The Old Mill XC Challenge

The first running of the Old Mill XC Invitational was a ton of fun and worth the efforts. And man, those efforts added up. What started with a few weedeaters and a lawn mower eventually included a semi-truck, a backhoe and a skid steer. People from Portland, Brownsville, Eugene and of course our die hard locals all worked together to transform an overgrown blackberry patch into a beautiful trail. We even had two college coaches, Kelly Sullivan and Matt Barreau, lining out the course, taking drone footage and making maps and signs.

The course is not a simple run through a park. It includes some hill, rock, rough wood chips and puddles. All the things that add up to an old school cross country course. So the kids had to bear with it and grit it out. They did a great job.

Clouds were moving through the mountains as final preparations were made Saturday morning. The forecast was for rain until about 10 o’clock, our first starting time. Volunteers were donning rain gear and packing umbrellas. But the running gods were with us again and the rain held off.

Combined middle school start

The first race was the middle school combined. Thirteen boys and two girls jumped at the gun and headed for the east meadow. Theo Waters of Lowell took an early lead and held it for the entire 3000 meters. He won in 10:37, over a minute ahead of McKenzie’s Conrad Drake who came in second with an 11:39. Both boys are seventh graders. Connor Long, an eighth grader from Mapleton finished third in 12:10. Hadley Foster of Mapleton was the top girl finisher in 14:07.

Theo Waters of Lowell winning the middle school boys race. Yes, the 3K course finished backwards on the track.

Connor Drake on his first loop of the 3K

The show was stolen in part, however, by Chase Barreau. He’s only a second grader but finished strong with a 15:30. His dad was one of the coaches who’s been helping us set up the course. Best wishes to that boy for a bright, healthy future. And a huge thank you to Matt for helping us get set up.

Second grader, Chase Barreau looking strong on the 3K course

The high school girls tackled three and a half loops around the course for a solid, challenging 5K. There were fourteen starters from McKenzie, Mapleton, Lowell, Mohawk and Glendale. Natalee Stevens, a senior from Mapleton won the girl’s race in 21:42. She was followed by Myra Dion, a senior from McKenzie, with a 22:41 and a huge smile. Zyla Drake, a sophomore from McKenzie, came in third with a 22:55 run.

Zyla Drake and Myra Dion of McKenzie and Brooklyn Beecher of Mapleton on their first loop

The grand finale was the high school boys 5K. There were nineteen runners at the line. McKenzie’s very own Will Meister took command early and held on for a large margin win in 18:26. Cylas Sughroue, also of McKenzie, was next across the line with a 19:14 followed by Mohawk’s Corbin Dalton (19:30) and McKenzie’s Allen Acevado (19:38).

Award ceremony for the high school boys.

There were a lot of smiles and good cheer when the races were over. Personal records were plentiful. An encouraging thing for kids that might have doubted themselves as they struggled through the course. Most of the kids said the course was hard but they liked the challenge. It reflects the true spirit of cross country where your biggest competitor is yourself.

Thank you to all the people who helped make this meet happen. Without everyone coming together it wouldn’t have been possible. Special thanks to Sonny Willis, Virgil Kropf of Brush Creek Transport and Ken Brown of Rexius for getting the path in order. The last minute push had big rewards for these kids.