A Perfect Cross Country Day
McKenzie Community Track and Field hosted Old Mill XC
The McKenzie Community Track and Field sponsored the second annual Old Mill XC Invitational meet on Saturday, October 10, at the Aaron and Marie Jones Community Track. The MCTF, partnering with Ken Brown and Rexius Landscaping who provided the finish bark chips and local volunteer Gene Flint operating Don Dowe’s skidsteer to spread the chips over the course, furnished a premier running surface that pleased all the participating runners and coaches. Last year, Mr. Brown and Rexius provided the foundational chips for the trail and the inaugural Old Mill XC Invitational meet. Providing the hand labor with rakes to spread the chips this time were Brent and Megan Weiss, Jamee Savidge, Kayla Johnston, Al Pancoast, and Cliff Richardson.
Other local volunteers helping with the meet were past Willamette University Track and Field Coach Kelly Sullivan, his friend Cheri Vaillancour and Willamette U. Soccer Coach Brad Victor. Coach Sullivan also coached at Auburn University and Oregon State University. Laurel Meister and Tim Hooten provided meet day oversight and help as did McKenzie Community Track and Field President Michael Bergman. Bergman also helped pack the Trail with his car. Marshall and Tabitha Eck barbecued burgers and hot dogs for the folks and Savidge operated the concession stand.
With ideal running conditions, both on the trail and weather wise, the meet garnered rave reviews from the participating teams, their coaches and supporters. Indeed, the finish bark added to the course this season is the exact same surface material teams will encounter at the OSAA State CC Championships held at Lane Community College.
The meet featured runners from five high school teams and three middle schools. The Culver Bulldogs traveled over the Santiam Pass, arriving first, Saturday morning, at the Track and finishing the meet in first place with a perfect first place score of 15. Culver currently has six of their varsity cross country runners ranked in the top 25 of their Special District 3 (2A/1A). Sophomore Wyatt Neff is ranked fourth, junior Brogan Weaver, fifth, sophomore Aiden Griffin, thirteenth, junior Ethan Perez, twenty-first, freshman Mauricio Jimenez twenty- second, and junior Colin Hanvey, twenty-fourth. Did you notice no seniors on this Culver team list?
The other high school teams participating were Crow, Lowell, and Oakridge in the Boys Varsity 5,000 meters race. Lowell and Culver Girls participated in the Girls Varsity 5,000 meters race.
McKenzie High School, the home team, did not enter its athletes in this home meet for unsubstantiated reasons. The Eagles did enter two middle school athletes in the boys middle school race, but withheld one other athlete from the team, all of which puzzled meet directors.
As stated, Culver won the team race easily, led by Neff, who finished first in the Boys 5K with a time of 17:22.20 minutes. Teammate Weaver crossed the finish line in second at 17:30.90 minutes. Lowell’s Zuzana Murray took the Girls 5K win with a time of 24:57.6 minutes, her season best and she was followed to finish line by second place teammate Kylie Greer, who finished in a Personal Best time of 27:13.1 minutes.
In the Middle School race, Theo Waters finished with a strong 3,000 meters performance timed at 10:08.30 minutes. Oakridge’s Zoey McCall finished first in the Girls MS 3K with a time of 13:06.00 minutes. Eagle eighth grade runner Isaac Mitchell-Chavez placed fifth in 14:33.60 minutes and sixth grade teammate Kenneth Cain finished ninth in 23:30.0 minutes, a Personal Best.