Sayers second, freshman Hart seventh in cross-country districts

Scott Swanson

Sweet Home’s Tanner Sayers punched his ticket to the state cross-country championships with a second-place finish Thursday in the Sky-Em League district meet at Lane Community College.

The Sweet Home boys finished fourth in the varsity race, behind first-place Sisters (40 points) and Cottage Grove (53), which clinched state team berths, and Elmira, a close third with 55 points.

Sweet Home’s top five runners finished with 95 points, one ahead of Junction City. Sutherlin was sixth with 172.

Sisters senior Jordan Pollard was district champion, finishing in 16:23.0, with Sayers five seconds back in 16:28.4 after Pollard passed him going into the final 300 meters on the LCC track.

“I tried sticking with Pollard for the whole race,” Sayers said. “I tried getting a little bit ahead of him, but he has a pretty good kick. Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with how I did.”

“Tanner had an amazing race,” Coach Kambria Schumacher said. ” He set out what he meant to do. He stayed witih Jordan the entire time until that last 400.”

Outlaws freshman Ethan Hosang, who stands under 5 feet and 100 pounds, was third in 16:33.2.

Sweet Home fielded two girls runners. Freshman Jessy Hart finished seventh in a field of 36 runners, in a PR of 21:43.5 and Zoe James was 11th, in 22:37.5. The Huskies didn’t have the necessary five girls to score as a team.

Sayers, a junior, Pollard and Hosang ran as a league pack all the way to the final quarter mile, where Sayers made a move to the front and Pollard, who has run 54 seconds in the 400, pulled away for the win over the last 300 meters.

Junior Noah Dinsfriend was second for the Huskies, finishing 16th in the field of 40 varsity runners, in 18:05.0, a lifetime best for him.

Finishing behind him were senior Ricky Yunke, 21st in 18:35.3; sophomore Tristan Saultz, 27th in 18:51.7; senior Cameron Taber, 29th in a PR of 19:07.7; senior Noah Taraski, 30th in 19:12.7; and sophomore Zach Zanona, who was 36th in 19:42.0, having been sick earlier in the week.

“As far as progress throughout the season, they did amazing,” Schumacher said. “Nearly the entire team got lifetime PRs.

“Ricky got one. That’s great for last race of his high school career.”

In the junior varsity race, Sweet Home’s boys finished fourth as a team, behind Sisters, Cottage Grove and Elmira.

Freshman Tristan Calkins finished fifth out of 55 runners, in a PR of 19:32.9, followed by fellow freshman Gavin Walberg, 10th in a PR of 20:01.1, sophomores Connor Ford (23rd, 20:56.3), Bryce Porter, 24th in a PR of 20:57.1, senior Jake Hindmarsh, 31st in 21:48.1, sophomore Corban Wright, 32nd in 21:52.0, sophomore Eric Roddy, 35th in 22:03.3, freshman Jaren Adams, 37th in a PR of 22:21.6, freshman Trace Marler, 43rd in 22:48.4, and senior Justin Kurtz, 49th in a PR of 23:47.4 in his third race at the 5000-meter distance.

At 16:19, Sayers has the fourth-fastest 5000 time among 4A boys, just behind Pollard.

“My goal this year was just to break 17 flat,” he said. “I obviously passed that by a little bit. I’m hoping to get top seven at state. First team all-state is my goal.”

Schumacher said Sayers’ first trip to the state meet “will be a great experience for him.

“He’s done a lot of big races this year, so it shouldn’t be too big of a jump for him. Compared to last year, he’s PR’d by almost two minutes.”

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