Both Outlaws track teams are tuned up for the District meet

In the final contest before this week’s district meet the Outlaws boys and girls track teams showed that they are peaking for top performances with a flurry of season bests at the Wally Chiochetti Invitational held Friday evening at Cottage Grove High School.

Wes Hodson electrified his team with a personal record of 13-feet-6-inches in the pole vault, which was good enough for second place. Daniel Holloman finished third in both the long jump (20-feet-2-inches) and the high jump (six feet), fourth in the 200 meters (24.41) and sixth in the triple jump (40-feet-2-inches) to continue his role as the team leader.

Stefan Redfield lowered his bests in the 1,500 (4:27.24) and in the 800 (2:06.97) and enters the district meet as a real “dark horse” threat.

Freshman Kelly Crowther continued his steady improvement in the 400, lowering his time to 54.94, which was good enough for sixth place. He placed sixth in the 300 intermediate hurdles as well (44.34) behind teammate Eli Callan, who finished one place ahead in 43.74.

Cory Bigelow notched his best time by nearly 20 seconds in the 3,000-meter run, finishing fifth in 10:28.3. Josh Marr also ran a season best finishing seventh in 10:47.36.

The boys finished fifth among nine teams with 67 points. Marist won the team title with 134 points.

Jenny Boswell flexed her muscles in both hurdles races, winning the 100s in 16.03 and the 300 intermediates in a near school-record time of 45.93. She is the current state 3A leader in both events.

Boswell was also part of the 400 meter relay team that finished second in a season best time of 52.11. Her teammates included Kelsey Neilson, Mackenzie Williams, and Molly VanAcker.

Van Acker placed fifth in the 100 with her best mark of the year at 13.46 after winning the triple jump (33-feet-10-inches) and placing third in the long jump (14-feet-11-inches).

Freshman Ryanne Conrads put a point on the scoreboard for the Outlaws with her best 1,500 of the year (5:45.6) for eighth place and her classmates Mackenzie Williams (1:04.8) and Nicole Veloso (1:08.9) placed fifth and eighth respectively in the 400. Williams was later fifth in the 200 (28.53).

Another frosh, Nahtice Nield, had her best times of the year (17.61) in the 100 hurdles to place fifth and garnered another fifth in the 300 hurdles (51.98).

All three 3,000 meters entrants for Sisters recorded season bests led by Kaitlin McAlister’s second place (11:50.07), Erin Gough’s fourth (12:10) and Chelsea Addison’s fifth (13:06.24).

Sisters amassed 114 points to finish third behind North Bend (135) and Marist (134.5).

Kennedy believes his team is ready to peak just at the right time.

“It’s just what you want, to see kids recording their bests as you close in on district,” he said.

“I think our kids are really ready to prove the result of all their hard work.”

Sisters hosts the district meet beginning Friday, May 13 at 3:30 p.m. and continuing on Saturday.

There is an admission charge at the gate.