Runners hit mid-season stride - and challenges

In a week that featured two meets for the only time of the season, the Outlaws cross-country teams experienced the wide variety of talent among fellow 4A teams.

On Thursday, September 27, Sisters took part in the Harrier's Challenge hosted by Cottage Grove, which featured all six teams from the Sky-Em League, along with 10 other teams from the other classifications, including 6A Thurston and 5A North Eugene.

The Outlaws came away with overwhelming team victories for both the boys and girls teams and swept the junior varsity team races as well.

Two days later at the Woahink Invitational hosted by Siuslaw High School, which boasts the defending 4A boys team champions, Sisters was brought back to earth, at least temporarily.

"It was fun to win at Cottage Grove and the kids all ran very smart, controlled races," said Coach Charlie Kanzig. "To come back two days later and expect to be at the top of our game was simply not realistic, but being in the meet did give us a first-hand look at some of the best 4A runners and allowed us to run in a quality field that resembles what the state meet will be like."

Zoe Falk placed second behind last year's 3A state champion at the Cottage Grove meet, affectionately called the "Dam Run' due to a very steep climb up the side of a dam at about the halfway point of the race. Aria Blumm (6th), Macadia Calavan (13th), Natalie Marshall (16th), Betsy Ausman (24th) and Mary Stewart (25th) grouped well as a team among 77 finishers.

"For us to win without three of our normal varsity runners gives credence to the depth of our team," said Kanzig.

The boys had similar results, with Brandon Pollard pulling away from former Sisters Middle School teammate Zach Bellew now running for Creswell, to win the race. Devon Calvin placed fifth for the Outlaws and was followed by Ian Baldessari (11th), Izaak Kanzig (12th), Dyut Fetrow (20th) and Gabe Rice (27th).

"Three juniors and three freshmen got the job done," said Kanzig. "We were missing Shea Krevi due to illness, so we only ran six kids and it worked out fine."

The teams were still a bit diminished by sickness heading over to Florence for the meet at Woahink Lake on Saturday and bee stings and a sprained ankle lay ahead for the Outlaws, contributing for a more challenging meet than expected.

On the boys side, Sisters faced a Viking team that may be the second-best team of any classification in Oregon as evidenced by Siuslaw placing five boys among the top seven finishers to score just 19 points in a field of fourteen complete teams. The Outlaws placed sixth behind Siuslaw, Oregon City, Reynolds, Hidden Valley and Philomath.

"I can't say we ran poorly, but we certainly weren't as sharp as we will be in a week or two," said Kanzig. "Fatigue and sickness was a factor, along with two of the guys getting stung by some nasty hornets while warming up for the race."

Brandon Pollard placed 14th (17:37), Devon Calvin 30th (18:15), Ian Baldessari 38th (18:36), Dyut Fetrow 43rd (18:41), Izaak Kanzig 59th (19:13), Kyle Van Krieken 82nd (19:09), and Shea Krevi 83rd (20:13) for the Outlaws among 155 finishers.

"Other than compared to Siuslaw, we were competitive, but we have some work to do in order to finish the season strongly," said Kanzig.

The girls team also placed sixth while still missing two varsity regulars. Zoe Falk placed third in a season best of 19:47 to pace her team. Aria Blumm finished twenty-fourth (22:19) despite spraining her ankle in the final half-mile. She was followed by Macadia Calavan in 43rd (22:47), Maddi Boettner in 46th (23:04), Natalie Marshall in 56th (23:24), and Emily Ford in 61st (23:44).

"This team has not yet touched its potential, so we look forward to October to see those times come down and to have the full team intact," said Kanzig.

Reynolds, a 6A school, won the meet with 69 points, followed by 5A Ashland, 6A Oregon City, 4A Siuslaw, and 3A Bandon as the top five.

This week's meet, the Harrier Classic at Bryant Park in Albany, features over 30 teams of all classifications on a fast course, according to Kanzig.

"The next two meets are large invitationals on flat, fast courses which should result in quick times," he said. "We will focus on running strong middle miles and not conceding places in the final mile."