The results weren’t quite what Sweet Home has been used to in recent years, but the Huskies still managed to post personal-best times nearly across the board at the Paul Mariman cross-country invitational meet Saturday, Oct. 6, at Philomath.
Sweet Home’s lack of experience evidenced itself on the girls side, particularly, as veteran Paige Sanders was the only Husky on the medal stand, with a 12-place finish in the field of 88 runners.
On the boys side, the Huskies were led by Jakob Hiett, who was ninth in 16:57.59 after coming through the first mile in 5:07. The boys placed 10th as Siuslaw swept the top three spots to take the team title with 27 points, ahead of La Salle (70).
Siuslaw’s Katy Potter dueled it out with Hidden Valley’s Sierra Brown in the varsity girls race, Brown winning in a meet-record 18:42.99, four seconds ahead of Potter.
“Everybody PR’d but two,” Coach Billy Snow said of the Huskies. “Most of those were PR’s from last year.”
The biggest gain over 2011 was from senior and second-year runner Candalynn Johnson, who finished in 28:05.24 – a 4½–minute improvement.
“She just has a year under her belt now,” Snow said. “That always helps.”
Sanders’ time of 21:18.10 was a 30-second personal best.
On the boys side, Ian Wingo posted a 1:10 personal best for the course in 19:29.70, Hiett was 45 seconds better than last year in 16:57.59 – the second time he’s broken 17 minutes, and David Johnson was 40 seconds under his 2011 time, in 19:57.49.
He said the team competed well.
“A couple went out too quick, but I’d rather have them to that than hang way back. We haven’t done any speed work yet.”
Snow said those drills will start this week as the Huskies ready for the Bristow Rock n River Invitational in Pleasant Hill’s Elijah Bristow State Park, beginning at 9 a.m.
Sweet Home also competed Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the Star City Classic at Corban University in Salem, a new event for the program.
Hiett was the top finisher for the Huskies, taking second in the boys 5000 meter race in 17:45.
Paul Mariman Invitational (Philomath)
Boys Team Scores
(1) Siuslaw 27; (2) La Salle 70; (3) Hidden Valley 81; (4) Philomath 141; (5) Scappoose 183; (6) Newport 184; (7) North Bend 197l (8) Cascade 202; (9) Molalla 237; (10) Sweet Home 242; (12) Cottage Grove 352
Top 3 and Sweet Home finishers
(1) Matthew Campbell (Siuslaw) 15:53.98; (2) Mack Marbas (Siuslaw) 16:07.07; (3) Mitchell Butler (Siuslaw) 16:28.18; (9) Jakob Hiett (SH) 16:57.59; (31) Daniel Danforth (SH) 18:22.30; (58) Ian Wingo (SH) 19:29.70; (69) David Johnson (SH) 19:57.49; (83) Stephen Bishop (SH) 20:34.60; (84) Nick Mattson (SH) 20:35.82; (87) Robert Gourley (SH) 20:42.27.
Girls Team Scores
(1) Molalla 70; (2) La Salle 74; (3) Scappoose 78; (4) Siuslaw 90; (5) Cascade 113; (6) Philomath 127; (7) Newport 193; (8) Central 231; (9) Sweet Home 244.
Top 3 and Sweet Home finishers
(1) Sierra Brown (Hidden Valley) 18:42.99; (2) Katy Potter (Siuslaw) 18:46.29; (3) Tia Carnahan (Scappoose) 19:55.19; (12) Paige Sanders (SH) 21:18.10; (47) Sierra Swanson (SH) 24:00.46; (52) Hailey Hummer (SH) 24:15.60; (74) Candalynn Johnson (SH) 28:05.24; (83) Kayla Daniels (SH) 30:19.00; (85) Sierrah Owen (SH) 30:29.00; (86) Tashana Mithen (SH) 30:40.00.
Star City Classic (Corban University)
Boys Results
Team Scores: 5K – (1) Tigard 52, (2) St Helens 59, (3) Marist 90, (4) Sherwood 119, (5) Century 130, (6) North Marion 172, (7) Sweet Home 219, (8) Elmira 240, (13) Cottage Grove 304.
5K Top 3 and SH Boys Results
(1) Andrew Hinkel (Portland Lutheran) 17:32; (2) Jakob Hiett (SH) 17:45; (3) Bryan Strang (Sherwood) 17:52; (48) Ian Wingo (SH) 20:20; (52) David Johnson (SH) 20:33; (72) Nick Mattson (SH) 21:15; (81) Stephen Bishop (SH) 21:32; (84) Robert Gourley (SH) 21:37; (129) Kyle Moore-McKay (SH) 24:07.
Two Mile – (15) Daniel Danforth (SH) 12:06; (59) Alex Seitz (SH) 13:29; (149) Nick Dadey (SH) 16:16; (161) Trevor Melson (SH) 17:14; (169) Mark Taraski (SH) 18:41.
Girls Results
5K Team Scores – (1) Marist 43, (2) Sherwood 55, (3) Tigard 77, (4) St. Helens 153, (5) North Eugene 156, (6) Stayton 161, (7) Pleasant Hill 180, (8) Elmira 190, (9) Cottage Grove 216, (10) Sweet Home 242.
5K Top 3 and SH Girls Results
(1) Monica Anderson (Marist) 20:20; (2) Anne Yates (Marist) 21:14; (3) Elizabeth Dean (Tigard) 21:29; (15) Paige Sanders (SH) 22:45; (45) Sierra Swanson (SH) 25:03; (48) Hailey Hummer (SH) 25:22; (108) Tashana Mithen (SH) 30:18; (115) Sierrah Owen (SH) 31:05.
Two Mile – (1) Vivian Hawkinson (S. Salem) 13:24; (2) Courtney Hammagren (SH) 13:50; (3) Atalie Frank (S. Salem) 13:53; (90) Kayla Daniels (SH) 18:47; (105) Maria Daniels (SH) 21:39; (106) Jenny Youn (SH) 24:46.