STEENS MOUNTAIN – In just over a month, the high school cross country season will kick off around eastern Oregon. The races will follow routes through rolling golf courses or local parks. For a number of eastern Oregon runners, the course faced at the recent Steen Mountain High Altitude Running Camp will rate as one of the toughest courses of the year.
Camping at a base camp located at 7,000 feet, the runners spend day two running a route of 28 miles. On day four, the 5k race involves hurdling sage brush running over a desert course while on day six, competitors take on the “Steens Mountain Olympics”.
The results from the first week of training and competition found the Union Bobcat boys with a fifth-place finish. Union was the lone eastern Oregon team to send a compliment of runners to garner a team score.
Caleb Brown, a recent graduate of Pine Eagle, was the top eastern Oregon runner, placing fourth with a time of 22 minutes, 10 seconds. Heppner senior Trevor Nichols picked up a top ten finish, placing eighth and Union’s top finisher was Eli Williams in 12th.
The top local finisher for the girls was Union’s Taylor Weishaar in 42 after a time of 34:04. Not far behind was teammate Angel Shields-Marrs placing 45th.
Week 1, 5,000 Meters – Boys
4. Caleb Brown (Pine Eagle), 22:10. 8. Trevor Nichols (Heppner), 22:45. 12. Eli Williams (Union), 23:01. 15. Wyatt Montgomery (La Pine), 23:17. 18. Alex McIntyre (Weston-McEwen), 23:27. 24. Jett Leavitt (Enterprise), 23:44. 28. Nathaniel O’Reilly (Union), 24:27. 40. David McDonald (Union), 25:21. 44. William Mallory (Union), 25:43. 54. Lucas Goodrich (Enterprise), 26:28. 58. Jagjot Singh (Stanfield/Echo), 26:47. 62. Noah Platz (Union), 26:55. 71. Xander Perry (Enterprise), 27:43. 85. Logan Pedro (Union), 30:47. 90. Weston Wolfe (Enterprise), 31:26. 92. Patrick Sheehy (Union), 31:38. 101. Henry Wing (Union), 37:44.
Week 1, 5,000 Meters – Girls
42. Taylor Weishaar (Union), 34:04. 45. Angel Shields-Marrs (Union), 35:00. 58. Ally Gettman (Union), 38:08. 62. Kaci Baxter (Union), 38:58. 64. Charlee Morehead (Elgin), 41:09. 67. Danila Sather (Elgin), 46:58.
