North Salem senior Nelida Dalgas already is established as one of the state's all-time best cross country runners, last year recording times that rank No. 5 in state history for both the entire season and the state meet.
The one thing missing from Dalgas' resume, however, is a state championship. She has come close in the 6A cross country meet – placing third in 2023 and second in 2024 – and she was runner-up in the 3,000 meters in the 6A track meet as a junior.
This season, as the top returning state placer in 6A cross country, Dalgas has a golden opportunity.
“She's been the runner-up a couple times in her career, so I know she has big goals for the season,” North Salem coach Michael Herrmann said. “She's doing everything she can, inside and outside of practice, to accomplish those.”
Dalgas is off to a solid start. She followed a third-place finish in the 3,000-meter course in the senior girls race at the Wilsonville Night Meet on Aug. 29 by running the best 5,000 time in the state this season Saturday at the Ash Creek Festival in Monmouth.
Coming off a track season in which she got a late start due to Achilles tendinitis, Dalgas is playing the long game in cross country, ramping up gradually for the stretch run.
“Performance-wise, she's in a great spot, showing a great deal of aerobic strength,” Herrmann said. “We're really focused on the state meet, NXR and NXN. Last year, we were focused on the postseason, of course, but I don't know that we were as well prepared for that postseason run the way we are this year.”
Herrmann said patience is the key to improvement for Dalgas.
“We just haven't done any kind of speed development faster than threshold at this point,” he said. “Right now, everything she's doing is based on strength from developing her aerobic system.”
In the senior race at the Night Meet, Dalgas squared off against two other 6A contenders in Lincoln's Elyse Henriksen and Sunset's Elissa Schaeffer. She set the pace early as planned, but Henriksen (10:09.85) and Schaeffer (10:14.87) finished ahead of Dalgas (10:17.28).
“She was battling through some tightness and not feeling her best that day,” Herrmann said. “I was really proud of her for selling out in that race despite not being at her best.”
In her first 5,000 race of the season Saturday at Ash Creek Preserve, Dalgas cruised to victory in 17:40.7, far ahead of the runner-up, West Salem senior Avery Meier (18:15.0). It was well off her winning time of 17:24.3 in the same meet last year, but her time of 10:06 through 3,000 meters showed an 11-second improvement from the Night Meet.
“That showed us that there's a very good amount of speed there,” Herrmann said. “If we can get her into a race with more direct competition up front, she'll show what she can do.”
Last year, Dalgas ran a personal-best 16:46.3 at the Rose City Championship in mid-October. She clocked 17:26.8 at the 6A meet to finish second to Lakeridge's Chloe Huyler (17:11.6).
Dalgas is good over 3,000 – she ranks No. 29 all-time in state history in the track event – but is more effective in longer races.
“She's a metronome,” Herrmann said. “Once she gets the rhythm, it's hard to get the rhythm out of her. I think her true strength at the next level with be at the 5K and 10K distances.”
Dalgas has visited several colleges in the West but has yet to commit to one. Herrmann said that much will hinge on available roster spots.
“Anybody that gets her will be very happy,” he said. “She's the hardest-working athlete I've ever been around at this level.”
Add Ash Creek
Banks won the girls team scoring at the Ash Creek Festival, finishing with 30 points to beat runner-up West Salem (62) among nine teams. Banks senior Sophie Schoolmeester (18:55.0) and freshman Molly Schoolmeester (19:18.2) were the next two placers behind Dalgas and Meier.
Central junior Ty Cirino captured the boys race, clocking 15:32.6. Wells – which took the next three spots with sophomore George Lora (15:44.2) and seniors Otto Sellers (15:54.0) and Luca Masolo (15:56.2) – finished first in the 13-team race, well ahead of second-place West Salem (110).
Oregon City Invitational
South Eugene junior Yosuke Shibata ran a personal-best time of 14:53.8 to win the Oregon City Invitational on Saturday at Clackamas Community College. Shibata's time ranks second in the state this season.
North Eugene senior Alder Davis took second in 15:40.2. Franklin outscored South Eugene 58-90 to win the 22-team event.
North Eugene senior Cricket Phipps dominated the girls race in 18:13.7, winning by 26 seconds over South Eugene freshman Evangeline Johnson-Hess. South Eugene outscored Franklin 25-57 for first place out of 19 teams.
Meriwether Classic
Warrenton senior Jayden Warner continued his hot start to the season with a victory in the Meriwether Classic on Friday at Meriwether National Golf Club.
Warner finished in 14:57.76, a personal best, to defeat Wilsonville senior Liam Wilde (15:09.62). It comes one week after Warner won the 4A/3A/2A/1A division at The Ultimook Race.
Battle Ground (Wash.) won the 35-team boys race, edging Sherwood 124-127.
Tualatin junior Lauren Gerlach (18:14.32) and Valley Catholic senior Isabelle Wiebe (18:42.26) were the top two finishers in the girls race. Sherwood outscored Corvallis 76-103 to place first out of 25 girls teams.
jerryu@osaa.org
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