Tracksters brave cold at Mountain View meet

A strong wind and cool temperatures made personal records a rarity at a three-team meet held at Mountain View High School on Wednesday, April 12, but the Outlaws track-and-field team showed progress nonetheless, according to coaches.

The boys team managed a handful of top-three finishes against Mountain View and Caldera, including a win by Corbin Fredland, a senior in his first year of high school track, who lowered his personal best to 45.93 on his way to first place.

Taine Martin picked up a second-place in the high jump, clearing 5 feet 6 inches, and took third in the pole vault at 10 feet 6 inches, and the 110 hurdles (18.65).

Spencer Tisdel took second in the triple jump (35 feet 10 inches) and Logan Ryba established a big personal best in the discus (104 feet 4 inches) to also place second. Freshman Charlie Moen cracked the 100-foot mark for the consecutive week on his way to third place in the javelin at 104 feet 3 inches.

Despite losing a shoe during the 1,500-meter race, Hayden Roth went on to finish second (4:42.7).

The girls team chalked up a few wins, with Lilly Sundstrom leading the way with two victories and a second place. Sundstrom won both the 100 hurdles (18.01) and the 300 hurdles (53.07) and was the runner-up in the long jump (14 feet 14.5 inches).

Gracie Vohs won the high jump (4 feet 8 inches), took third in the pole vault (eight feet), and anchored the winning 4x400 relay with teammates Delaney McAfee, Nevaeh McAfee, and Ila Reid (4:26.70).

Ella Bartlett appeared unfazed by the windy, cold conditions as she ran within one second of her personal best to win the 1,500 meters by a landslide in 5:12.09 seconds.

Coach Jonathan Kelly summed up the meet and explained the challenge of being at mid-season with less than ideal weather.

“Track in mid-April can be really tough. It’s early season so you’re still training through meets and the weather is often challenging. It can be a bit of a grind, and it’s not always rewarded with immediate results,” he said. “Despite the cold wind and tired legs, though, the Outlaws did well, and I’m more proud of the team for the grit and resilience they showed.”

Kelly added, “We’re also looking closely at how we stack up in our special district, and asking some athletes to try different events or change their focus so that we can be more competitive, especially on the girls’ side.”

The Outlaws have entered some relay teams at the Oregon Relays at Hayward Field on Friday, April 21, and a number of athletes are slated to compete the following day at the Meet of Champions in Sweet Home.