Bruin runners to take on Three Course Challenge

The Three Course Challenge at Camp Rilea training center — near Warrenton on the Oregon Coast — offers three courses of varying difficulty levels. Teams sign up a predetermined number of runners to compete on the different courses. For example, the easy course of 4,300 meters has limited hills; the moderate course includes a steep 100-meter uphill portion, along with a mud pit; and the difficult course has a couple of steep hills, among other challenges.

Some teams spend the night at the nearby campground and compete on Saturday; racing begins at 9 a.m.

Columbia prepped for this weekend’s meet with a Trico League meet Sept. 13 at La Center. The Bruin girls won the four-way competition with 31 points. Seton Catholic, which had the top two girls finishers, was second with 46 points.

Columbia won the 5,000-meter race at La Center because of its overall team depth. The Bruins bunched three runners — Ella Zimmerman, Esther Kline, and Leah Swanson — in the fourth through sixth places. No. 4 runner, Damarys Alvarez, was 10th and Grace Bjelland-Lathim was 13th. to complete the Bruin scoring.

Columbia was third in the boys race, as Camden Uffleman led the Bruin runners with his fifth-place effort (18:59). Teammate Noah Slayton was 10th.