Bobcats lead the pack

Published 12:18 am Monday, September 18, 2017

Alex Graffunder led three Union/Cove runners in the top four as the hometown Bobcats coasted to an easy victory at the 41st Catherine Creek Scamper Friday.

The senior pulled away from the field and finished the race in 17 minutes, 1 second, well ahead of second-place Tim Stevens (17:12). Jeremy Baxter (18:03) followed in fourth. Tenth-place Jack Silveira (19:00) and 11th-place Andrew Lackey (19:21) rounded out U/C’s top five.

“Our team is looking phenomenal. This is by far the best Union team I can think of, maybe even the best in the history of Union,” Graffunder, who won the race for the second year in a row, said. “I’m super impressed with these guys. It’s great.”

It led to Union scoring 28 points, completely routing runner-up Greenleaf Friends Academy, of Idaho, which scored 80 points. Baker (86 points) took third.

“There’s really good competition. That varsity boys field was incredible. The guy who placed seventh, Zayne Troeger from Umatilla, ran (9:26) in the 3,000 last year,” Bobcats’ head coach Steve Sheehy said. “To do that well in that field is a big honor.”

Bennett Welch (20:00) finished 20th to lead La Grande, but the Tigers slipped to seventh with a team score of 165. Calvin Smith (20:21) took 26th for the Tigers, and freshman Cristian Mendoza (21:19) placed 36th.

Micah Flippo placed 34th in a time of 21:11 to lead Elgin, which took 10th with 249 points. Timothy Flippo (22:44) took 56th.

Enterprise didn’t field enough runners to place as a team, but the Outlaws were led by James Madsen (20:09), who took 23rd, and Brycen Locke (20:56), who came in 31st.

While the boys race was a runaway, the girls outcome was much tighter.

Alisa Fox (21:23) pulled away in the final mile to take the Scamper title for the second year in a row, and Union/Cove held off Enterprise and La Grande to win and give the Bobcats a sweep.

“Since I won last year, I really wanted to win this year again,” Fox said.

Union/Cove finished with 42 points, just ahead of Enterprise (47) and La Grande (52).

The Bobcats and Outlaws placed all of their top five runners in the top 20. Jaimee Baxter (21:52) followed Fox for Union/Cove by taking fourth. Michelle Herbes (22:32) and Abriel O’Reilly (22:58) placed 10th and 12th, and Landrey Gaertner (23:52) came in 19th.

But Enterprise was right on their heels in the latest edition of what should be a tight battle between the teams again this season. Freshman Kyla Hook, who won last week at the Runner’s Soul Meet, took second (21:38). Eliza Irish (22:01) and Ellyse Tingelstad (22:02) came in fifth and sixth. Ashley Wilson (23:42) finished 18th, and Ella Coughlan (24:03) was 20th.

“I was really pleased with how the kids ran (Friday) considering we weren’t able to run last week because of the air quality and then what they did today, they really stepped up. I’m pleased with all of them,” Enterprise head coach Dan Moody said.

La Grande followed with four runners runners in the top 20. Kendra Blake (21:40) paced the Tigers in third. Maia Vandervlugt (22:04) was also in the top 10, taking seventh. Abby Crews (22:46) and Ashton Gilbert (23:18) placed 11th and 14th. Zoe Adamson (24:12) was just outside the top 20, taking 21st.

“The girls did phenomenal. They came to do what they had planned,” La Grande head coach Alma Crow said. “Our boys started out in bad spots and then couldn’t get out of that hole.”

The Bobcats, Outlaws and Tigers are in action again Saturday at the Bob Firman Invitational in Boise, Idaho. The Huskies head to Connell, Washington, for the Connell Invite Saturday.