By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
LEBANON, Ore.– The wait is finally over for Western Christian’s Kali Ellis.
After three years of finishing 3A/2A/1A Special District 2 District Runner-Up, the senior can now call herself District Champion.
Ellis was pressed the first half of the race with the front of the group side-by-side with her, the Pioneer senior runner stayed within herself and soon enough it began to pay off. The second half of the race saw Ellis beginning to build a lead, something that she didn’t relinquish as she crossed the finish line in 19:15.75, nearly eight seconds ahead of Sisters’ Brooke Duey, who finished second.
“I visualized every night hearing people’s breathing all around and I knew she was going to be right there, so I surged at the corner and stayed calm and did what my coaches taught me to do,” starts Ellis. “Once I couldn’t hear them as well, then I just started to battle with myself, which has been all season long. I’m my biggest competitor, I’m the one that makes me fail, makes me succeed. I just tried to be the best version of myself that I could.”
“It’s been four years in the making. Beginning of the year, I was like, ‘this is my goal’. It’s something that I wanted, and it happened.”
The Western Christian Girls Cross Country team finished fourth, the highest-ever finish by the program.
For Regis freshman Frankie Koehnke, the up-and-coming runner had a bittersweet ending to her freshman season as she didn’t finish the way she wanted, but finished in the Top 10 with a tenth place finish with a time of 20:54.17.
“It was very fun. I just know that next year I’ll get it. Better training,” said Koehnke.
Blanchet’s Gabby VaVerka finished 16th, and Scio’s Aniyah Klindtworth finished 17th, Delphian’s Mila Marvin finished 18th to lead their respective squads St. Paul’s Madison Schindler finished 28th to lead the Buckaroos, and Kenedy’s Kaia Guerrero finished 30th to lead the Trojans. Santiam’s Absyde Bilyeu finished 36th to lead the Wolverines.
Top 10 Finishers
1. Kali Ellis (Western Christian)
2 Brooke Duey (Sisters)
3 Anya Griffith (Central Linn)
4 Miley Richardson (Monroe)
5 Laynee Adkins-Stewart (Santiam Christian)
6 Ava Zalewski (Taft)
7 Samira Zambrano (Santaim Christian)
8 Jayne Neal (Central Linn)
9 Josie Ryan (Sisters)
10 Frankie Koehnke (Regis)
Top 5 Teams and Team Points
Sisters 77
Santiam Christian 79
Central Linn 113
Western Christian 137
Taft 155
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
