RESULTS

BOYS RECAP

Just some two hours away from where she’ll compete for the next four years in Eugene, senior Katie Raisberger gave Oregon fans something to get very excited about by dominating the girls Nike Cross Nationals championship race on Saturday in Portland. That something is a very calm and confident approach which was strikingly lethal today at the Glendoveer Golf Course.

Her 16:56.80 victory, a 23-second improvement on 2014 winner Allie Ostrander’s time, completed an undefeated 2015 campaign for Rainsberger on a day when the outcome was hardly in doubt after two-miles. The 4:40 miler made a hard move after she crossed that split in 10:54, which left challengers Judy Pendergast and Cailie Logue in her wake. Instantly, the final mile became the Rainsberger show— game, set, and match.  

The finish was a mere formality for the future Duck, who won today by a huge 13.4 second margin. Portland’s own Ella Donaghu was second in 17:10.20, as she was able to track down Pendergast and Logue in the latter stages of the race. Logue would end up third in 17:14.20, with freshman Kelsey Chmiel putting together a very impressive day to finish fourth in 17:15.40.

Pendergast, Kaitlyn Neal, and Stephanie Jenks would all fall off Rainsberger’s pace in varying degrees, as the quartet crossed the first mile together in 5:14. The senior Jenks was the first victim, around 7:30 in, while Pendergast and Neal, also seniors, would fall back once Rainsberger stopped playing the game at the two-mile mark. 

Pendergast was eighth in 17:20.80, Neal 15th in 17:25.80, and Jenks 25th in 17:44.50, as the trio suffered the consequences of Raisberger’s wrath. A fist bump is in order for all three ladies for giving it a go, but Rainsberger’d they got on Saturday, as no one was stopping her on this day. 

Led by Neal’s 15th spot, the Fayetteville-Manlius ladies increased their monopoly on the NXN team title, as their 55-point blitzing at Glendoveer was their 9th title in the last 10 seasons. Coach Bill Aris’ group flat out pummeled second place Davis High of California, who beat out last week’s Golden State champs Great Oak 144-171. Some of that was due to CIF winner Destiny Collins having an off race in Portland— the 9:53 3200m star was just 31st on Saturday. 

And finally, in “what are you doing with your life news,” a seventh grader finished 14th. That’s right folks, 12-year-old Grace Ping ran 17:25.70 to make us all feel bad about ourselves. Thanks, Grace.