Outlaws make strong showing

Living up to the name of the meet, Aria Blumm ran the finest race of her career on her way to becoming the champion of the 3,000 meters at Saturday's Meet of Champions (MOC) held April 12 at Willamette University in Salem.

The MOC features top track and field athletes from 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A classifications, which typically results in strong fields and top marks.

Blumm's victory, in 10:52.22, brings her within five seconds of the Sisters High School record, established by Frances Payne in 2012.

"Aria is really coming into her own this season," said Head Coach Josh Nordell. "She ran with authority."

For Blumm, who ran in last year's state meet in the 800 and 1,500, the move up to 3,000 meters in a high-caliber meet gave her a chance to discover how she compares to other girls in Oregon. Her performance, a personal record by over 24 seconds, launched her into the sixth ranking among 4A girls, and ever closer to the coveted school record.

While Blumm came through with the lone victory among Outlaw athletes at the meet, she was not the only one with a medal around her neck.

Zoe Falk placed third in the 1,500 (5:00.54) and a very close second in the 800 (2:21.85), while Tessa O'Hern cleared 9 feet 8 inches in the pole vault, an eight-inch personal best, for second place.

On the boys' side, Jake McAllister had a breakthrough in the high jump, soaring 6-3 to place second in the high jump. In addition, the senior ran his fastest time ever in the 300 hurdles (41.85) for third place and leapt 20-1.5 in the long jump, also for third place.

At week's end, McAllister was ranked third in both the 300 hurdles and the high jump among 4A athletes.

Katelyn Meeter (1,500, 800 and javelin), Maddi Boettner (3,000), Macadia Calavan (400 and 800), Katie Aryanfard (100), Emily Corrigan (200), Sabrina Reifschneider (300 hurdles), Devon Calvin (1,500 and 3,000), Dyut Fetrow (1500 and 3000), Sam Garbrecht (100), and Keagan Greaney (400) also competed in the meet.

Earlier in the week, the Outlaws hosted La Pine and Cottage Grove in a three-way Sky-Em League meet, with Cottage Grove prevailing in the team scores for both boys and girls while Sisters finished second and La Pine third.

Individual event winners for the girls included Zoe Falk (400 and long jump), Aria Blumm (1,500), Maddi Boettner (3,000) and Cierra Mann (discus).

In addition the 400 relay team (Macadia Calavan, Michaela Miller, Emily Corrigan and Katie Aryanfard) and the 1,600 relay team (Calavan, Natalie Ambrose, Aria Blumm and Zoe Falk) won in season-best times of 51.80 and 4:12.50 respectively.

For the boys, winners included Brandon Pollard (400), Shea Krevi (800), Jadon Bachtold (1,500), Devon Calvin (3,000) and Jake McAllister (300 hurdles, high jump, long jump). McAllister's long jump mark of 20-7 established a new personal record.

The 1,600-meter relay team (Pollard, Bachtold, Krevi and Keenan O'Hern) was also victorious.

The Outlaws travel to La Pine to face Sweet Home and the Hawks on Thursday, April 17 and then travel to the Elmira Relays on Saturday, April 19.