Girls team wins Tri-Valley District Meet; Boys team places 2nd- both qualifying for State Meet

Nov 6

Written By Columbia Community Connection

From The Dalles High School Track Coach:

By Jill Bell

The Dalles, Ore., Nov. 6, 2025 — “Whoa,” remarked Mike Lord, the athletic director from Molalla, pulling his sunglasses down as he looked up at a freshly snowcapped Mt. Hood beyond the golden orchards. “I’ve never been anywhere beyond the baseball fields here. This is incredible.”

All 17 seniors: Steven Pereira, Sofia Rogers, Rokiah Notbohm, Phoenix Nanie, Noah Preston, Kaedyn Linker, Brodie Jensen, Asa Waller, Aiden Erickson, Abi Pope, Tyson Long, Laura Black, Ivan Martinez, Elliot Winwood, Ryan Spino, Isabella Stein

Even by The Dalles’ sunny standards, October 29th- the day of the Tri-Valley Cross Country District meet- was exceptionally pretty. It had been 6 years since TD had hosted a district meet, and thanks to the willingness of the league & support from the athletics office, it was a banner day for the Gorge. While The Dalles is a “baseball town,” sometimes it’s worth driving up the hill and checking out another program so solid it almost goes undetected. Like Sorosis itself, Riverhawk cross country is a hidden gem.

That gem sparkled on a bright triple crown for the Ladyhawk Cross Country team, who won the meet with 31 points ahead of Madras’ 54. Molalla, with the top two individual times and a single point behind Madras, was able to win the coveted single “at large” wild card for the state meet as well.

Varsity girls starting: Josie Brace, Kestley Hodges, Abi Pope, Roz Elliott, Laura Black, Flamingo Duyck, Ale Meza

“That was the most solid performance by a The Dalles girls’ team in several years. They were favored to win, but the fact that they got all seven of their runners ahead of Molalla’s third was really impressive,” remarked longtime coach Bob Thouvenel. The Dalles, led by newcomer Flamingo Duyck (21:12) in third place behind Molalla’s Jenson twins (Annalyse 19:46 & Annika 20:21), got all of their runners in the top 14: first and second team all-league. Freshman Rozlyn Elliot and Senior Abigail Pope ran an exceptional 5th and 6th in the low 21:30s, dragging the other TD runners up with them.

Josie Brace, Abi Pope, Laura Black, Flamingo Duyck, Roz Elliott, Kestley Hodges, Ale Meza (L-R)

The Ladyhawk’s varsity success can be attributed to their phenomenal depth as a team. The JV women’s team- the only complete one for the league, scored a perfect 15 points, taking six out of the top 7 slots. Junior Ebany Mondragon led the race from wire to wire, finishing at 23:35, two seconds ahead of Molalla’s Grace Ferlan.

JV girls start: Elliot Winwood, Isabella Stein, Sofia Rogers, Mari Benjamin, Audrey Phelps, Gabriela Dominguez-Bahena, Rokiah Notbohm, Riley Elliott, Brittany Irving

This depth also translates to more of a “pack”, with narrow spreads between TD’s first and fifth runners (for the girls it’s 54 seconds; for the boys a mere 44). Molalla, the top ranked 4a team in the state, ran a solid 27 point race and swept the top three; Nick Wood’s winning time was a blistering sub-17 at 16:54. However, The Dalles scored a respectable 42, with Tyson Long placing fourth at 17:24, and Luke Sorenson leading the other six to an eighth through twelfth sweep, all under 18:15. There were no stragglers on Wednesday's race, with several racing up and changing positions with their teammates throughout the race. There was an unspoken camaraderie to Riverhawk racing in 2025: since it doesn’t really matter who the second runner is, why not have it be you, and take your team up with you?

“I was really impressed with how the men’s team raced,” commented coach Aaron Long. “Aiden’s (Erickson 18:04) second half looked really good, and holy cow- did Laz (Taylor 17:58) and Luke (Sorenson 17:55) run exceptionally well.”

JV boys: Steven Chavez, Liem Jensen, Shane Yeager

Even with three complete teams, The Dalles men’s JV team showed comparable depth, scoring a perfect 15 points and sweeping first through sixth. Senior Steven Pereira took the lead after the first half mile, maintaining even splits (pacing) throughout the hilly course and finishing in 19:11. “Not gonna lie, the medals helped motivate me,” said Ryan Spino, who finished third at 20:04. “Plus overall wanting to do my best.”

As the sun sank beyond the mountain, the Riverhawks took the podium, raised their trophy high, and sprayed silly string into the cool evening air. The silly string is a team tradition- but one won by years and seasons of wanting to do their best and putting in the legwork- literally. There were a few misty eyes- surely from the silly string- in the gem of a park overlooking The Dalles. They looked out over the town and a season well run.

Coming into the finish: Phoenix Nanie, Noah Preston, Zeb Stelzer, Luke Sorenson, Aiden Erickson, Laz Taylor

Rather than paraphrase, I think four-year runner Kaedyn Linker may have said it best in his end of season reflection. Here’s what running as a Riverhawk means:

“Cross Country is just pain and running. Though running may be simple, a lot of heart is put into the sport. XC has honestly been a home to me. Every year, the people are good to each other no matter the differences. We push each other mentally sometimes and definitely to our physical limits. Cross country has taught me that no matter how high the goal is set, you can always chase after it with the right people next to you. I thank every single one of my teammates for playing a role in my life and helping shape who I am today through relentless practices and stupid bets. I love you all. I will miss all of this (maybe not intervals).

This Saturday the men’s and women’s Riverhawk Cross Country teams head to Lane Community College to race at the State meet. Wish them luck!