Track teams race into the heart of the season

April is the heart of the season for track and field athletes, and the Sisters Outlaws have been plenty busy with two meets in the past week.

On Thursday, April 13 the Outlaws traveled to Elmira for a three-way league meet that also included Cottage Grove. The Outlaws girls swept to an easy win with 84.5 points, while Elmira finished second with 52.5 points and Cottage Grove totaled 27. The boys could not keep up with the talented Falcons, as Elmira amassed 90 points, while Sisters mustered 58 and Cottage Grove 32.

Sisters' fleet-footed sprinters pulled in a lion's share of the points as Mandi Calavan won two individual events and helped both relays win. Calavan took the 100 and 200 meters in season best times of 13.02 and 27.66 respectively. Erynn Ricker finished a close second in the 100 (13.04), while Ryliereece Morgan picked up the runner-up spot in the 200 (29:07).

Sabrina Reifschneider, who rounded out the winning 400-meter relay team with a very good time of 51.99, also won the 100 hurdles (16.47) and the 300 hurdles (50.03), as well as running on the winning 1,600-meter relay team with Calavan, Alexa Stewart, and Brook Robillard (4:31.11).

The sprint girls also picked up points in the field, as Erynn Ricker won the pole vault (9 feet 6 inches) and Morgan won the high jump (5 feet) and the long jump (15 feet 8.25 inches).

"The sprint corps is the core of our team right now," said Head Coach Jeff Larson.

Other winners for the Outlaws included Julianne Meeter, who threw 111 feet 2 inches in the javelin; and freshman Jade Araya, who tripled-jumped 31 feet .5 inches.

For the boys, Sam Garbrecht won the 100 (11.98) and 200 (24.19) and anchored the victorious 400-meter relay team that included Keegan Greaney, Korbin Sharp, and Brogan Petterson (45.49).

Greaney picked up a win in the 300 hurdles (41.69) after finishing second in the 110 hurdles (16.32).

Distance runners also chipped in as Jordan Pollard won the 1,500 (4:34.40) and minutes later placed second in the 400 (54.31); freshman Josh Liddell won the 3,000 (10:15.30); and Asher Bachtold placed second in the 1,500 (4:36.85).

Two jumpers garnered second-place points as Sam Lewis leapt 35 feet 11 inches in the triple jump, and sophomore Zach Anderson cleared 5 feet 6 inches in the high jump.

"The kids are all rounding into competitive shape," said Larson. "We have a lot to be excited about as we progress into the season."

Saturday, the crew traveled to La Pine where they battled with a dozen other teams of various classifications from all over the state. Both squads finished in fifth place in a meet dominated by 5A schools Ridgeview, Summit, and Mountain View.

Erynn Ricker took home a blue ribbon in the pole vault (9 feet 6 inches) and joined her sprint Sisters Sabrina Reifschneider, Ryliereece Morgan, and Mandi Calavan in winning the 400-meter relay in a season best of 51.60, which is the fourth best 4A time this season.

Reifschneider also crossed the line first in the 100-meter hurdles (16.47) and ran a season best of 49.46 in the 300 hurdles on her way to third place. Anna Bartlett ran her personal best in the 3,000 meters, finishing second in 12:21.87.

The boys team was missing a few of its members, but Tucker Flannery showed some promise in his season debut as he ran 54.25 in the 400 (fourth), chucked the javelin 152 feet 4 inches (third), and soared 18 feet 9.5 inches in the long jump (sixth).

The 400-meter relay team of Sam Garbrecht, Brogan Petterson, Keagan Greaney, and Korbin Sharp placed second (45.46), while Keaton Green scored with a fourth place in the 1,500 (4:40.65).

Zach Anderson reached a personal record in the high jump (5 feet 10 inches) to place fifth, and Sam Lewis cleared 11 feet to place fourth in the pole vault.

The Outlaws will host a league meet on Thursday, April 20 against Elmira and Junction City which begins at 4 p.m. Due to construction at the track facility, there is limited seating, so fans are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs.

On Saturday, the team will compete at the Summit Invitational in Bend.