Cross country runners of all ages compete

Published 5:00 pm Wednesday, September 23, 2009

While the Seaside High School cross country team was sizzling along the trails at the Bill Chapman Invitational in Hillsboro Sept. 11, the Seaside Heights Grade School cross country team was burning up the countryside themselves Sept. 17 at Cullaby Lake.

For the SHS team, the Chapman Invitation was the first meet of the season. Brett Willyard had an outstanding race with his time of 18.30.  Eleven of the sixteen teams were from the 5A and 6A ranks so the field was loaded, said cross country coach Neil Branson.

For Dalton Agalzoff, Garrett Brown, Cirilo Herold, Gavin Brown, Bao Tran Nhang, Katrina Jordan, and Natasha Suppe, it was a first taste of cross country competition. The weather was HOT for us coastal types with it knocking 100, said Branson.

 Improving their times from last year on this same course were:  Jon Perry (even though he limped in with a knee sprain), Max Milander by almost 1 ½ minutes, David Hoth by a bit over a minute, Mac Clark by 20 seconds and running in socks half the way, Tyller Perry almost 40 seconds, Kirsten Farmer just under 10 seconds, and Bridgette Blakesley 1 minutes 15 seconds or so, said Branson.

The girls varsity placed third.  There were two full teams ahead of us (score 5 runners) but after that the other teams had three runners like ourselves and SHS had the lower score.

Not to be outdone by their high school counterparts, the local grade schools also had a cross country competition that tested the kids endurance and speed.

We recently had a district wide cross country meet at Cullaby Lake Thursday Sept. 17, said Seaside Heights and Cannon Beach Elementary PE teacher Brian Sigler. Students K-5 from Cannon Beach, Gearhart and Seaside Heights all participated. There was a turnout of 46 runners. The weather was outstanding and runners as well as the fans had a great time!

    The top ten finishers for the boys group included  Jackson Januik  8:45, Gearhart, Juneau Meyer 9:22 Seaside, Brad Rzewhicki 9:54 Gearhart, Rafi Sabony 9:59 Cannon Beach, Chase Januik 10:05 Gearhart, Will Garvin 10:30 Gearhart, Sawyer Rapp 10:42 Gearhart, Alex Teuber 11:14 Cannon Beach, Commer Merrill 11:35 Cannon Beach and Sampson Sabony 11:45 Cannon Beach.

For the girls the top ten included 1.  Josie Smith 10:26 Gearhart,  Maddi Utti  11:28 Seaside, Maddy Lambert  11:54 Seaside, Summer Spell 12:23 Gearhart, Claire McGilly 12:34 Gearhart, Katie Zagata  13:05 Cannon Beach, Emily Ortega 13:44 Gearhart,  Anna Huddleston  14:28 Gearhart,  Megan McGilley  14:52 Gearhart, and  Lucy Bodner  15:56 Seaside.