2B | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020 | SIUSLAW NEWS
Siuslaw
from 1B
“I think a lot of pro-
grams in schools are
struggling with COVID
to get kids out,” said
Johnson. “The seasons
are super short, and it's
tough with cross coun-
try because you have to
get fit, and it takes time.
I'll give my kids credit,
the day we could start
meeting in November,
we've been meeting
nonstop six days a week
— so they're fit. And it's
tough to go up against
people who've been
running
year-round
when you haven't been.”
While Johnson gives
his runners a great deal
of credit, he also says
there are other factors.
“While we’re pretty
good,” Johnson admit-
ted, “the competition
right now isn't putting
up much of a fight just
because of the situations
people are in with not
being able to see kids,
not having kids at school
and [other] COVID
problems. We're doing
okay with the COVID
part, we’re just trying
to stay healthy and go
from there.”
As for last Saturday’s
league preview meet,
Siuslaw looks to be a
dominant force in the
league. Despite some of
its own team members
having difficult days
health-wise, both Siu-
slaw teams came out on
top —by a lot.
The final score for the
women’s race was Siu-
slaw 19 and Marist 36,
with none of the other
four schools who com-
peted having enough
runners to officially
place. While Junction
City had a runner who
placed first, Siuslaw
had the most runners
in the top 10, with all
five girls placing.
Rylee Colton came
in second with a time
of 20:01.57, followed
in fifth place by Gracie
Freudenthal (21:22.27.)
One of the Vikings’
runners who typically
finishes in the top five,
Brea Blankenship, still
placed eighth in the
race (22:05.54) despite
running with a minor
injury.
“Brea was a little bit
banged up,” said John-
son, “and her Achilles
was a little bit sore, so
she wasn't running in
racing shoes and wasn't
feeling that great. So, the
girls would have been
better off, and we’d have
scored fewer points.
We're hoping she's get-
ting worked on today, so
she'll be healthy again.”
Jane Lacouture and
Corduroy Holbrook fin-
ished ninth and 10th, re-
spectively, with times of
22:23.00 and 22:36.26.
On the men’s team,
Siuslaw scored 16, with
Marist being the closest
at 53. Marshfield was
third with 80, followed
by Junction City (101)
and Cottage Grove
(139.)
Elmira did not have
enough runners to
place.
Siuslaw had six run-
ners place in the top 10
during the men’s race.
Chad Hughes placed
first with a time of
17:02.28, and Samuel
Ulrich placed second in
17:27.46. Chad Hughes
and Ulrich were closely
followed by Kyle Hughes
(17:34.35) and Ryan
Jennings
(17:45.91),
who placed third and
fourth, respectively.
Johnson noted that his
three teammates who
also play for the soccer
team this season had a
tough time this week.
“Those
guys
are
banged up a little bit,”
said Johnson. “Jaxson
had to sit out of a soccer
game, so we're hoping
he can stay healthy for
these next two soccer
games. I’ll give credit
to the other two soccer
players. Dylan Jensen
and Brayden Linton ran
great, so that's awesome
that those guys are able
to pull double duty and
do two different things,
it’s pretty impressive.”
Jaxson Jensen fin-
ished sixth with a time
of 18:05.56, and Dylan
Jensen finished ninth
with a time of 18:19.83.
Linton did not place in
the top 10 but was Siu-
slaw’s next runner to
place, coming in 12th
with a time of 18:38.72.
Johnson said he was
very pleased with his
teams’
performances
at the meet. “The boys
almost had a perfect
score,” he explained,
“which doesn't hap-
pen very often in cross
country, especially not
when you're looking at
an entire league.
“This is a team that
was no-nonsense from
the beginning, and
[they] have gone after
it.”
Currently, the team
is undefeated — some-
thing Johnson said has
never happened before.
“We've gone through
years and never lost to
a 4A team, but to go the
whole season and never
lose, that's pretty neat,”
said Johnson, who add-
ed that the team has its
sights set on finishing
the season on top.
“That’s on their mind,”
he said, “and that's what
we're focusing on in this
last couple of weeks.
We’re just trying to stay
healthy and get rested
up, and then hopefully
we have two more good
performances, and we
can see what happens
after that.”
After this week’s low
pressure Run for the
Brownies
tomorrow
(March 25) at the Flor-
ence Golf Links, the
Vikings will face off
against the other teams
in the Sky-Em League
once again for districts.
The race will take place
at Marist instead of
Lane Community Col-
lege (LCC), the nor-mal
venue for district cham-
pionships, because LCC
does not allow specta-
tors at this time.
If Siuslaw places in
the top two teams at
the district meet, they
will compete at the state
meet. Johnson also ex-
plained the plans for the
state meet.
“Right now, it is sup-
posed to be in Tilla-
mook at the Alderbrook
Golf Course,” he said.
“If for some reason the
numbers in Tillamook
County go from mod-
erate to high, then we
would move the meet to
Marist — so we're set.
We have a plan in place.”
The Vikings have a
couple more workouts
this week to prepare for
district.
“Then we’ll go to the
district meet and try to
get a couple of champi-
onships,” said Johnson.
“And then after that,
we’ll take our chances
against the state.”
The Run for the
Brownies takes place at
5 p.m. tomorrow, and
the Sky-Em League
championship races will
take place next Thurs-
day, April 1, beginning
at 4:30 p.m.
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