Eagle girls runners seek seventh consecutive district title

Don’t get the wrong idea. The fact that the HRV girls team is favored to win this week’s Northwest Oregon Conference championship isn’t lost on Bertram.

On the other hand: “They have had a great training season and now our job is to just freshen up and know that we have all the skills and ability and potential to run a really good race. Where that lands us? I think we’ve got to be excited about that no matter where that is.”

If things go to form, the HRV girls will be hoisting the district trophy Wednesday afternoon at Blue Lake Park in Portland. The Eagle boys will be in the hunt for the team crown, as well, although Wilsonville enters the meet as the boys favorite based on season-best times.

The Hood River girls have the sixth-longest Oregon active streak of consecutive years of qualifying for the state meet — 11 successive seasons. HRV will attempt to win its seventh successive district team title, and tenth in the past 12 seasons (see box). Should the Eagles run as favored, they will have won those seven district crowns in three different conferences: Columbia River, 2016-2017, and Intermountain, 2018 through 2021.

“We know we’ve got good teams,” Bertram said. “We’ve lived up to our strong tradition of putting in the time and work, and more than anything (we’re just) believing and leaning on each other. Running for something greater than just yourself.”

Hood River, La Salle, Putnam and Wilsonville are the top four (of nine) girls teams at the NWOC meet. The top two teams will automatically qualify for the Nov. 5 state meet in Eugene. Five other 5A teams will also be selected to compete at state. The top seven individuals also automatically qualify for state.

Wilsonville and Hood River figure to pace the boys team competition. Milwaukie’s Logan Law is the defending NWOC individual champion. He and Wilsonville’s Carter Cutting have had some memorable head-to-head duals this season.

Though rain is in the forecast for this week, the Blue Lake Park course should be a fast one. “The race is going to hurt,” Bertram said. “A conference championship race isn’t going to feel good, just like any other race. But your strength is there, your confidence is there. Just got to keep dusting it off, pushing through the rough patches and keep on believing.”