Two Huskies in top 10 against top 4A XC runners

After weeks of running tough, slow courses, the Sweet Home cross-country team got a taste of what flat and fast feels like Saturday at the Paul Mariman Invitational at Philomath and they took advantage of it.

The Huskies got top-10 finishers from Nicole Ramussen, who was third in the girls varsity race, and Daniel Danforth, who was 10th in the boys varsity event.

It wasn’t a good day for the boys other top runner, Nick Hall, who had to step out midway through the race with a physical ailment, likely missing another top-10 finish, but Coach Billy Snow was happy with the results.

“We had quite a few PR’s today,” he said.

Six Huskies posted individual best marks for the 5000-meter distance, some of them big ones.

Rasmussen finished in 19:51.16, behind winner Sierra Brown of Hidden Valley (19:00.94) and Katy Potter of Siuslaw (19:38.28), for a 17-second personal best for the distance – the first time she’s broken 20 minutes.

“Nicole had a great race,” Snow said. “She went out hard but not too hard. If she had gone out with Sierra, she would have died.”

Rasmussen beat Sisters’ Zoe Falk for the second time, Falk finishing fourth in 20:04.87.

Second for the girls, who placed seventh among 11 teams, was Paige Sanders, who ran a 21-second PR to finish in 21:46.14, for 19th in the field of 78. Third for Sweet Home was Sarah Wyatt, setting a 2:17 PR in 23:27.49, good for 40th, with Kimber Swanson 55th in 24:34.75.

Photo by Sierra Swanson

“Our top four had a good race, especially with two of them (Wyatt and Swanson) feeling ill,” Snow said.

Tashana Mithen was 74th in 26:54.77 and Laura Hoy was 75th (27:21.00).

Scappoose, which had total of 15 runners in the girls varsity and JV races, was first in the girls race with 61 points, followed closely by Sisters (68) and Cascade (91). Sweet Home was seventh (170), and Cottage Grove was 11th (289).

Behind Danforth, freshman Jakob Hiett was 17th in the field of 88 runners, in a 50-second personal best 17:35.08.

“Jakob was right there,” Snow said. “That was a really good accomplishment.”

David Johnson was third for the Huskies, in 65th (20:36.60, a 49-second PR), one place ahead of Ian Wingo (20:39.58), with Nick Mattson just behind in 69th (20:48.98, a two-second PR).

The boys were 10th out of 11 teams, with 204 points. Sisters was second with 116 points and Cottage Grove was sixth (169).

“The other three guys started good and had a good first mile. They really stuck it in there and got after it,” Snow said. “There’s a glimmer of hope that they can run – they need to run into the 19s.”

In the junior varsity boys 5000-meter race, junior Josh Sparhawk ran his first high school race ever, finishing 47th out of the field of 89th, in 21:43.76. Ryan Blackwell was 77th (25:15.71, a 10:36 PR for the distance) and Trevor Melson was 86th (28:28.00, a 3:29 PR).

In the girls JV, AnneMarie Miller was 24th (26:50.54, a 3:45 PR) and Candalynn Johnson was 55th (32:39.50).

“AnneMarie had a good race,” Snow said, adding that he plans to move her up to the varsity for the Huskies’ next race, Wednesday, Oct. 12, at Waterloo Park. There the Huskies will face Junction City and six 5A teams in a meet hosted by Lebanon. The girls’ race, combining the varsity and JV, will go at 4:30 p.m., and the boys will run at 5:15.

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