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Top 10 Moments of 2023
(Select arrow on bottom of each picture for caption)
#1: STATE CHAMPION! Carter goes undefeated and wins the state championship in cross country. The XC state championship is unique. No weight classes, top athletes are not spread out in multiple events, no favorable tournament matchups after a top seed was eliminated by another team, no home field advantage, and no rankings that determine matchups. Carter stepped to the starting line against EVERY top 4A runner in the state and won. Carter became the first CGHS cross country runner since Dyrol Burleson in 1957 to accomplish this feat. His time of 15:49 is the fastest time ever by a CGHS runner at the state championship (The 5k distance has been contested at state starting in 1975).
#2: ALL IN. The CG boys track team takes third and wins a state meet trophy for the first time since 1977. Although Brennen managed to score 21 points by himself, all eight CG athletes that qualified for state scored points and earned all state honors. Eli, Hayes, Brennen and Jaden all scored in multiple events, while Tyler, Brycen, Carter and Wyatt all stood on the podium as well. It was a special moment after finishing outside of the trophies by one point in 2022.
#3: JACK OF ALL TRADES. Brennen Murphy scored 21 points in three events at the state track and field meet. Brennen also qualified for the state in the high jump, but withdrew so that he could focus on his strongest events. Brennen’s 21 points is the most scored by a CGHS athlete since Jacob Woods scored 28 in 2018. Brennen is one of the top track and field athletes of all time at CGHS. He ranks #2 in the 200m and 400m, #12 in the triple jump, and is also on the list for the 100m and high jump. Brennen has continued his track and field career and is competing at Western Oregon University.
#4: CG SCORES 14 POINTS IN THE 3K AT STATE! Jaden Owens and Carter Bengtson placed second and third in the 3000m at the state championship. While it is not uncommon to have multiple athletes from the same school in the final of an event at the state meet, it is not typical to have two of this caliber at the same time. A 2-3 finish at state is rare and it may be the only time it has happened in CGHS history. Jaden and Carter finished the season ranked #4 and #5 on the all time CGHS 3000m list. Carter looks to keep moving up the list this spring.
#5: MAKING HERSTORY. For the first time in school history the girls cross country team won the district championship. The Sky-Em was the toughest 4A league in 2023 with three of the top eight teams in the state. The CG girls entered the meet ranked third in the league behind Junction City and North Bend, but they erased a 15 point deficit after the first mile to overcome both teams for the win. The girls followed up the next week by taking 6th place at state which equals the best finish ever by a CGHS girls cross country team. The team accomplished this despite never being at full strength this season. All the girls return next fall along with some strong additions joining from Lincoln Middle School.
#6: GIANT KILLERS. The boys track and field team repeated as district champions by defeating the heavy favorite AGAIN. Although Marsfield was the favorite with North Bend not far behind, the Lions knew a team effort would give them a shot. As usual, the Cottage Grove athletes showed up when it mattered most, avoided major mistakes, and put together a nearly flawless performance over two days. Top athletes held form while many others moved up to grab unexpected points in order to earn the win. It’s the second time in school history that the boys have won back to back district titles. The most recent district titles for the boys include 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2023.
#7: REBUILD? NOPE, RELOADED! The boys cross country team defends their district title. After losing six of the top seven varsity runners from last season nobody outside of Cottage Grove expected the Lions to be in the hunt. For the first time in school history Cottage Grove won back to back district titles in cross country. All seven varsity runners earned all league honors as they battled to overcome a 20 point deficit at the mile mark and defeat Marist. The seventh place finish at the state meet also marks the third year in a row that the Lions have finished the season in the top 10 in the state. The last such streak for CGHS occurred from 1957 to 1959. The entire boys varsity team returns next fall with additional runners looking to break into the lineup.
#8: DYNAMIC DUO! Maddison France and Ella Cardwell paced the girls cross country program back to the state championship. After finishing second and third at the district championship Maddison and Ella both earned all state honors at the state championship. It is the first time in 15 years that two Lady Lions have earned all state recognition at the same state meet. The last duo to accomplish this was Patricia Guterrez and Rita Krantz in 2008. Both Maddison and Ella return next fall, and several other returning runners look to potentially add their own names to the list of CGHS all state harriers.
#9: TWICE AS NICE! For the first time in school history the boys and girls cross country programs won the district championship in the same year. It was the second consecutive year that both programs qualified for the state championship in the same season, which also marked the second time in school history that this occurred. Cottage Grove High School is one of only four 4A programs in the state with both boys and girls finishing in the top 7 at the 2023 state championship. Give credit to these athletes for putting in the work. It's not an accident when both programs are finishing the season fighting for top spots.
#10: COED DISTRICT CHAMPS! The Cottage Grove boys and girls track and field programs defended their title as coed district champions. For the second time in school history the Lions collected back to back coed district titles. Since the inception of the Sky-Em coed award in 2013 the Lions have won the award six times (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023). Keep in mind that 2020 was canceled due to COVID and the 2021 season was shortened. It is always an honor when the boys and girls combine forces to be recognized as the best overall track and field program in the Sky-Em League.
STATE CHAMPION!
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.
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