Cottage Grove High School
Track and Field/Cross Country
Quick Links
The Track Resurfacing Project is Underway!
Please visit the link HERE for details!
If you are looking for other content that had previously been on the home page it hasn't disappeared!
Be sure to checkout the reorganized drop down menu in the upper left corner for access to the archives!
Meet the 2025 Squads
(Please scroll down for the week 3 update)
Week 3 (March 17 - March 21)
Despite some wet and cold conditions on Friday the squad meet was a success with an abundance of positive energy and teamwork. We will reveal the squad meet scores at practice on Monday and squads will continue to earn points as the season progresses. Thank you for taking the time to read through important information for the week, especially if you are new to the program this year. We are excited to compete at our first meet this week and also for our annual team potluck on Friday (details below).
A remind message was sent out Sunday, March 16th in an effort to remind everyone to check the website weekly updates. If you didn't receive the message you will want to make sure you're registered for our team Remind group. Please text @cgtrack25 to 81010
Just a quick reminder that if an athlete is sick and not at school you DO NOT need to communicate with a coach. There is an attendance report each day that coaches can see for this information. Thanks for helping to avoid the unnecessary wave of messages.
We had several athletes show up on the grade check list last week. Just a reminder to parents and athletes that we can't expect instant grading from teachers when students turn in late or missing work. Athletes should get school work taken care of early in order to give teachers an opportunity to grade work. Athletes that were below a 2.0 on the last progress report and have not resolved grade issues by practice time on Tuesday (3/18) will not be competing on Thursday. Entries are due by Tuesday evening and we won't be entering ineligible athletes for the meet.
The apparel deadline was last Friday. The order will be placed ASAP and we will distribute items as soon as they arrive.
Monday/Tuesday: We will be checking in with athletes about entries for the meets this week. Official entries will be posted on Wednesday at practice and athletes are responsible for checking those. We have entry limits for this meet, but we are going to try and take as many athletes as possible. This means that some athletes may not get their first choices for events, but it's better than staying home.
Wednesday, March 19th: Uniform checkout starting at 3:15pm in the main gym entry. Athletes will be issued a team uniform that will consist of at least a jacket and jersey. Athletes may choose to check out shorts and pants if they wish, or they may use their own if they have items that are solid black (no stripes or other decor). Pants that have the CG logo such as the ones ordered through the program may also be used. Team uniforms are for meets only and should not be worn to school, at practice, or in any other situations outside of competition.
Thursday, March 20th: First meet at Siuslaw High School. The bus will depart ON TIME at 12:30. Athletes not dressed and on the bus will be left at school. Just a few reminders about the meet this week:
Parents and athletes should get in the habit of checking the meet info section for each meet at athletic.net. The Meet Schedule (athletic.net) link at the top of the page will take you directly to the CGHS info at athletic.net. The meet info section is typically the same place the coaches find details about the meet. For example, the meet this week is charging admission and the details are all in the meet info section for the Siuslaw Icebreaker at athletic.net. You will also find the field and track start times listed there. If you are not familiar with athletic.net please take a moment to watch the video tutorial linked HERE that we've created to help you out.
There is no practice on Thursday for athletes not competing except for a small handful of throwers that are staying back to prep for the throwing meet on Saturday.
As outlined in our team handbook, we only take athletes that are going to be competing. Injured athletes will stay home to focus on rest and recovery.
Athletes should be in full uniform when they get on the bus. Uniforms will be checked out on Wednesday at practice.
In order for meets to run as efficiently as possible they most often run on a rolling schedule, which means that we can't tell you exactly what time athletes will compete. While we understand this can be frustrating it becomes easier to predict as you get more practice.
Just a reminder that relays are fluid and we will be rotating athletes throughout the season.
We will NOT be stopping for food on the way home, so athletes should plan to bring plenty of food and snacks.
Friday, March 21st is our team potluck and squad competition night in the school cafeteria. We will end practice by 5pm so that athletes have time to get home and back if they need to. We DO NOT require team activities outside of practice or competition, but athletes usually like to attend these. The potluck only works if we have a team effort and last year was amazing. If you are able to bring something to the potluck please click THIS LINK and let us know what that might be. We're just trying to avoid 20 crock pots of baked beans :) The activities should conclude around 8pm.
Saturday, March 22nd is the Harvey Lewellen Throws Invitational. There will be a small handful of throwers attending this and they will be notified early in the week by the throwing coaches. Some of the entries may depend on the outcome from our Thursday meet. The bus will leave CGHS ON TIME at 7:30am.
Upcoming Dates:
March 24-27: Spring break practices will be from 9am to 11am. No practice on the 28th.
April 4-5: The Oregon Relays at Hayward Field features top competition and we won't know what entries have been accepted until April 1st. We expect to have about 15-20 athletes attending.
April 9th (1:30pm): Team pictures. We will hand out picture packets on Monday of picture day week.
Week 2 (March 10 - March 14) - Squad Meet Week
It was a fantastic first week as we worked to build the foundation for another successful season! Thank you to everyone that showed up to the meeting on Friday. If you were not able to make it please be sure to familiarize yourself with the information from our week 1 update below if you have not already. Here are some reminders for the week as well as some upcoming dates to make note of.
A remind message was sent out Friday evening around 6pm. If you didn't receive the message you will want to make sure you're registered for our team Remind group. Please text @cgtrack25 to 81010
As discussed at the parent meeting, while practice is scheduled until 6pm some athletes do finish up earlier based on their event group. There will always be a coach on site until 6pm. Thank you for making sure your student athlete is picked up from the school so that coaches don't have to stay later than 6pm.
A reminder for anyone interested in ordering apparel for the season that forms and money need to be turned in to Lena Twyman in the main office by Friday, March 14th. If you prefer to pay with a card please call or see Mrs. Twyman to place your order. A copy of the order form can be found using the link HERE.
The last page of our team handbook (linked above) should be signed and turned in to Coach Knutson in order to compete at our first meet on March 20th. If you're new to track and field please be sure to read through the handbook as there is a lot of information that can help the first time athletes and families.
Squad meet this week! What are squads? We use squads to create a positive team culture, practice teamwork, and give athletes an opportunity to exercise leadership. Athletes on the team are divided into four squads with two captains leading each squad. On Friday during practice we will have our annual squad meet where athletes will compete in some traditional and non traditional track and field events. Anyone is welcome to come out and watch. The meet will be scored and the scores will be the starting point for our season-long squad competition. Throughout the season and at our team potluck we have multiple competitions where squads can continue earning points. The winning squad at the end of the season gets their name on the squad champion plaque. Here is how the opening week will work:
Monday - Results of captain voting will be announced at practice.
Tuesday - The captains will meet after practice in Coach Knutson's room to draft squads.
Wednesday/Thursday - Captains will meet with squads during practice to decide on squad names and decide which events athletes will compete in on Friday.
Friday - Squad Meet: We will start at 3:45 like usual, but we won't be done until closer to 6:30pm.
The weather looks to get cold and wet by the end of this week, so please encourage athletes to plan accordingly with sweats and jackets or long sleeves.
Grade checks will happen on Monday. If an athlete has an F in any class they will be required to attend academic Wednesday school after school. If an athlete fixes the grade prior to Wednesday they must submit a grade slip showing that the grade has been raised. Athletes that are not passing five classes or have below a 2.0 will be immediately ineligible until they show they have resolved the grade issues. Again, it is the responsibility of the athlete to turn in a grade slip when they have fixed their grades.
Our team potluck and squad competition night is on March 21st following practice. A food sign up will be posted with next week's update. Team events outside of practice or meets are never required, although athletes usually don't want to miss events like this. Last year this event concluded about 8pm.
Reminder that we will have practice on Monday through Thursday of spring break from 9am to 11am. No practice on Friday, March 28th.
Week 1 (March 3 - March 7) - Season Information and Links
Welcome to Cottage Grove Track and Field 2025
We are excited to get rolling with another season! Last year was another one of the best track and field seasons in school history and we can't wait to build on that success. Our goal is to provide a positive experience while developing skills to become successful athletes, students and people. Each year we have 80-100 student athletes with a wide range of experience and skills. We do not cut any student athletes from the program and expect each athlete to show up every day ready to put in the work required to improve. While many perceive track and field to be an individual sport, we place an enormous emphasis on the team aspect. We are excited for what each individual will be bringing to our team this year! Here is a bit of information that will get us started.
Please be sure to share this information and website link with other family members. If you have additional questions after reading this please communicate with your student athlete first, and encourage them to talk with the coaches. One of our goals is to help develop responsible young adults by promoting communication between coaches, athletes and parents. By including the student athletes in this process it helps to develop responsibility, and also cuts down on excessive texts, phone calls, and emails. Also, please feel free to have questions ready for the parent meeting on Friday, March 7th.
On our first day of practice athletes will be given hard copies of a few items, but we want to make sure and keep parents/guardians in the loop. Below is some information as well as links to some resources that will help you through the season.
1. This website will be updated weekly on Sunday afternoons. Thank you for bookmarking this site and making it a habit to check here for weekly updates! This website is the best resource for week to week details during the season.
2. We push out more time sensitive information using several methods in addition to the website, so please be sure to follow us where it is most convenient for you.
Sign up for remind this year for text reminders and updates. You can sign up by texting @cgtrack25 to 81010 (There were issues with the remind code initially, but the problem should be resolved now.)
Facebook: CG Track and Field/Cross Country
Instagram: cgtrackandfieldxc
3. A link to a copy/printable version of our detailed schedule is here. TIMES/DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE (Updates were made as recently at 2/24). The most up to date schedule is always online at athletic.net (see #5 below). Please look over the details on the printable version regarding which athletes participate in each meet. The weekly update on the website will provide more details as we approach each meet.
4. There will be a parent meeting on Friday, March 7th at 6:30pm in the gym. All spring sports will meet briefly and then we will have a track and field meeting. Please make every effort to attend as we have some new information for this season.
5. Athletic.net is the website that hosts all high school track and field meet results. This is often the best place to find a time schedule for every meet. Sometimes meets have live results and other times they are posted shortly after the meet ends. Keep an eye out for a video tutorial that will be posted here soon if you are not familiar with how to use athletic.net.
6. Our team expectations are handed out to athletes on the first day of practice, but here is the link as well. This document is loaded with information and includes a Q and A section. Athletes are required to return the signed sheet before competing in the first meet. There has been an influx of athletes that believe they will be participating in two sports this season, yet very few have communicated with Coach Knutson. This does not work well during the spring in most cases. Please see the dual sport section in the team handbook and contact Coach Knutson with questions.
7. We will check out uniforms to each athlete for the season, but they also have the option to purchase additional apparel. Order forms will be available for athletes to purchase personal apparel, but it is not required. Money and the order forms should be returned to Lena Twyman in the main office by Friday, March 14th. Forms will be available at practice and a digital copy may be accessed HERE. After the deadline on March 14th, the items will be printed and shipped to the high school for pickup within 3-4 weeks.
8. There will be no practice on Friday, March 28th, but we will have practice on the first four days of spring break and practice time will be at 9am. Please see team expectations if you will not be able to attend. Any questions or concerns regarding practice attendance will be addressed at the parent meeting.
Important upcoming dates in addition to meets:
March 7th: Parent meeting at 6:30pm in the gym.
March 21st: Team potluck and Squad Competition following practice.
That should be a good start for now. We're also looking forward to addressing any other questions or concerns at our parent meeting on the 7th. Thank you for all you do to support the student athletes as well as the Cottage Grove Track and Field program.
Go Lions!
Ricky Knutson
Head Track and Field Coach
ricky.knutson@slane.k12.or.us
Top Moments of 2024
CGHS Track and Field and Cross Country
The end of the calendar year presents an opportunity to appreciate 2024 and to set goals for the future. Often times we don't truly appreciate the magnitude of special moments or experiences until years later, but athletes that have been part of these CGHS programs have once again created memories that will last for a lifetime. The word history has been thrown around a lot recently to describe particular team or individual accomplishments, but it's often used without context or extensive knowledge of the past. However, the moments below have truly rewritten or added new pages to the CGHS athletics archives. In no particular order this year please enjoy a recap of some of the 2024 highlights from the track and field and cross country seasons.
Carter Caps off Amazing Cross Country Career
Despite fighting illness during the last few weeks of the season Carter Bengtson still managed to win his second consecutive State Cross Country Championship. This accomplishment can often be difficult to conceptualize. Cross Country doesn't have weight classes, athletes aren't divided into multiple events like track and field or swimming, and there is no tournament bracket that might give a favorable route to the title match or game. Carter stepped to the line against every one of the top 4A runners in the state and won...again. Carter wasn't the best for his size or for his position, he was the best, PERIOD. Not only did Carter join an elite group of runners this season by winning back to back state titles, but he also capped off one of the best cross country careers in state history. Over the last four years Carter has accumulated 23 points by placing 15th, 6th, 1st and 1st at the State Championship. This ranks Carter #21 all-time in state history regardless of class size (1A-6A); that's top 21 in Oregon over the last 58 years! During the season Carter also recorded one of the fastest 4A 5k times ever by running a 15:09 in the Danner Championship at Nike Portland XC. If you didn't get a chance to see Carter in action this fall you still have a few opportunities this spring. Don't miss out on a chance to watch one of the best to ever wear a Cottage Grove uniform.
Boys Cross Country Team Finishes 4th at State Championship
While Carter was rewriting record books as an individual, the boys team also had high hopes of a top four finish at the state meet. It was a feat that has only been accomplished by the CGHS boys one time since 1975 (boys finished 3rd in 2021). Entering the state meet ranked sixth based on season best times, the boys knew they had a chance. By the time the race concluded the boys had edged Molalla by just two points to earn 4th place and the final podium spot. For the first time since 1957-1959 the CG boys notched three consecutive top 10 team finishes at the state meet. Cottage Grove had one of the deepest 4A teams in the state in 2024 with only the state champs from Newport getting all seven runners across the finish line first. Five of those seven runners return in 2025.
Fastest CGHS Girl Ever on State Meet Course
Lots of athletes and former athletes boast personal bests that have been run on fast courses over the years, but who ran fast when it really mattered? All season long athletes post times that often create questions. Was the course short? Was it flat? How good was the competition? The state championship course at LCC is the great equalizer. When the state meet is over in November it's easy to tell who's personal bests were just an illusion. Ella Cardwell entered the state meet ranked 17th based on season best times, but finished 9th with a time of 19:33. While three CGHS girls have faster personal bests than Ella, no girl in CGHS history has been faster over the 5k distance when it mattered most, at the state championship. Ella also became the first girl to post a top 10 finish at the state meet since 2009. She is the first CGHS girl to break 20 minutes in the 5K since 2018 and she did so on five different courses in 2024. Ella's consistent hard work has been the difference maker as she has placed 50th, 23rd, and 9th at the the last three state championship meets.
Boys Three-Peat X 2! The Streaks Continue!
Each of these moments could easily be recognized on our top 10 list individually, but the fact that they have happened together makes it even more impressive. For the last three years (2022, 2023 and 2024) the boys have ruled the Sky-Em League in track and field AND cross country. The Sky-Em League has been one of the toughest leagues in the state over the last three years including a crazy 2023 season where Marshfield, Cottage Grove and North Bend all finished in the top four at the state track and field championship. While the state track meet is often a contest to see who has the most elite athletes, the district championship is always about the true depth of a program. The Cottage Grove boys may have been heavy favorites on the track in 2024, but the 2022 and 2023 district title wins were the result of significant upsets due to Cottage Grove outperforming the form chart. In other words, being the best when it mattered most. In similar fashion the cross country team dominated in 2024, but required some big performances for the first two titles. After upsetting Marist in 2022 the boys were forced to replace six of the top seven varsity runners to earn the 2023 championship. The streak isn't over! There are several seniors that are looking to end their high school careers this spring by going undefeated at the district track championships while the cross country team looks to race for number four in the fall!
Trio of Second Place Finishes at State Track Meet
While winning a state championship is the pinnacle, it is also a great accomplishment to have three athletes with 2nd place finishes at the state track and field championship. Mayka Alsup spent the majority of the season with the softball team, but was able to find a little time to throw javelin. After winning the district championship in the javelin, Makya improved by over seven feet at the state meet to secure second place. It took a state meet record to beat Hayes Valley in the 110m hurdles, but he finished ahead of third place by .85 seconds. Hayes also placed 7th in the 300m hurdles. Carter Bengtson took second place in one of the fastest 3000m races in state meet history and his time of 8:37 is only two seconds off of Bruce Davidson's 40 year old school record. Carter also placed fourth in the 1500m. The best part is that all three will be back this spring!
Eli Cracks the CGHS Top 20
It has been 25 years since a CGHS guy has thrown his way onto the top 20 list for the discus or shot put. With a throw of 152-06 in the discus Eli Williams earned the #16 spot on the all-time CGHS list. How hard is it to make the CGHS all-time lists for the throws? Alex Toureen took second place at the state championship in 2011 with a throw of 50-8 and he was still 14 inches from cracking the CGHS top 20 list. Imagine being the second best thrower in the state on any given year and not being good enough to be on your school's all-time top 20 list! WOW! Eli went on to take 4th place at the state championship in both the shot put and the discus. Eli also placed in both throws in 2023 to help the boys team capture a third place finish.
School Record Streak Continues
Between 1974 and 2021 the girls cross country team had only qualified for the state cross country championships three times, and only one time in the 40 years between 1982 and 2022. Despite multiple runners fighting illness off and on for the majority of the season the girls managed to qualify for the third time in the last three years. These girls have helped to establish a new standard for distance running at CGHS. Qualifying for the state meet for the girls team was once the goal, but they have made it the expectation. The girls returning next year look forward to the challenge!
Carter Runs 4th Fastest 4A 5K of All-Time
After running a fast 3k at the state championship Carter earned an entry into one of the most elite high school meets in the United States, Nike Outdoor Nationals at Hayward Field. Carter chose to compete in the 5k distance which isn't a standard distance at most high school state championships. Carter's time of 15:06 ranks him #4 all-time in 4A state history and just one spot ahead of Bruce Davidson from Cottage Grove. It's awesome to see two Cottage Grove names among the all-time greats! After running 15:09 on the cross country course this fall could a sub 14 on the track this spring be in Carter's future?
Squad Champs!
The squad competition has become an integral part of our program since 2012. This year the Quads of Fury added their name to the list of other squad greats! While it's not traditional track and field most of the time, the squad meet and weekly squad competitions have created lasting memories for many of the athletes.
Brennen Murphy Continues Success at Western Oregon University
Brennen picked up where he left off at CGHS and had an amazing first year at WOU. Not only did he win the 400m at the GNAC Championships, but he earned bragging rights by passing up Coach Vogel on Western Oregon's all-time 400m list by running 48.08 for the #4 spot all time (see list below). Coach Vogel's 1:49 time in the 800m could present a little more of a challenge, however. While many remember Brennen as a star on the basketball court and on the track, he was also a varsity cross country runner. Brennen was the tie breaking runner for the 2021 cross country team that finished third at state and was also a member of the 2023 district championship team. Brennen is a great example of a multiple sport high school athlete that is having success at the next level. It's not always about specializing in high school, it's about becoming a great athlete and learning to compete in many different ways. Good luck to Brennen as he gears up for the 2025 season!
