Boys Team Recap:  The boys team entered the state meet ranked #7 and they ended up taking 7th place, a one place improvement on the team finish last year.  While it is the first time the boys team has had a streak of three top 10 finishes at state since 1959 there was a definite feeling that the athletes wanted more.  This is a huge testament to the work that the athletes have put in and how far the bar has been raised in our program.  Most people outside of Cottage Grove did not expect to see the team back at state after having to replace six of the top seven guys on the varsity team, let alone upset Marist to win a district title.  It was a steep learning curve for the boys team as most of them experienced racing at the varsity level for the first time.  Carter, Frank and Easton have established the benchmark for what off season training should look like.  If the rest of the guys follow suit this summer then the team could look to contend for a state trophy next fall.  With some strong JV runners on our team this season and some passionate incoming freshmen next year, the varsity team is going to be a tough team to make next fall.  The 2023 season was a massive success in terms of gaining experience and taking a giant leap toward the future.  Congratulations to all the guys for a successful season!

Girls Team Recap:  The girls team entered the state meet ranked #6 and ended up placing 6th, just 10 points out of 4th place and a state trophy.  Although 6th place is a tie for the best finish in CG girls XC history, the girls had hoped for more when the season started.   The girls team faced some different challenges this season with only one girl athlete able to make it through all of the workouts this season without any significant modifications.  There were doubts at times that we would have a full squad on the starting line at the end of the season.  Despite a variety of health and medical obstacles the girls still managed to pull together a near perfect race at districts to upset Junction City for the district title, the FIRST GIRLS XC DISTRICT TITLE IN SCHOOL HISTORY!  Facing a couple of additional hiccups the week of the state meet the girls rallied to a 6th place finish.  The girls will return a veteran squad next season with three seniors that are not planning to leave the state meet empty handed in 2024.  The girls program will also be transitioning from not always fielding a full team on race day to a roster that will be challenging to make with the addition of several incoming freshmen next season.  Congratulations to the girls on another season for the history books!

Cottage Grove is one of four 4A schools that had both boys and girls programs finish in the top seven at the state meet.  These athletes have established a culture of hard work and high expectations for themselves and their teammates.  Congratulations to all athletes for making Cottage Grove one of the strongest 4A programs in the state. 

It has been 66 years since a Cottage Grove cross country athlete has been on top of the podium at the state championship.  On Saturday Carter followed in the footsteps of Dyrol Burleson by winning the state championship by over 40 seconds.  If you don't know who Dyrol Burleson is then you should pause here and do a quick Google search to learn more about the two time Olympian.  While it is often easy to write off successful athletes as just talented, that would be a huge disservice to the work that Carter has put in over the last few years.  Carter spent his first two seasons at CGHS learning from and chasing Jaden Owens, who is also one of the all time greats at CGHS.  After finishing in sixth place at the state cross country meet last fall, and third in the 3000m last spring at the state track and field championship, Carter took his training to another level.  His desire to improve and his commitment to doing the actual work it takes to get better has been what sets Carter apart from the rest.  While Carter may have crossed the finish line first at LCC on Saturday, the win was in the works during June, July, and August when Carter was adding up the miles.  Carter understands the importance of not only the running, but all of the ancillary things that make a big difference, such as strength and mobility work.  Even more impressive is that Carter managed to fit in all the training while also being an integral part of the soccer team and excelling in the classroom.  All of those miles resulted in a huge boost in confidence as he stepped up to the starting line in September, and the rest is history.  After nine races during the course of the season where a total of 822 athletes tried to get to the finish line first, Carter stood on top of the podium as a state champion!  Congratulations Carter, we're honored to have you represent our team, school, and community.

It couldn't have been scripted any better.  From the perfect racing weather to runners executing race plans with surgical precision, it was another historic day for the Lion harriers.  The Lions spent the last month honing their racing tactics on slower and more challenging courses, and they expected some big improvements on Thursday.  However, they also knew that fast times would come as a result of putting themselves in the best positions possible to help their team.  The district championship is all about place rather than time.

Carter is the District Champion:

Carter became the first individual district champion for the CG boys since Jimmy Talley notched a win in 2018.  While the first mile was right on pace for Carter it proved to be too much for the two runners that attempted to try and hang with him.  Carter maintained the grueling pace and powered to the win by over 50 seconds while also claiming a 1 second personal best.  We believe he may have also set a state record for fastest time from the finish line to the porta potty.  Next week Carter will race with the hopes of becoming the first Cottage Grove athlete to win a XC state title since Dyrol Burleson won the 1.8 mile version of the race in 1957.  

Girls Race Recap:

The girls entered the meet ranked #3 in the league behind North Bend and the defending champions from Junction City.  It would be a fight for the two state qualifying team spots.  After the first mile it looked like the race may play out according to form as the ladies trailed North Bend by six points and Junction City by 15 points.  However, the CG runners had paced the first mile exactly as planned and they had positioned themselves to move up.  Maddison waited for the perfect moment to break free of the chase pack, while Ella trailed the pack closely enough so that she would be ready to pick off runners as they dropped.  Maddison powered her way to a second place finish as Ella devoured the four person pack to steal third place.  Allison fought some stomach issues during the race, but still managed a strong hold on her position and finished with a 23 second season best.  Hailey trailed two key North Bend runners by roughly 20 meters at the halfway point, but less than a mile later she had her own 20 meter lead on them.  She built on that lead late in the race to earn a 28 second PR.  Jordynn raced spectacularly after facing some challenges with training during the season.  As she moved up seven places after the mile she clocked a seven second PR, but more impressive was that it was nearly two minutes faster than her best time this season.  After having to take one month off to problem solve an injury issue Bella courageously chose to put herself out there to help her team.  Late in the race she debated stepping off the course due to pain she was experiencing, but chose to continue knowing the score would be close and that a tie breaker would come down to the sixth runner.  Zoey jumped in to help after spending the season with the soccer team.  If something would have happened with our 5th and 6th runner Zoey's place would have been strong enough to still secure the team a state meet birth.  The end result was a four point upset victory over Junction City and the first district championship in school history for the girls cross country team!  

Girls Results:

Maddison France: 2nd place, 20:05, PR by 45 seconds

Ella Cardwell: 3rd place, 20:13, PR by 1 minute and 20 seconds

Allison Palluck: 9th place, 21:32, Season Best by 26 seconds

Hailey Fergason: 10th place, 21:45, PR by 28 seconds

Jordynn Owens: 14th place, 22:23, PR by 7 seconds and Season Best by 1 minute and 52 seconds

Bella Keating: 23rd place, 23:17, Remarkable time for coming back after one month and running with discomfort

Zoey Knutson: 24th place, Season Best by 6 seconds

Boys Race Recap:

After watching the girls execute a perfect race plan the boys were ready to match what their female counterparts had just accomplished. Let's not forget that the CG boys were the defending district champs to start the race, but they also replaced six of the seven guys in the "starting lineup" this season. Marist entered the race as the favorite on paper, but after racing Marist early in the season the CG boys knew they had a chance to secure a win.  Carter pulled the race out to a hot start, and several runners from other teams chose to get out fast as well.  At the mile things looked a little scary as Marist held a 20 point lead over CG.  However, the mile splits told a different story as most of the Lions had hit the mile at the perfect pace.  It was time to get to work.  As Carter continued to pull away from the field, David hung with the main chase pack and waited for the right moment to make is move.  Still dealing with some jet lag from a recent trip, David managed to fight off one Marist runner that tried to go with him and he secured the 4th place finish.  Easton and Frank worked together to dial in the first mile and then move up.  Easton managed to reel in nine athletes after the mile and secure a first team all-league 6th place finish and a 39 second PR.  Frank picked off six guys to grab 8th place with a 20 second PR.  Just slightly back in the pack Jackson and Lucas were working to do much of the same.  Jackson moved up five places in the last 1,000 meters while Lucas managed three spots.  In the end, Jackson had a lifetime best by 45 seconds and Lucas saw a nearly 40 second improvement.  Ethan was also busy at work passing five runners in the last 350 meters to secure a top 20 finish and an amazing personal best by nearly 80 seconds! The end result was a 15 point victory and a district championship for the CG boys; the first time in school history that the XC boys have gone back to back.

Boys Results:

Carter Bengtson: District Champion, 15:41, PR by 1 second and currently the #1 4A time in the state.

David Culbert: 4th place, 17:54, The goal was not a fast time, but to minimize risk and secure 4th. Mission accomplished.

Easton Hutchins: 6th place, 18:01, PR by 39 seconds

Frank Garcia: 8th place, PR by 20 seconds

Jackson Gifford: 12th place, PR by 45 seconds

Lucas O'Hara: 14th place, 18:43, PR by 39 seconds

Ethan McClean: 18th place, 19:33, PR by 78 seconds

JV Recap:

It was an amazing day for the JV runners as well!  The JV guys dominated the race by taking seven of the top nine spots, to make it the third team win for Cottage Grove on the day.  Micah and Hayes pulled away from the pack and Micah was able to get the win and break 20 minutes for the first time.  Almost every CG JV athlete ran a personal best with the exception of one athlete only being four seconds off of a PR.  We're hoping for a full girls JV team next season so we can attempt to sweep all four team titles.  Many asked why there were not awards for the JV runners.  Keep in mind that cross country is one of the few (if not only) high school sports where a JV event is held in conjunction with a varsity championship event. In most sports the JV season ends prior to a varsity district championship happening.  We're excited that our JV runners get to compete at the district championship with our varsity athletes, and that our JV athletes get to see what they can work toward next season.