The Dalles junior Juan Diego Contreras led the Riverhawk boys cross country team to sixth place with his third-place individual finish at Saturday’s Class 5A state cross country meet in Eugene.
The Dalles junior Juan Diego Contreras led the Riverhawk boys cross country team to sixth place with his third-place individual finish at Saturday’s Class 5A state cross country meet in Eugene.
The Dalles junior Juan Diego Contreras led the Riverhawk boys cross country team to sixth place with his third-place individual finish at Saturday’s Class 5A state cross country meet in Eugene.
His all-state finish at the meet at Lane Community College was the best for a runner from The Dalles since 2011, when Dufur’s Alex Dillard competed on the team and was second in the 5A race. Contreras was 10th his freshman season when The Dalles was fifth as a team.
Contreras had said before the race that a top-5 finish was his individual goal. He made good on that prognostication by staying patient in a chase pack of six runners on the soggy course. The race’s winner, Tyrone Gorze of team champion Crater, had broken away early enroute to a 30-second win in 15 minutes, five seconds.
The six-runner pack included Crater frosh Josiah Tostenson, who started to pull away with less than 1,000 meters to the finish. Contreras responded but couldn’t close the gap despite a brisk final 300 once he strode onto Lane’s blue track. Contreras was timed in 15:38, three seconds behind Tostenson.
Sophomore Leo Lemann was 18th overall for The Dalles, which scored 187 points. Other state-meet finishers for The Dalles included: Egan Ziegenhagen, 45th; Vincent Ziegenhagen, 67th; Conor Blair, 68th; Trey Hodges, 72nd; and Kayden McCavic, 73rd.
Girls team
The Dalles girls finished ninth among 13 teams. Frosh Alaina Casady and senior Caitie Wring finished with the same time of 21:14.7 in 33rd and 34th place to lead the Riverhawks. Other state-meet finishers for The Dalles were: Fiona Dunlop, 54th; Gabrielle Kahler, 73rd; Lucy Booth, 79th; and Caitlin Frakes, 80th.
Coach Jill Pearson said the youth movement of this year’s Riverhawk team is exciting; The Dalles graduates one varsity boy and girl runner in Blair and Wring. “I’m feeling pretty hopeful about the seasons and years ahead,” she said.
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