Sweet Home’s cross-country runners got on a fast course for the first time Saturday at the 16th annual Harrier Classic in downtown Albany’s Bryant Park.
It showed.
Nearly all the Huskies posted personal best times on the 5000-meter course, which looped through the park and through the adjacent woods.
“The entire team had a good race,” Coach Kambria Schumacher said.
The varsity boys all posted PRs, and finished 12th out of 29 teams, one position and 20 points behind Newport, 356-336. All the teams ahead of the two Oregon West finishers were 6A and 5A teams.
Sweet Home was led by Tristan Saultz, who was 48th out of 221 runners in 17:22.00. Close behind was Gavin Walberg, 61st in 17:34.70; followed by Eddie Martinez-Maya, 78th in 17:53.20; Treyson Smith, 87th in 18:07.00; Nate Coleman 89th in 18:09.90; Rian Howard, 119th in 18:37.80 and Jorel Leyba, 188th in 20:19.30.
Schumacher said Coleman’s performance was “amazing.”
“He was right on Treyson.”
Only three girls ran for the Huskies Saturday, but they also posted personal or season’s-best times.
Jessy Hart ran 21:11.10 to finish 41st out of 181 runners, followed by Sicily Neuschwander , 104th in 23:00.80 and Meeja Bitter, 130th in 24:02.80.
“Sicily is continuing to improve,” Schumacher said of the junior, who has cut five minutes off her time for the 5000 at the beginning of this season. “She’s surprised me this season.”
It was Bitter’s second race at the 5000 distance and the freshman is “improving nicely,” she said, running more than a minute and a half faster this time than in her first 5K race.
Schumacher also credited some of her junior varsity runners with outstanding performances.
In the junior/senior JV race, Tristan Calkins finished 22nd out of 178 runners, in 18:42.40, followed by
Eric Roddy, 66th in 20:00.70; Bryce Porter 93rd in 20:38.80; Zach Zanona, 94th in 20:39.50; and Jaren Adams, 160th in 24:31.10.
“Tristan Calkins had a great race,” Schumacher said. “That’s a huge PR, and he’s playing soccer as well. He’s not at every practice.”
In the frosh/soph JV race, freshman Adrian Kast was 50th out of 249 runners, in 20:02.70, followed by
Aiden Shamek, 71st in 20:34.90; Jesse Jamison, 163rd in 22:42.40; Paul Amrein, 206th in 24:23.60; and Dakota Seiber, 240th in 27:24.90.
“Adrian and Aiden both did really well,” Shumacher said. “They’ve been improving very steadily through the season. It’s great to see.”
The Huskies will run the Celtic Invite Saturday, Oct. 12, at Keizer Rapids, which will feature a variety of surfaces and seven other teams. JV races start at 10 a.m., with the varsity girls at 11:30 and the boys at noon.