Rose Langen Swartzendruber ’24 makes fun hand gestures as she runs in the CVC cross country meet at Bush Park. Photo taken by Peter Hoelter
The First Meet: Wilsonville High School, Wilsonville
This year, South Salem High School’s cross country team started their season with a clear vision of the future, mostly because of the smoke-free skies. While the air quality in Wilsonville was not optimal, it did not stop them from running the best they could, finishing with one race under their belts.
The Second Meet: Bush Park, Salem
After Wilsonville, it was time to move on from 3,000-meter races. The next race, on September 9, was 5,000 meters around Bush Park. This race, the Saxon Invite, was hosted by South. The familiarity of the course allowed for a clean second place in the men’s race and first place in the women’s.
The Third Meet: Bush Park, Salem
Three days later, there was another race, also at Bush Park. This race, the first Central Valley Conference meet, followed a different course than the previous race. However, with less time to prepare in between races, South placed fourth for women and fifth for men.
The Fourth Meet: Merriwether National Golf Club, Hillsboro
The team boarded the bus to Hillsboro bright and early to attend the Merriwether CC Classic. This course, just like the rest of the season, was 5,000 meters. As well as this it was their third meet in one week. This would be the hardest course yet on the hottest day in the season. Unfortunately, the heat proved to be too much as the men and women placed at 16 and eight, respectively.
The Fifth Meet: Lane Community College, Eugene
Eight days later South raced at Lane Community College in Eugene. Luck came through on the women’s side as they were able to place third in the varsity race, meanwhile, the men placed at 16 again.
The Sixth Meet: Clackamas Community College, Oregon City
Next up, the most exciting invite of the season: Nike’s annual Portland XC event. Held just a few miles away from their original company headquarters, this was by far the largest meet of the season. This led to excitement and high spirits among the team. However, the excitement may have been a bit too much for them to handle, as the team placed towards the back of the pack.
The Seventh Meet: Oak Knoll Golf Course, Salem
After all that excitement, it was time to unwind. The purpose of the CVC district previews is to prepare teams for the conditions at Oak Knoll golf course, but with just three loops around the course, one mile each, there was not much to be prepared for. Lots of personal records were broken and the Saxons had representatives on every level of the podium.
The Eighth Meet: Milo McIver State Park, Estacada
The Lewis and Clark XC invitational on October 14 was the final invitational of the season. The temperature was cool enough at Milo McIver State Park for good performance on all levels. Junior varsity boys and junior varsity girls placed first, varsity boys placed seventh and varsity girls placed ninth.
The Ninth Meet: Bush Park, Salem
On October 18, the third and final CVC meet commenced. Located at Bush Park, it followed the same path as the first invitational that took place there, but interestingly enough it was arranged by a different school. Unlike the first invitational, both women’s varsity and junior varsity placed first while their male counterparts landed in third.
The Tenth Meet: Oak Knoll Golf Course, Salem
It was a cold and muddy October 25 at Oak Knoll Golf Course for the CVC District Championships. Following the same three loops around the course just like the previews, it was not very difficult, excluding a few ditches and mud patches. Although some runners beat their personal records, both the men’s teams placed fourth. The women performed better as both teams placed second, which was enough to take them to the OSAA 6A Cross Country State Championships.
The Eleventh Meet: Lane Community College, Eugene
10 days later, the women’s team boarded a bus to Lane Community College in Eugene for the state championship. The course was wet and getting wetter, with rain continuing throughout the afternoon. The temperature remained in the 60’s, which made for good running conditions. Sadly, it did not help the women’s team in the long run as they placed 17 out of 18.
