Cross country: HRV competes at Nike

Hood River’s boys were led by senior Elliot Hawley, who was seventh overall in a season-best 16 minutes, over 5,000 meters. Senior William Bunch was 36th in 16:46, a seven-second PR. Bunch has lowered his time successively in each of his three races this fall. Hawley went out with eventual winner Owen Powell of Mercer Island (WA.) for the first mile before settling into a more comfortable pace. Powell won in 15:33.

A couple of Eagle sophomores have worked their way to spots in the varsity seven. Davis Kerr had a 32-second PR at the Nike meet (18:06). Kerr has run personal records both times he has raced at Blue Lake (the first time Sept. 7, during a league meet there). More impressive was Logan King, who improved his 5,000-meter best by 90 seconds to 17:01 while finishing 52nd in the Division 1 varsity race on Saturday. Also of note, freshman Sebastian Clarkson passed 11 runners over the final 1,000 meters to finish 91st in 17:27.

The Eagle girls entered four runners in the Division 1 varsity race (and thusly did not have a team score) and each ran personal bests or season bests. The two personal bests came from senior Olivia Nickson, who led the Eagles with her 19th place overall in 19:32, and freshman, Syl Perrin, who was 26th in 19:54. HRV’s Phoebe Wood was 58th in a season best 20:40 and teammate Alex Bronson was 106th in 22:38. Freshman Charlotte Fuller raced to personal best of more than a minute in 22:47 in the Division 1 junior varsity race — the meet’s first of 18 races.

HRV will next compete in Saturday’s Champoeg Invitational at Champoeg State Park west of Butteville.

Eagle girls win league meet in Portland

Senior Phoebe Wood and freshman Syl Perrin led Hood River Valley to first place Sept. 21 at a Northwest Oregon Conference cross country meet at Portland’s Lents Park.

The Eagles bested two other scoring girls teams with 24 points. Wilsonville was second with 35 points and Centennial was third with 65.

Wood won the 5,000-meter girls race in 22 minutes, 10 seconds, one second ahead of Perrin. The Eagles also received point-scoring efforts from sophomore Alex Bronson (fifth, 23:37); junior Christine Kinoshita (sixth, 23:37); and junior Calla King (10th, 24:15).

There were four complete teams in the boys race, won by Wilsonville with 25 points; Hood River was second with 46. The Eagle boys were led by Jackson Bullock and freshman Sebastian Clarkson, who were both timed in 17:18, good enough for fourth and fifth place, respectively. Sophomore teammate Kai Wagner was ninth in 17:58; Davis Kerr was 12th (19:00); and freshman Victor Coffman 16th (19:24).