Cross country teams ready for district

Record-breaking performances highlighted the Outlaws cross country team's final regular season meet at Elmira on Wednesday, October 18, and runners now look forward to district.

Jena Rickards established a new school record for 5,000 meters on her way to a ninth-place finish in a blazing time of 19:40. Conditions were perfect for the meet, including dry, cool temperatures, excellent competition and a very flat, fast course.

Rickards led the girls to a fourth-place finish among 15 schools. Marist, which placed third, was the only 4A team to beat the Outlaws. South Eugene and Sheldon, both highly-ranked 6A teams, finished first and second respectively.

Emi Conrads finished in 20:10 for 17th place, and her sister Ryanne came through in 20:56 for 29th place. Courtney Johnson (22:32), Maren Burck (22:54) and Chelsea Addison (23:16) all contributed to the strong team effort.

"Our girls' team is very solid," said Coach Charlie Kanzig. "Marist and Sisters are clearly the top two teams in the Sky-Em, so there isn't a lot of question about making it to the state meet, but we want to see just how good we are when November 4 comes around."

South Eugene won with 27 points, followed by Sheldon (48), Marist (101) and Sisters (137). South Eugene and Sheldon are ranked third and fourth respectively in last week's 6A coaches' poll, and Marist is ranked third in the 4A poll. Sisters is sixth.

Benton Urquhart narrowly missed a school record of his own in breaking trail for the rest of the boys' team that had the fastest meet as a team in school history.

The Outlaws placed sixth behind the three top ranked 4A teams and two 6A teams.

Urquhart finished fifth in 16:01, just off of Daniel Kemp's 1996 record of 15:59. In doing so, Urquhart was the top Sky-Em finisher and established himself as a contender for the league title.

Each one of Urquhart's varsity teammates also ran personal bests. Stefan Redfield (16:44), Kyle Rickards (17:17), Lucas Glick (17:23), Jared Henderson (17:24), Mike Calavan (17:34) and Parker Bennett (17:37) all gave Urquhart tremendous support.

"At our level if you have four or five guys in the 17s you are usually very competitive, so for us to have all seven so fast at once is heartening," said Kanzig. "However, the reality is that we are facing some of the best 4A boys teams in recent years this season and will have to put things together just right to make it to the state meet out of the Sky-Em league.

"Marist has been ranked first all season, and we are quite closely matched to Cottage Grove (fifth-ranked) in our league as well," he continued. "Only two teams qualify from each district for state, so one very good team will be left at home, and we don't plan on that being us."

The Outlaws were ranked ninth in last week's poll, but Kanzig thinks that will change. Kanzig points to the scores from the meet as evidence. The 6A South Eugene team (ranked sixth) won the meet with 62 points, followed by North Bend, (101), Estacada (104) Sheldon (106), Marist (133) Sisters (151), Oakridge (165), Cottage Grove (176) and eleven other complete teams.

"Marist, North Bend and Estacada are ranked 1, 2 ,3 and Cottage Grove is fifth, so we were in good, close company with all of them," he said.

District meet action begins at 2 p.m. Thursday, October 26 with the girls' varsity race at Pre's Trail near Autzen Stadium in Eugene.