News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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In his third year as head coach, Dave Kemp has developed the largest team in recent history for the Sisters Outlaws - and the outlook is bright for both the boys and girls teams. The competitive season opened on a strong note at the two day Adrian Irwin Tournament hosted by Bend High School December 6-7. The tournament featured 12 schools, six from the 5A classification. "We went up against opponents from some large schools and many seasoned athletes across the board," said... Full story
Music students at Sisters middle and high schools experienced a rare opportunity last week as the five member Celtic group Scottish Fish spent time with the Americana and Outlaw Strings students in a workshop and concert. After spending over three hours with students on Thursday, the group played a sold-out show at The Belfry Friday night, December 6, in which the middle school fiddle players performed as the opening act. The visit from the Boston-based quintet came about... Full story
An annual tradition, the Ugly Sweater Run, sponsored by RunSistersRun, attracted more than 200 runners and walkers who "donned them now their gay apparel" and took on a five-kilometer course on the north side of Sisters Saturday, December 7. The run started and finished at Fir Street Park with the afterparty spilling over to The Barn. Holiday outfits ranged from outlandish sweaters to full-on Christmas trees. Participants of all ages navigated the course, including William... Full story
Runners and walkers are invited to don their ugliest sweaters and other holiday garb for the fourth annual Ugly Sweater Run/Walk. The 5 kilometer event, set for Saturday, December 7 at 10 a.m. will be staged from the Fir Street Park in downtown Sisters. Race director Kelly Bither, founder of RunSistersRun, sponsors theme-oriented runs during the year and sees the events as an opportunity to get people together for some fun while also raising funds for local non-profits. This... Full story
The Sisters High School Hall of Fame inducted a total of six individuals and one group at an afternoon ceremony held Sunday, November 3 at Sisters High School (SHS). Don Pollard, co-chair of the Hall of Fame committee, helped welcome the attendees and thanked the numerous sponsors for supporting the Hall of Fame for the tenth year celebration. Dennis Dempsey emceed the evening. The ceremony included guest speaker Pat Tyson, currently the head cross-country coach at Gonzaga... Full story
The third annual Giddy Up run and walk took place under perfect conditions, with snow-dusted mountains as a backdrop at Pole Creek Ranch Saturday, October 19. A total of just under 150 runners and walkers, some in cowboy hats and other western garb, completed the five-mile and five-kilometer courses on the dirt roadways of the picturesque, iconic ranch. In addition twenty-six kids raced in the short "Buckaroo Dash" to kick things off. Madison Palmer of Arnold, Maryland, won th... Full story
The third annual Giddy Up 5K/5Miler Ranch Run is set for Saturday, October 19, at the Pole Creek Ranch. There’s still time to sign up, according to race director Kelly Bither. Runners and walkers are welcome. There is also a free “Buckaroo Run” for kids 2-10 that kicks off at 10 a.m., just before the other races. The race, like others Bither sponsors during the year for RunSistersRun, is themed, so participants are encouraged to don western hats, bandannas and other cowboy gear. In addition the run/walk finishers recei... Full story
Life was going well for David Kemp. After more than a dozen years as a chiropractor, his practice in Utah had expanded and was thriving. However, a dirt bike accident and an underlying desire to return to his roots conspired to bring David Kemp, a native of Sisters, back to town and open a chiropractic practice focused on wellness. Dr. Kemp spent much of his childhood in Sisters before moving to Utah, where he finished high school and attended college as an undergraduate at Ut... Full story
Approaching the first meet of the season as a hard practice gave the Outlaws cross-country teams an attitude of testing fitness while getting some race experience simultaneously. The results were positive for veterans and newcomers alike. The biggest challenge of the meet was not the course or the muggy heat, but stepping to the starting line for the first time since losing teammate Kolby McMahon, the victim of a motorcycle accident last June. "There was a lot of emotion... Full story
The first iteration of the "Red, White, and Blue" 5K run and walk attracted over 200 participants on July 4th. The race replaced the annual "Rumble on the Runway 5K" that had been a part of the Sisters Eagle Airport festivities that took place for many years. Thursday's untimed, low-key event included people of all ages - visitors and locals alike - who enjoyed a pancake breakfast supplied by the Sisters Rotary Club following their navigation of the 5K course that started and... Full story
Three Sisters High School athletes, along with a friend from Redmond, competed at the Nike U.S. U20 Nationals in the 4x400-meter relay on Saturday, June 15, at Hayward Field in Eugene, as part of a four-day event featuring athletes from throughout America. The relay crew accepted the invitation following the Outlaws’ second place finish in the event at the OSAA State Championships last month, also at Hayward Field. Brooke Duey, Audrey Corcoran, and Josie Ryan, who ran on the state team, added Eden Anspach from Redmond High S... Full story
Sisters High School’s 76th commencement ceremony, held Friday, June 14, featured themes of the importance of self-reflection, and the value of community as the 99 members of the graduating class completed the rite of passage toward adulthood. Following the traditional entry march to “Pomp and Circumstance” senior members of the jazz choir gifted the audience with a heartfelt rendition of the national anthem. Principal Steve Stancliff shared welcoming remarks followed by a short address to the graduates. Using the phras... Full story
The public is invited to the first annual Black and White Spring flag football games slated for Wednesday, June 12, at Reed Stadium. Girls will play a “powderpuff” game starting at 6 p.m. followed by a boys flag football game featuring members of the Outlaws tackle football team at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $3 per person and additional donations will also be accepted. Girls’ teams from each grade level will square off to get things started. The first game will be freshmen versus juniors followed by the sophomores versus the s... Full story
Up and downs, surprises, and close calls marked the two days of competition for the Sisters girls and boys at the OSAA State 3A Championships held May 16-17 at Hayward Field in Eugene. When all was said and done, the girls had a fourth place team trophy to bring home for their efforts. Day one of the competition on Thursday began with two Outlaws in the high jump, senior Gracie Vohs and freshman Althea Crabtree. Vohs entered the competition with the second-best season mark... Full story
The Outlaws boys’ track and field team matched its fourth place District finish from 2023 behind two state qualifiers and a slew of personal records among the team members. The District meet covered two days at Reed Stadium, May 9-10. John Berg earned a wild card berth to state competition by placing third in the 400 meters with a personal record of 52.39. “I am so happy for John this season after him being hurt last year,” said coach Jonathan Kelly. “He has flourished this year. Reid Woodson also earned a wildcard spot, i... Full story
A well-balanced day on the track, coupled with bright spots in the field, earned the Outlaw girls' team its second consecutive 3A Special District 4 title after two days of action at Reed Stadium May 9-10. Sisters amassed 148 points to easily outdistance second place Siuslaw (109) in the team race. La Pine finished third (97), followed by Creswell (90), Elmira (66), Glide (56), Pleasant Hill (55), and Sutherlin (29). The top two finishers in each event at District meets qualif... Full story
Sisters High School will host the 3A Special District 3 Championships this week on Thursday and Friday, May 9-10. The meet serves not only to determine the team champions for the district, but as the qualifier for the OSAA Track and Field Championships set for the following week at Hayward Field. The top two finishers in each event will qualify for state, along with one state-wide wild card entry in each event. Additional athletes may advance to state by meeting automatic qualifying standards. Teams competing at the meet incl... Full story
The Outlaws track and field team finished a busy week with a handful of team members competing at the prestigious Jesuit Twilight Relays on Friday, April 26. The meet attracts athletes from all classifications in Oregon and Washington who have met certain standards, making the event the most competitive of the season. Every event is loaded with talent, according to head coach Jonathan Kelly. As a result, athletes often get pulled and pushed to season and personal bests, which was true for some Outlaws. Ella Bartlett lowered... Full story
A change in the meet schedule turned out to be a chance for the Outlaws girls track team to show their true potential as Sisters tied for the team title among 25 schools at the Mazama Invitational on Saturday, April 20. The Outlaws racked up 125 points to tie with Spanish Springs (Nevada) for the title behind a balanced performance in which the team scored in fourteen of the 17 events. Individual winners for the Outlaws included Mae Roth in the pole vault (nine feet), Gracie Vohs in the high jump (5 feet 2 inches), Ella... Full story
After more than 20 years of directing the annual Peterson Ridge Rumble trail race, Sean Meissner doesn't take ideal weather for granted. After days of rain finally abated and gave way to near-perfect weather conditions for endurance athletes, over 300 runners took part in the race's three distances, 20, 26, and 40 miles on Sunday. "It's always a bonus when the weather is good," said Meissner. Last year's deep snow resulted in the 40-mile race being shortened to 26 miles and... Full story
The Outlaws track teams finally started the competitive season with two meets last week - a three-way meet at Mountain View on Tuesday, April 2, and the 10-team Sisters Invitational Saturday, April 6. While most schools in Oregon had meets in March, the Outlaws delayed the start of competition until after the two-week spring break. Tuesday's sunny warm weather resulted in some strong early season marks for a number of athletes and the strong competition Saturday, despite cold... Full story
After a district championship, two event wins, and a top-five team finish at State last year, the Outlaws girls' track and field team is poised for another successful campaign thanks to a large number of returnees, and some talented new arrivals. Meanwhile, the boys' team looks to build on its fourth-place district finish last year. Jonathan Kelly, in his second year at the helm of the program, feels that the learning he experienced last year will help him in 2024. "Having the... Full story
For 63-year-old Paul Reina of Bend, last weekend's Lucky Leprechaun run marked his first-ever formal race. "I started running in November with my daughter, who is a cancer survivor, and figured that by signing up for events like this, I would stay motivated to keep running," Reina said. "This was a lot of fun." Reina was one of more than 200 runners and walkers, many clad in green, who took to the streets of Sisters for the Lucky Leprechaun 5k and 10k Saturday, March 9, as... Full story
Lauren Fleshman made her mark athletically as an elite runner, but her memoir may be her legacy. Fleshman's deep concern for the well-being of athletes, especially girls and women, is woven throughout her book, "Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World." In a book talk at Sisters Athletic Club (SAC) Wednesday, March 6, this theme remained her focus before an audience of around 100 guests. "This was really our first social event since COVID and it was so great to see... Full story
Lauren Fleshman, well known for her highly decorated running career, will visit Sisters Athletic Club on Wednesday, March 6, to discuss her recent book “Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World,” published last year. The memoir became a New York Times best seller, and won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award. The Washington Post described the book as “A close-up look at the uncertain and often unhealthy climb toward stardom for women in organized sports.” As a runner, Fleshman, who resides in Bend, won... Full story
