The Ponderosa Middle School cross country team had an unforgettable experience this past weekend at The Ultimook Race in Tillamook, an event unlike any other for a long-distance runner.
Head coach Amanda Thompson, who competed at the race site herself in high school, made it a goal this season to give her runners experience outside of the Klamath Basin. The running course — Hydrangea Ranch — offered exactly that, with a rugged course featuring a deep mud pit, two river crossings, winding trails through forest, and fields of blooming hydrangeas.
“It is probably the most exciting meet we go to because all our races here are super flat, super dry. When I started coaching, I thought these were not really fun and was looking around for some meets that would be more true to the cross country experience,” Thompson said.
Team results and top runners
Ponderosa left the race with a lot to brag about as the school placed fifth out of 12 teams, finishing behind only private running clubs from Salem and Portland. Ponderosa competed against teams from across the state, scattering from Salem, Portland, Ashland, Astoria and cities near Idaho.
Eighth grader Harper McLain led the Ponderosa girls, placing 24th out of 119 runners in the 3,000 meter race with a time of 13:30.60. McLain originally joined cross country to build endurance for soccer but found a new love for a sport.
“I just sing songs in my head when I run. I try to do what my track coach (Thompson) tells me with my arms; I don’t have good arms but I am trying to get better each race,” McLain said.
This season also marks a milestone: Ponderosa now has an official girls’ cross country team. With five female runners, the squad can now score as a team for the first time, compared to last year’s group of three.
Seventh grader Aiden McPherson was the top Ponderosa boys’ finisher, taking 27th out of 156 runners in 12:25.10.
As just a sixth grader a year ago, McPherson was one of the top cross country runners Ponderosa has had in recent memory. McPherson finished in the top 50 last year in the state meet and finished with the best time out of any sixth grader.
Running runs in the family for McPherson — his grandfather earned a college scholarship for the sport. As an elementary school student, McPherson recalled running a mile every Sunday, which got him hooked and realized his potential.
Though the race would be unlike any other the Bobcats would have this season, it would not represent each runners’ best time. McPherson’s average time for a 3,000 meter race is about 10 and a half minutes.
“The mud pit was challenging because it was deep, and we couldn’t really run that fast in it. You had to walk sometimes because of how sticky it was,” McPherson said. “I surged ahead during a river crossing when others slowed down. That race was fun, not as competitive as some of the races I have been to but I really liked the course.”
Sixth grader Nicholas Harwood is a newcomer in cross country who competed in his first meet in Tillamook. Harwood is one of 12 male runners Thompson has on her team.
“I have set a goal of shaving 10 seconds from my time each race,” Harwood said. “I was camping with Aiden one time at Lake of the Woods and we went on a three-mile run. I got back and my mom told me, ‘I’m signing you up for cross country.’ Aiden just forced me to run that day, and it was fun.”
More than racing
The experience was more than competition — it was also a weekend of camping in which the Bobcats were able to camp at the race site. For many students, it was their first time setting up a tent.
“It took us about 30 minutes to get our tents up until we found the manual,” Thompson said. “But that is what it was about — we all bonded as a team and I wanted the kids to have that experience with each other.”
Find a gallery from The Ultimook Race on the KFCS Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Klamath.Falls.City.Schools
