Outlaws cross-country races ahead

October is racing time according to coach Josh Nordell and his charges have taken the expectation seriously with nearly the entire squad running at season and even career best levels in the past week.

The Oxford Classic, set on a fast course in Bend's Drake Park, provided the most recent test for the Sisters' runners and they passed with flying colors in Nordell's view.

Aria Blumm took over the leadership role for the Outlaws in the varsity girl's elite race when the team's number-one runner Zoe Falk missed the race due to illness. Blumm cracked the top 10 in ninth place and ran her fastest 5-kilometer time since November 2011, in 20:25.

Macadia Calavan also ran an inspired race, perhaps the best of her career, on her way to 12th place in 20:47.

"Macadia certainly ran with confidence in a very strong field of runners, which pleased me to no end," said Nordell. He felt the same for Maddi Boettner, Mary Stewart, and Natalie Marshall who kept the Outlaw scoring pack tight as they came through in 24th (21:16), 28th (21:40), and 31st (21:52) respectively. 

Megan Calarco (22:17) and Betsy Ausman (22:33) completed the varsity team for Sisters with very strong efforts as well, as Calarco was just three seconds away from her career best and Ausman destroyed her previous best by over 20 seconds.

Sisters finished fourth in the "Invite Division" of the meet behind Borah (ID), Hood River Valley, and Summit JV.

"The girls are like diamonds right now, the pressure keeps building and they just get better and better," said Nordell.

The boys split up ranks at the meet, allowing Devon Calvin to uncork the best time of his career on his way to 26th place in the "Elite Division" race in 17:05. Dyut Fetrow also ran among the elite, but struggled a bit to finish in 18:01.

In the "Invite Division" varsity race, Shea Krevi dropped his best time to 17:49 on his way to 22nd place. Other finishers for the Sisters squad included Ian Baldessari (17:58), Caleb Johnson (18:23), Patrick Krevi (19:51), Trevor Hull (19:51), Jamesynn Mendez (20:06), and Will Werts (20:27).

On Saturday, October 12, the Outlaws head to the Adidas Classic at Willamette Mission Bottom State Park, which is a new venue for the meet, which features nearly 70 teams, including schools from Alaska and Washington.