News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 727 - 751 of 923
The seventh annual Peterson Ridge Rumble 60 kilometer and 30 kilometer trail races attracted over 250 runners who traversed much of the Sisters Trail System south of town on Sunday, April 5. A total of 87 runners braved rough trail conditions on the 60 kilometer course that was actually cut back to about 35 miles due to low-lying snow near upper Whychus Creek, according to race director Sean Meissner. Andy Martin of Bend had no trouble negotiating the course, winning in four hours, two minutes and one second (4:02:01).... Full story
Carol Oxenrider has a vision and a hope for teenagers in America. The 67-year-old Bend resident was inspired by a program, called Challenge Day, that she learned about on a television program. Challenge Day, she discovered, was a way for schools, and the students within them, to address the challenges faced by young people today. Through her efforts, and others who have joined her, Sisters High School and Middle School will host three challenge days, April 13, 14 and 15.... Full story
Going up against two of the top programs in the league in the first scoring meet of the season, the Sisters track teams vanquished both Cottage Grove and Marist on Thursday, March 19. The boys' team won seven of 10 running events and scored heavily in the field events to win the meet with 96 points. Marist was second with 46 and Cottage Grove finished third with 39. The team of Levi Rowe, Lee Elder, Jared Nelson and Hayden Stein got things started right away with a clear... Full story
In an effort to make Sisters a "suicide-safer" community, a number of staff members from the school district took part in an "Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training" (ASIST) March 10-11 at the Sisters School District office. Education and health professionals from Bend, Madras, and Redmond also took part. Statistics show that 32,657 Americans died of suicide in 2008, and it is estimated that for every reported suicide there are five percent to 25 percent more deaths by... Full story
The Sisters High School Mock Trial team staged a surprising upset over Summit to win the 2009 Central Oregon Mock Trial competition held at the Deschutes County Courthouse in Bend on Saturday, February 28. After competing against both the Summit "A" and "B" teams, Sisters faced Summit "A" a final time to clinch the competition. The mock trial is sponsored by the Classroom Law Project and includes regional competitions throughout Oregon that culminate with a state competition... Full story
The annual eighth-grade winter retreat, a tradition started more than 10 years ago at Sisters Middle School, took place at Hoodoo Mountain Resort on Thursday, February 5. Originally designed to focus mainly on leadership skills, the retreats have become a key element in the transition from middle school to high school, according to Brad Tisdel, who helps coordinate the event along with middle school staff. "The eighth-grade retreat actually began as a three-day retreat in the... Full story
Molly Blust held off a state champion runner to win the girls division at the Skadi Cup 5 kilometer freestyle race at the Tea Cup Nordic Center near Mt. Hood Saturday, January 31. Blust defeated runner-up Alyssa O'Connor of Summit, who has won track and cross country titles during her running career at the Bend school. Blust had a 10-second margin. "Molly expected more of a challenge from Bev Schlegel of Redmond, but it was Alyssa, who hadn't raced yet this year, who we had... Full story
Band leader Jody Henderson took a busload of middle and high school students to the annual Oregon Jazz Festival in Eugene for a chance to perform, learn and listen. The group came away from the two days at Lane Community College feeling "totally jazzed" over the experience. Three groups took part in the festival, two from the high school and a large group of nearly 40 from the middle school. The festival brings together high school music students from throughout Oregon and... Full story
Molly Blust came from behind to claim first place in the Oregon High School Nordic Organization Pursuit race at Hoodoo Mountain Resort on Saturday to lead all Outlaw skiers in their first league competition. In pursuit racing, skiers compete in two separate events, The first race is typically conducted in classic style and the second using the skating technique. It's a bit like the fox and the hounds as the starting order of the second race follows in the order of the finish... Full story
A number of local runners had notable performances in races this fall, including the high school boys cross country team which placed third at the state meet. A few middle and high school runners continued racing into November through the USATF Junior Olympic State and Regional Championships. Parker Bennett placed 11th at the regional meet in Seattle in his age group, and sixth grader Elizabeth Stewart placed 20th, which qualified both for the national meet, if they choose to enter. Sisters High School graduate Stefan... Full story
The Adidas Classic lived up to its billing, attracting some of the most elite high school runners in the west. Being pushed by elite competition helped the Sisters Outlaws cross country team to achieve some season-best times at the race. The meet brought together most of the top-ranked teams from Oregon's 6A, 5A and 4A ranks, along with top-notch teams from California, Washington and Alaska. The boys' elite race featured the Alaskan State Champion, Trevor Dunbar, who shot... Full story
Sean Meissner of Sisters and his running partner Matt Hart of Seattle placed eighth in the second annual Trans-Rockies Stage Race in Colorado last week. The race includes six stages ranging from 10 to 24 miles over six days of competition. As the name indicates, the race traverses 100 miles in the Rocky Mountains. "On a number of the days we started at elevations higher than the South Sister," said Meissner. The highest point of the course was over 13,000 feet and the "lowest" was in the mid 8,000-foot range, according to Mei... Full story
Sisters runner Sean Meissner came away with a surprise victory at the annual Crater Lake Marathon August 2, when the leader took a wrong turn in the final two miles. The 33rd edition in what is considered Oregon's toughest road marathon may have had it's most peculiar finish as Chuck Engle, who had led nearly the entire race and had built an insurmountable lead missed a turn at mile 24, despite it being clearly marked. "Apparently he ignored the cones and the race officials and just kept going straight rather than making the... Full story
Thirteen members and two alumni of the Sisters High School Cross Country team took part in the inaugural Cascade Lakes Relay, August 1-2, as part of the squad's summer training. The race, patterned after Oregon's Hood to Coast Relay, featured about 50 teams that made the run, covering 216 miles from Diamond Lake to Bend. There were four walking teams and two high school teams that covered 132 miles from Silver Lake to Bend. It was a dark and lonely night when the Sisters team... Full story
Summer is in full swing and the weather has been fine for hitting the trails around Sisters. In last month's column I invited readers to share some of their favorite running area and got some positive responses to share. The Peterson Ridge Trail is well-used by locals and provides all the distance a runner might desire. Common routes include an out-and-back from the Buck Run trailhead to the first bridge (three miles), the Eagle Rock Loop that proceeds past the bridge and... Full story
Sisters residents were treated to a brief glimpse of some of the finest cyclists in the world as the 29th annual Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic ripped through Sisters Thursday, July 10. The second stage of the multi-day event finished at Upper Three Creek Sno-Park. Chris Horner, a Bend resident, and Levi Leipheimer have both ridden in the Tour de France, while the women's leader Kristen Armstrong, along with Leipheimer, will represent the United States in the... Full story
As spring turns to summer, it looks as though Sisters area runners are ready for a summer of racing and quality training if the results of races in the region are any indication. Bend's Dirty Half-Marathon, held earlier this month, culminated the spring race schedule as nearly 800 runners took part in the seventh annual event including a very competitive contingent from Sisters. Local ultra-runner Sean Meissner led all locals with his 10th place finish overall in 1:24:11, which earned him third place in his age group. Former... Full story
Three Sisters Fellowship is once again offering organized hikes for people of all ages this summer. Due to heavy snowpack in the mountains some of the trails in the area will not be open until later this summer, but hike coordinator Kim Barry has planned the first three trips at lower elevations and will publish future outings as trails open up. Unless otherwise noted, all hikes will originate at Three Sisters Fellowship located on the corner of Trinity Way and McKinney Butte Road. Car-pooling is encouraged. The summer hiking... Full story
A combination of heartfelt tributes and entertaining speeches highlighted the 2008 commencement ceremony at Sisters High School that featured the largest graduating class in the school's history. More than 160 students received diplomas in the two- hour ceremony, but it was the music, slide show and words from seven of the students themselves that made the evening one to remember. After welcoming special guests, including superintendent Elaine Drakulich and school board chair Mike Gould, principal Bob Macauley introduced... Full story
It took 12 years, but the Sisters High School boys' 1,600-meter relay team is the reigning state champion. Max Gruettner, Lee Elder, Jared Henderson and Cory McCaffrey (3:24.31) not only matched the feat of the 1996 foursome, but actually broke the school record set by Nick Fouts, Adam Haynes, T.K. Phelps and Josh Keys (3:24.5). The event concluded the three-day OSAA State Championships on a high note for the Outlaws. "These four boys pulled it together and showed that they we... Full story
The deep snows of winter are turning into whitewater as runoff has swollen rivers around the state. For experienced kayakers, rafters and boaters the raging rivers bring excitement, but for others the conditions could mean peril. Following the hot streak of a week and a half ago, rivers in Oregon are running at extremely high levels. For example, as of May 20, the Santiam River was running at 25,700 cubic feet per second (cfs), not far off the record for the same date of 27,500 set in 1960. Normal for the date is just over... Full story
Cory McCaffrey ran like he was shot out of a cannon on his way to winning the 100-meter finals in a meet record of 10.81. The race was a highlight among numerous outstanding performances by the Outlaws at the Sky-Em District Championships held Thursday, May 15, and Saturday, May 17, at Marist High School. The top two finishers in each event qualify for the state championships, scheduled for May 22-24 at Hayward Field in Eugene. McCaffrey didn't give the other competitors a... Full story
A five-way meet in Elmira followed by a trip to the 44th annual Centennial Relays gave the Outlaws track teams plenty of competition last week. The teams showed continued improvement as they move into the home stretch of the season with district competition on May 15. At Elmira Sisters faced the top teams from the Sky-Em league including Marist and Cottage Grove (CG), along with the host Falcons. Illinois Valley from Southern Oregon rounded out the teams. Sisters gave Marist a run for the money in the team score coming... Full story
Cory McCaffrey added another jewel to his athletic crown at Saturday's Dick Baker Invitational held at Gladstone High School. He was named athlete of the meet among jumpers and runners. McCaffrey turned on the afterburners to win the 100 meters, anchored both relays to victory and won the long jump. It was all in a day's work for one of Oregon's best prep athletes. McCaffrey captured the 100 in 11.25 seconds, won the long jump at 21-feet-5-inches, and left no doubt in the outc... Full story
The Outlaws track teams enjoyed fair weather and a lot of success at last Thursday's three-team home meet versus La Pine and Junction City. As the team prepares for the most competitive part of the season, a relatively laid-back triangular meet was just what coach Bob Johnson's tracksters needed. "We were really able to incorporate training right through the meet since we only had this one contest for the week," he said. That's not to say that some excellent marks weren't... Full story
