Summit sweeps at Oxford Classic

Storm boys, girls take team titles at cross-country race in Bend

By Elise Gross / The Bulletin

As soon as the air horn signaled the start of the race, Summit's girls sprang to their customary position: the front of the pack.

Megan Fristoe led the Storm to a team victory Friday in the Elite varsity girls division of the 2011 Oxford Classic high school cross-country meet. The Summit senior posted a winning time of 18 minutes, 12.1 seconds over the 5,000-meter course at Bend's Drake Park — and she did so despite running the wrong way several times because she was confused by course directions.

On the boys side, Summit's Travis Neuman won the Elite varsity race by 38 seconds in a blistering 15:20.1.

“I started out slow and built into it,” said Neuman of his race strategy. “That's how I like to race.”

The 25th annual Classic, hosted by Bend High School, included teams representing more than 20 schools from Oregon and Idaho. Competition ranged from the Elite varsity division to the Invitational junior varsity.

Neuman wore his signature bandanna tied around his head, and was one of many runners who accessorized. Others donned hair ribbons, face paint and sunglasses for the event, which included hip-hop music blasting from speakers during the meet and an impromptu dance session that preceded the awards ceremony on the park's outdoor stage.

The festive atmosphere did not prevent the Storm from seriously competing, although thick grass along portions of the course and relentless wind throughout the afternoon translated to slower times overall.

Eric Alldritt, Neuman's teammate, came in second in the Elite varsity boys race with a time of 15:58.0 to help the Storm place first as a team, and four boys placed in the top six. Summit coach Dave Clark said he was excited that Alldritt broke 16 minutes on a tough course.

South Medford placed second ahead of third-place Mountain View. Redmond finished fifth and Bend High seventh.

Clark said he was pleased with the performance of his girls team, which he said did not take a usual rest day this week. The Storm are currently ranked seventh in the nation by ESPN high school team rankings.

After running as a pack with two teammates and Silverton's Morgan Anderson, Fristoe took the lead about halfway through the race, and Summit's Piper McDonald followed close behind for second place.

“I was really surprised,” said Fristoe of her time, which improved by 48 seconds from last year's Oxford Classic.

The Storm's Ashley Maton took third after inching in front of Anderson right before the finish line.

South Medford finished second as a team, with three girls in the top 10. Bend took third and Mountain View fourth, while Redmond finished eighth.

The meet included Elite JV races and an Invitational division with both JV and varsity races.

Capital High of Boise, Idaho, won the Invitational varsity boys race. Alex Dillard of The Dalles Wahtonka won in 16:03.4. Summit, which fielded teams in both the Elite and Invitational divisions, placed eighth. Central Oregon teams Crook County, Madras and Redmond placed 11th, 12th and 13th, respectively.

Klamath Union placed first as a team in the Invitational varsity girls race, while Summit placed second. Alisa Luna of Klamath Union won the race in 18:32.3. Crook County placed 10th overall, and Redmond finished 11th.

— Reporter: 541-383-0305, egross@bendbulletin.com