The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

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 Bartlett in the 3000 (11:28.83), Lilly Sundstrom in the 300-meter hurdles (49.12), and Audrey Corcoran in the 100 (12.64) and the 200 (26.35).

It was the first time all season that the Outlaws have been near full-strength as injuries and conflicts with club volleyball have interfered in previous weeks.

In addition to her win in the high jump, Gracie Vohs placed second in the 400 (1:01.51) and fourth in the 200 (27.36). Other top performers included freshman Althea Crabtree who placed third in the high jump (5 feet), sixth in the pole vault (8 feet 6 inches), sixth in the 100 hurdles (17.71), and seventh in the 300 hurdles (50.85) — all personal bests. Brook Duey ran a personal best in the 400 (1:02.52) and joined Vohs, Josie Ryan, and Sundstrom for a third-place finish in the 4 x 400-meter relay (4:21.33).

“The girls are starting to look like a team that can repeat as District champions,” said assistant coach Dennis Dempsey. “At present a number of the girls are ranked in the top ten among all 3A competitors.”

For the boys team, podium finishes were harder to come by.

John Berg ran a personal best in the 400 (53.32) for fourth place and followed up with another best in the 200 (23.88) where he finished fifth. Spencer Tisdel cleared 11 feet to finish second in the pole vault. The team of Spencer Davis, Charlie Moen, Broderick Womack, and Berg placed sixth in the 4 x 400-meter relay (3:45.10).

Results were better for the boys at the four-way meet at Ridgeview on Wednesday, April 17, as a number of athletes established lifetime and season bests.

Moen tossed the javelin 136 feet 11.75 inches, Tisdel cleared 11 feet 2 inches in the pole vault, George Roberts clocked 2:15.96 in the 800, and Davis broke 12 seconds in the 100 for the first time (11.96).

The highlight for girls at the meet came when Roth soared 10 feet in the pole vault.

The Outlaws will stay closer to home this week with a three-way meet at Crook County in Prineville on Wednesday, April 24.