On to State! Riverhawk Teams Win Championship, Second Place at IMC District Meet

Stretching Out - Caitie Wring and Alaina Casady move up and past Hood River's Alex Bronson and Redmond's Kate Hagerty

Story and Photos By Jill Pearson

Beside the finish chute, a familiar set of hands holds a piece of cardboard, judiciously taking notes with a Sharpie.

With the flurry of finishers, their teammates, and families swarming around, it could be easy to miss him- but my fellow coach Mandi Williams and I each make a beeline toward Coach Bob Thouvenel and his “unofficial” race results.

With 57 years of experience, he’s still very much our coach- and his calculations are very rarely wrong. He smiles and flashes us a brief peace sign after the girls’ race: second place, and going to state. Then, after the boys’ race, a triumphant single finger: district champions. 

And a close contest it was, too: The Dalles’ 36 points to Hood River’s 37. 

Juan Diego Contreras of The Dalles starts strong with Hood River's Elliot Hawley.

A first-place finish for Juan Diego Contreras at 15:47 Helped the Riverhawk squad substantially, as did a 4th place for Leo Lemann- running virtually alone, 20 seconds from the nearest runner. But, as team captain Conor Blair rightly suspected at the league preview, team scores ultimately come down to the fourth and fifth runners as well, which runner can edge out a competitor, or drag along a teammate. Along with 20 second PR’s for Egan and Vincent Ziegenhagen, as well as sub-19 times for Kayden McCavic and Trey Hodges, it was downright prescient that the one-point lead came down to Conor’s own finish. With meters to go, he out-kicked Hood River’s fourth runner, finishing in 17:40.  

Boys team, left to right: Leo Lemann, Vincent Ziegenhagen, Trey Hodges, Egan Ziegenhagen, Conor Blair, Juan Diego Contreras, Kayden McCavic

The girls’ contest, while less close, was no less fierce. Hood River’s competitive Phoebe Wood placed first at 20:08, leading the Eagles to a 28 point team finish. The Dalles, however, more than held their own against the rest of the Intermountain Conference, securing a 3rd place finish and sub-21 time for freshman Alaina Casady and 7th for senior and team captain Caitie Wring. Strong times for Fiona Dunlop, Gabrielle Kahler, and Lucy Booth helped the Riverhawks finish with 59 points total, still enough to win the six spots at the state meet. Few were more proud than Caitlin Frakes, whose 24:09 finish was a full minute and a half faster than her previous PR. “I never thought I could cry happy tears,” remarked Caitie. “But here I am!” 

Girls team, left to right: Caitlin Frakes, Fiona Dunlop, Caitie Wring, Gabrielle Kahler, Lucy Booth, Alaina Casady

“It’s your last meet- you have nothing to lose,” Mandi reminded the JV runners, who left it all on the course for the combined race. Senior Alex Nipko, who will be going to state as an alternate, placed second at 19:11, with sophomore Gabriel Castillo-Quintana close behind him in third at 19:21. The rest of the JV team saw significant personal bests, especially for Gabriel Stein at 21:37 and Colin Webber and Andrew Wring, right at 23 minutes. Madison Goldbacher, who cruised in at 27:37, led the way for teammate Moyra Dorzab, who finished just above 30 minutes after a phenomenal 100-meter finish kick. 

For the rest of the Riverhawk teams- and it is so satisfying to write that in the plural- practice will continue until November 5th, when they head to Lane Community College in Eugene for the 5A State Meet on Saturday the 6th. Somehow I suspect that for all the high-tech timing at state, the first one to know the results will be a man with a cardboard and a sharpie near the finish line. 

P.S. The Riverhawk runners have been overwhelmed by the support and messages of encouragement they’ve received from their school and community. Thank you! If you see them at Sorosis, feel free to wish them good luck!

The moment The Dalles teams learned they qualified for state

This story sponsored by:

Pioneer Electric

Leta and Tim Barclift are owners and operators of Pioneer Electric, 423 E. Second St., The Dalles. They are here to serve you in all your refrigeration, stove and appliance needs. They can also help with parts. And don’t forget to pet Bandit while you’re there.