Outlaws race through busy week

The Outlaws cross country runners raced three times in a week and came through with some impressive performances, highlighted by top performances by Parker Bennett and Taylor Steele at the Seaside Three Course Challenge.

The first of the three meets took place at Molalla on Saturday, September 19, where Taylor Steele led the way for Sisters Outlaws as the team splashed its way through the rainy Highland Tree Farm Invitational.

Racing against some of the best 4A runners in Oregon, Steele, a junior, didn't take the bait and go out hard with senior twins Brad and Troy Prettyman of Estacada, who led through the first mile. Instead, he patiently worked his way into second place within the final mile to finish nine seconds behind winner Joseph Campbell of Siuslaw.

Steele's time of 16:53 was his second best of his career and particularly impressive given the rainy, rugged conditions of the course.

Coach Chrlie Kanzig lavished praise on his runner after the meet:

"Taylor is establishing himself as a very smart, strategic, confident runner. He remained patient and focused throughout the race."

Teammate Seth Schneider finished next for the Outlaws in 11th place (17:43), followed by Mason Calmettes, Zander Albertson and Seth Urquhart.

The Outlaws boys were missing lead runner Parker Bennett, who has the top 5,000-meter time among 4A runners this year, at 16:10.

The girls varsity team gained some valuable experience in facing nearly all of the top 4A girls teams in this early season meet, including five-time state champion Siuslaw, who easily claimed the team title.

Also present were ranked teams from Banks, Molalla, Scappoose, Casacade and Stayton.

Emi Conrads placed first for Sisters with her eighth-place finish, followed by Kirsten Clarke Hayley Palmer, Jordan Richerson, Taylor Walker and Cindy Steele.

"The girls are coming together week by week and will move up in the rankings as the season progresses," Kanzig said.

The junior varsity runners competed in their first meet of the year and showed a lot of promise, according to Kanzig.

"In general, the junior varsity runners held their own on the two-mile course," he said. "Nick Luz, Katie Stewart, and Fabiola Schellworth all placed in the top eight in their respective races and the rest of the runners were very competitive."

At Cold Springs Campground on Wednesday September 23 the Outlaws met the Regis Rams and La Pine Hawks for the annual cross country race and barbecue. Despite its low-key setting, dust was flying as competitors raced the trails surrounding the campground.

Top Outlaws included a clean sweep by Sisters boys varsity runners Parker Bennett, Taylor Steele, Seth Schneider, Jeff Wilder and Easton Curtis. The junior varsity boys were even more impressive, taking the top seven spots. Those runners included Mason Calmettes, Seth Flanders, Riley Cox, Jared Kaping, Garrett Traher, Jacob Miller and Austin Jacobsen.

Emi Conrads and Hayley Palmer cracked the top five in the varsity girls race, placing third and fifth, respectively.

Their junior varsity teammates cleaned up, taking the top five places.

Fabiola Schellworth claimed first place, followed by Brooklyn Walker, Jessica Warden, Tori De Leone and Lauryn Clymens.

Three days later Seaside's Three Course Challenge, the largest cross country meet in the Northwest and a favorite among Sisters runners, provided the setting for Parker Bennett to become the first Outlaw in 12 years to win one of the races.

The meet included over 90 schools and 2,800 runners. The Three Course Challenge requires that each team's top runners draw randomly to determine which course they will run: easy, moderate, or difficult. Team scores are determined by combining points of those runners from each of the three courses.

Bennett, running against some 473 boys from schools throughout Oregon, Washington and California in the moderate race, worked his way toward the lead before the infamous mud pit, kept his footing through the muck while others behind him floundered, and raced on to win in 19:57 on the unmeasured course.

About an hour later, Taylor Steele nearly pulled off the same feat on the difficult course, finishing just four seconds behind the winner to take second place among an even 500 runners.

"These two guys are running as well as any boys in the state and both of them may be on the verge of becoming the two fastest runners in Sisters' history," said Kanzig.

The boys' team placed second among Division Four schools, while the girls took home the third-place trophy.

The Outlaws face an easier schedule this week, with just one meet on Thursday, October 1 at the Harrier's Challenge hosted by Cottage Grove High School at Schwartz Park.