Track athletes rounding into form

A home meet and a championship-caliber invitational have helped the Outlaws track and field team members move into the second half of the season with a number of the squad ranked among the leaders in the league in their respective events.

Sisters hosted La Pine and Elmira in pleasant spring conditions on Thursday, April 11 with mixed team results for the Outlaws.

The visiting Hawks and Falcons fell prey to the dominating Outlaw girls, who racked up 91.5 points to beat both teams handily in the three-way meet. Elmira placed second with 60.5 points, and La Pine finished third with 30.

Molly Boyle came up big for the girls' team with victories in the 100 (13.62) and the 200 (28.72), while Zoe Falk also picked up a pair of wins in the 1,500 (5:24.73) and 800 (2:30.69). Michaela Miller was another double winner who picked up a win in the 300-meter hurdles (51.1) and the long jump (16 feet even).

Olivia Chandler won the pole vault (8 feet 6 inches) and Cierra Mann claimed first place in the discus (84 feet 5 inches).

The boys lacked the depth to take down their opponents, as the defending state champions La Pine won the meet with 77 points, followed by Elmira (58) and Sisters (46).

Sisters couldn't overcome the speed and power of the Hawks and Falcons, who outscored the Outlaws in the throwing events 33-0 alone, but there were plenty of other bright spots for the home team.

Two freshmen accounted for four victories on the Outlaws team. Dyut Fetrow won the 1,500 (4:41.00) and the 3,000 (10:49.74), while fellow frosh Izaak Kanzig won the 400 (56.40) and the 800 (2:11.46).

Junior Jake McAllister did his part by winning the 300 hurdles (44.34), placing second in the high jump (5 feet 10 inches), and second in the long jump (19 feet 8 inches).

Austin Sandsness picked up second place in the 100 (11.72) and Jonathan Luz leapt 37 feet in the triple jump for the runner-up spot.

Saturday's Meet of Champions at Willamette University in Salem provided a championship-level meet for a handful of Outlaws who qualified for the event. Athletes from the 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A levels attended the meet based on their performances thus far in the season.

The Outlaws came out with a victory at the very end of the meet as the girls 4x400-meter relay team of Aria Blumm, Michaela Miller, Macadia Calavan and Zoe Falk won in a season best of 4:15.25.

Earlier in the meet, Falk finished a close second in the 800 meters (2:23.38) and Blumm ran a personal best in the 1,500 (5:13.26) to finish fifth.

Miller also finished fifth in the 300 hurdles, ever closer to a sub-50 as she was clocked in 50.84. Tessa O'Hern finished sixth in the pole vault with a clearance of 8 feet 6 inches, and Maddi Boettner chopped a full minute off her season best in the 3,000 with a time of 12:04.78.

"It was so good to have a full field of runners to compete with," she said, referring to the fact that in league meets, the competition is limited.

Molly Boyle competed in the 100 and 200 and anchored the 400-meter relay for the Outlaws, which placed seventh in 53.03.

For the boys, Izaak Kanzig lowered his lifetime best to 2:09.63 in the 800 meters, while Dyut Fetrow lopped 16 seconds from his 3,000-meter time to 9:58.73.

As the only freshman in the 800, Kanzig got a close-up look at more experienced competitors.

"It was like running with a bunch of men," he joked afterwards.

Fetrow was the top freshmen finisher in his race as well.

The Outlaws travel twice this week with a league meet at La Pine on Thursday, April 18 and the Elmira Relays on Saturday, April 20.

"We're getting better and having some fun along the way," said Coach Josh Nordell. "The hard work will pay off as we continue into the second half of the season."