JOHN GUNTHER/For OSAAtoday
EUGENE — While Emily Wisniewski of Crescent Valley was racing to a familiar place atop the podium at the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union State Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Crater’s girls were having a breakthrough performance behind her.
Wisniewski won her fourth straight 5A title for the Raiders, becoming the first Oregon girl with four individual crowns in the sport. Crater, meanwhile, ended a streak of championships for Summit that stretched all the way back to 2008.
“It feels super rewarding,” said Emma West, the only senior in Crater’s lineup, who finished fourth Saturday. “We’re so excited. We’ve been working this season so long just to be here.”
The Comets, the last team to beat Summit in a state meet, finished with 55 points, to 70 for the Storm. Crater had three of the top-11 finishers and all five scoring runners in the top 21. Summit’s fifth runner was 24th.
Caldera and Crescent Valley also had strong team races, with the Wolfpack finishing third with 80 points and the Raiders scoring 85 for fourth.
The individual title was never in question as Wisniewski did what she’s done throughout her career at state, taking the lead early and racing to a win.
This year, she crossed the line in 17 minutes and 14 seconds, 50 seconds before runner-up Jadyn Kipe of Wilsonville.
“It’s so exciting,” she said of winning the title again. “I just wanted to push it out there. I was hoping I could keep my course record.”
Wisniewski finished in 17:05 last year to set the mark, but her chances of improving it were hurt when she was ill for six weeks during the season.
“It’s taken a lot of patience, trusting I would feel better,” she said. “The fourth title is amazing.”
So was the first title in years for Crater’s girls.
Crater came close to winning last year, falling just short of beating the Storm.
“Instead of viewing it as a setback, it gave us motivation,” West said.
And when it came time for the race, the Comets surged to spots near the front of the pack behind Wisniewski.
“Our plan was to get out and go hard so we had good placement (in the pack),” said Brynn Davenport, who finished sixth for the Comets. “If we stick to our race plan and adjust (to the race), that puts us in a good place.”
Mari Dunlap was 11th, Reese Garnica 18th and Grace Havniear 21st for the Comets.
Crater’s girls have seen their boys squad repeatedly finish at the top in recent years and finally earned their own title.
“I think around a year or two ago, we saw their success and we wanted to work just as hard as they did,” West said.
On Saturday, it helped the Comets win a title.
Crater coach Justin Loftis said he has great respect for Summit and that he was thrilled for his own team.
“Just having a group like this is special,” he said. “The kids are amazing.”
Summit was led by Sophia Capozzi in fifth place and Eva Dicharry in eighth. Crescent Valley also had two in the top 10, with Lillian Weiss placing ninth.
Wilsonville’s Kipe edged Caldera’s Maddie Carney at the line for second place, both finishing in 18:04.
6A Girls
Chloe Huyler got redemption on the state course, winning the individual title for Lakeridge while Lincoln captured the team crown.
Huyler was sick leading into state last year and wasn’t able to finish the race. On Saturday, she won in 17 minutes and 11 seconds, 15 seconds ahead of North Salem’s Nelida Dalgas.
“I’m just so happy to get it done,” Huyler said. “I’m so glad to come back and prove I can do it.”
Her time was the best ever by a 6A girl on the Lane course, second only to Wisniewski’s time last year in the meet’s history.
Huyler’s twin sister Hannah finished fourth (17:48), helping Lakeridge finish third in the team race.
“It’s so special,” Chloe Huyler said of sharing the season with her sister. “I think she surprised a lot of people this year.”
Lincoln won the crown with 90 points, 12 better than Lake Oswego. Lakeridge had 111 and Franklin was fourth with 160.
“It’s so gratifying,” Lincoln junior Elyse Henriksen said of the title. “We’ve been talking about it since my freshman year and a lot of people a lot longer than that.”
Ellery Lincoln sprinted past Hannah Huyler to finish third for Lincoln in 17:46.
Henriksen was seventh and Sophia Malinoski 18th for the Cardinals. The difference in a tight team race was the team’s next two runners — Sam Reid in 30th and Reiko Nitta in 49th.
“It’s been such a long time coming for both of them,” Lincoln said, praising all the work Reid and Nitta have put in. “I really admire them. I know I can always count on those two.”
The team’s success goes much further, though, Henriksen said.
“It’s so much deeper than our top five,” she said. “Everyone (in the program) does so much.”
Elissa Schaeffer of Sunset was fifth (17:57), followed by Ana Peters of Lake Oswego, who won the individual title as a sophomore and nearly led the Lakers to the team title as a senior.
4A Girls
La Grande junior Brooke Perry made it to the top of the podium after finishing in the top four the past two years while Philomath repeated as team champions with a strong group effort.
Perry finished in 18:36, pulling away from teammate Cecilia Villagomez in the final mile.
“I’m pretty proud of how I did,” said Perry, who was fourth as a freshman and second last fall. “I feel I had a lot of help from God. I couldn’t have done it without him.”
Perry led the whole way, though Villagomez tagged along for a while before ultimately fading to third. Alaina Cassidy of The Dalles was second (18:52), followed by Villagomez (18:59).
Philomath won the team title despite having just one top-10 finisher, freshman Cassidy Smart, who was 10th. The Warriors finished with 76 points, to 89 for runner-up Klamath Union.
“They were challenged a little closer than we expected,” Philomath coach Joe Fulton said. “We had a couple runners who had tough races, but we’re so deep as a team they came through.”
Adele Beckstead was 16th, Melea Lattin 22nd, Lucy King 23rd, Hallie Morrison 34th and Reagan Nuno 36th for the Warriors.
The Philomath seniors — Beckstead, Lattin, Morrison an Hanna McDaniel — have now been part of teams that finished second twice and first twice — and won three straight state titles in track and field.
Hallie Pyfer finished sixth to lead Klamath Union, one spot behind Annalyse Jenson of Molalla.
The Dalles (139) was third and Scappoose (174) fourth.
3A-2A-1A Girls
East Linn Christian’s Daisy Lalonde completed an unbeaten season by running from the front to win her second state title while Oregon Episcopal repeated as team champion.
“I can’t be thankful enough,” said Lalonde, who also won as a sophomore before finishing second last fall. “I’m so happy.”
She crossed the line in 18:07, followed by Lauren Tittel of Oregon Episcopal, who finished in 18:23.
Lalonde said she had planned on running with the leaders for the first mile, but changed her plan early in the race.
“I was thinking I want to get in front now,” she said, adding that a desire to not finish second again boosted her. “That definitely has been one of my top motivations — getting back on top.”
Oregon Episcopal also got back on top, edging the Enterprise-Joseph-Wallowa team by three points, 79-82.
“It’s so exciting, especially being my senior year,” said Tittel, who also was second to Lalonde their sophomore seasons. “Watching my team grow has been rewarding.”
Kate Vasanth was 10th for the Aardvarks, Evelyn Peters 18th, Andy Bryant 23rd and Lauren Edwards 46th.
That was just enough to hold off the combined Enterprise-Joseph-Wallowa squad, which was led by Lilly Weer’s ninth-place finish.
The combined Union-Cove team was third (126 points) with Banks fourth, one point ahead of Siuslaw (163 to 164).
Valley Catholic’s Isabelle Wiebe was third individually (18:36), followed by Coquille’s Ella Henthorn and Sophie Schoolmeester of Banks (18:48).
