Twilight meet serves up season highlights

May is the month track coaches often long for because, after a lot of training and a grinding schedule, typically in less than ideal weather, the investment and hardship begins to really pay off with big jumps in performance.

Such is the case for the Sisters Outlaws at the Stayton Twilight meet, held Friday, May 1, in which the girls team placed second among 17 teams and some boys showed monster improvements as well, according to assistant coach Wes Cook.

"We had a total of 24 career bests by our team at this meet," he said. "That's impressive!"

Michaela Miller won two individual events, placed second in another and ran on the winning 400 meter relay team, leading the Outlaws to 90 points, behind perennial power Cascade, which won the team title with 104 points.

Miller started her day with a season best of 16 feet 2 inches in the long jump and followed up with wins in the relay (along with Erynn Ricker, Mandi Calavan and Macadia Calavan), the 100 hurdles (16.08), which was a career best, and the 300 hurdles (48.56), which was just .01 away from her season best.

Aria Blumm pulled big points for the Outlaws while lowering her season best in the 1500 (5:02.28) and coming back with another second in the 800 (2:28.51).

Tessa O'Hern and Erynn Ricker both cleared 9 feet 6 inches to place second and third respectively in the pole vault. The mark tied a season best for O'Hern and established a lifetime best for Ricker.

In the high jump, senior Maddi Boettner cleared a career best 4 feet 10 inches on her way to sixth place.

Sabrina Reifschneider scored in both hurdles races with season bests of 17.71 and 50.24, adding six points to the total team score.

Mandi Calavan popped best time ever in the 200 to finish second (27.44).

"The girls really showed that they are able to do great things as a team," said Cook.

The boys lack the depth of the girls' team as they placed 12th in the meet, but produced some notable performances along the way.

Jadon Bachtold stole the show for the Outlaws in winning both the 1500 (4:13.8) and the 3000 (9:30.62) both lifetime bests, on his way to scoring 20 of the Outlaws' 21 total points.

A number of sprinters established personal records thanks in part to a very strong field of competitors.

Cody Martin ran his best ever in the 100 (11.93) and 200 (25.54). Sam Garbrecht dipped below 24 seconds for the first time (23.91) and Keegan Greaney snagged a PR as well in 24.24.

Jordan Pollard nearly broke the 10-minute barrier in the 3000, clocking 10:03. 91 for his best time ever.

Another freshman, Cole Casanova, showed a monster improvement in the long jump, leaping 17 feet 11 inches, establishing his best mark ever by 15 inches. He also triple jumped 36 feet 6 inches, another personal record.

The Outlaws travel to another twilight meet Friday May 8 in Cottage Grove for the Wally Ciochetti meet, which features some of the best competition of the regular season with 16 4A teams in total.