:41), Devon Calvin (4:43), and Shea Krevi (4:44) placed third,... Full story
With a strong crew of distance runners as a core, the boys and girls track teams both look very competitive as the Outlaws get the track and field season underway Wednesday at the Mountain View Icebreaker. Zoe Falk, who signed on to run for Northern Arizona University earlier this winter, comes into the season with three years of state-level experience bringing a variety of talents to the squad. As the school record-holder for 800 (2:15) and 1,500 meters (4:48), the sky is the limit for her as an individual, but she will also... Full story
In high school, the winter season for me meant running after school or in the early morning alone, often in darkness. An offer from the wrestling coach to join the team for some road work sounded like the perfect way to break up the loneliness, so I found myself hopping in the mini-bus with a bunch of guys who had no love for running. The situation was one of those classic high school scenes in which a bunch of young men try to hide their dread about what is being asked of them. But as the bus moved further and further from t... Full story
Zoe Falk's dream of running for a NCAA Division 1 school is now a reality as the record-holding runner signed a national letter of intent with the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks at a ceremony held recently at Sisters High School. Falk, who holds school records for 800, 1,500, and 5,000 meters at Sisters High School, will join a running program at NAU that is well known for excellence. In fact the Lumberjacks men's cross-country team placed second at nationals this... Full story
I have a long-held belief that distance runners are friendly and approachable. It has been my experience that in most cases logging mile after mile, year after year, takes the rough edges off a person. Of course, this could also be complete and utter bias on my part, since I am a runner. However, I had an experience last night here in South Korea that I believe supports my thesis. I went for a run after dark, which is not typical of me, but since my daughter Claire's death in November I have found that I often get very... Full story
I grew up in a small town surrounded by farm fields in the Willamette Valley, so my running routes often included gravel roads, dirt paths, and pastoral scenery. My college years featured the extensive trail systems in Eugene and runs up through Hendricks Park. Sisters, of course, offers an endless variety of trails, Forest Service roads, and backroad byways through the pondersosa forest. As I ran here this morning in Daejeon, South Korea, I needed an alternate to my typical... Full story
My wife Deirdre, son Izaak, and I are at mid-year in our first year of working at Taejon Christian International School in Daejeon, South Korea, and friends back in Sisters Country have asked what are favorite experiences have been thus far. There have been dozens of daily life experiences that are humorous and instructive, but there is one experience that has been the best so far. It is a story of homesickness, perseverance, and wonder. Only a week or so after we arrived in S... Full story
