Since winning its only state title in 1978, Lincoln's girls cross country team has finished runner-up six times, including the last two seasons.
This year represents an opportunity for a breakthrough for the Cardinals, who entered the season ranked No. 1 in the OSAAtoday 6A coaches poll, narrowly ahead of No. 2 Jesuit, the two-time reigning state champion.
Lincoln's performance Friday in the season-opening Night Meet at Wilsonville only underscored the team's high expectations. Sophia Malinoski, Elyse Henriksen and Ellery Lincoln took first in the senior, junior and sophomore races, respectively, each going home with coveted garden gnome trophies.
“We had a goal of trying to win the sophomore, junior, senior race,” Lincoln coach Eric Dettman said. “Having the opportunity to win the gnome is obviously an enticing thing for athletes. It's funny how much they appreciate that.”
Lincoln (10:16.9), Malinoski (10:20.3) and Henriksen (10-21.8) recorded the top three times of the night on the 3,000-meter course. They all finished strong, closing the final 1,400 at about a 5:20 pace, according to Dettman.
“I was a little surprised with how fast they opened up,” Dettman said. “For them to run as fast as they did, and close the way they did, indicates they probably could have run quite a bit quicker.”
Lincoln, who placed second in the 6A meet at as a freshman, is showing vast improvement from a year ago. She took nearly a minute off her time from the Night Meet last year, when she won the freshman race in 11:15.6.
Dettman said that Lincoln is “light years ahead” of where she was at this point in 2023. She entered this year's race with a more aggressive plan, opening at a 5:38 pace, down from about 6:20 last year. In the team's four-mile progression training run this year, Lincoln averaged an impressive 5:51 pace, about a 30-second improvement.
“Last year, she was probably running 20, 21, 22 miles a week, and now she's up to between 30 and 35,” Dettman said. “We've introduced her to the idea of a long run, which she never did before.”
Lincoln is likely to smash her 5,000 personal best of 17:21.1.
“I wouldn't be surprised if she runs somewhere in the 16s, probably like 16:30 or so,” Dettman said.
Lincoln and Malinoski are coming off a brilliant track season in which they won state titles in the 1,500 and 800, respectively. Also, Lincoln was runner-up in the 800 and Malinoski took fourth in the 1,500.
But their build-up to the cross country season was delayed by illness. Malinoski won the 800 at state while dealing with whooping cough, something she didn't discover until later. Lincoln caught the illness shortly after.
It took them a while to make up for lost time.
“They're kind of right where I would hope they'd be at this point,” Dettman said.
The Cardinals are riding the momentum they generated from track season, when they finished second in the 6A meet. Henriksen also placed in the meet, taking eighth in the 3,000.
“I think they all feel that momentum,” Dettman said. “I think all three of those girls, if you said, 'What's your goal?', it's to be in the top five. So that's kind of what we're shooting for.”
In last year's 6A cross country meet, Lincoln placed five runners in the top 14, but still finished second to Jesuit, 32-46. The Cardinals' point total was the lowest ever by a girls team that didn't win a title.
With Lincoln (second), Malinoski (10th) and Henriksen (14th) back, the Cardinals are gearing up for another run at Jesuit. They beat the Crusaders in the Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational last season but couldn't overcome them at state.
“We don't talk too much specifically about taking the crown from Jesuit,” Dettman said. “I think so many schools put Jesuit on this pedestal, and then it becomes this David vs. Goliath type of thing. Let's try to focus on what we can control, and if we can do that, we think we can be champs.”
Add Night Meet
Seniors Brennan McEwen and Zafer Courcelle of reigning 6A champion Franklin started the season strong by finishing 1-2 in the senior race at the Night Meet.
McEwen (8:43.7) and Courcelle (8:49.6) recorded the two best 3,000 times at the meet. They are the two top returning placers from last year's 6A meet, when Courcelle took third and McEwen was fifth.
Cleveland junior Kai Jensen (8:58.64), South Eugene sophomore Yosuke Shibata (9:06.46) and Central Catholic freshman Brady Lukasiewicz also won class races.
Tigard's Sophia Service (11:08.45) won the freshman girls race.
The Opener
Banks junior Sophie Schoolmeester took first place Friday at The Opener at Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth.
Schoolmeester finished the 3,000 course in 10:32.61 to edge Philomath senior Adele Beckstead (10:38.31). Corvallis junior Lucia Williams (11:07.94) was third.
Reigning 4A champion Philomath scored 39 points to win the 11-team girls meet, ahead of Corvallis (91) and Banks (100).
Central junior Ty Cirino won the boys race. He finished in 8:30.49 to beat Corvallis senior Dylan Fiegener (8:41.93) and Cottage Grove senior Carter Bengtson (8:43.51).
Corvallis scored 62 points to finish first out of 17 boys teams. Sherwood (71) and Banks (105) were next.
jerryu@osaa.org
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