=
Expand search form

Fun Run victories: Stutzman, Hutzler win 5K race

James DayBy James Day

Silverton High student Haile Stutzman, 16, scored an impressive victory May 7 in the 5K race at the 33rd Silverton Health Fun Run.

Stutzman ran 17:02, a 5:30 mile pace, and bested runner-up Eric Jeffers, 33, by 33 seconds.

Stevie Hutzler, 22, finished 18th overall and was the top woman finisher in 21:02.

Cohen Mulick, 10, captured the 1-mile youth run in 9:13, 10 seconds ahead of runner-up Elisha Short, 9. Lauren Ortega, 10, finished in 9:23 and was the first girls finisher. All three runners are from Silverton.

Nearly 475 runners and walkers participated in the event, run under mostly sunny skies with temperatures in the high 60s.

JFK cross country and track coach Steve Ritchie congratulates Haile Stutzman, 16, for winning the men’s 5K race.
JFK cross country and track coach Steve Ritchie congratulates Haile Stutzman, 16, for winning the men’s 5K race.

Track and field: Kennedy junior Bishop Mitchell broke a pair of school records that were set before he was born at the Regis Twilight meet May 6. Mitchell ran the 100 in 11.14 and the 200 in 22.65. Karry Johnson set the old marks of 11.18 and 22.68 in 1990.
Heading into this weekend’s district meet at Salem Academy, Mitchell was set to compete in four events, the 200, long jump, pole vault and 4×100 relay. He ranks second in the state in Class 2A in the 200 and the long jump and fifth in the pole vault. The relay squad is ranked third.

Other Kennedy athletes expected to score well at districts include Adrian Parra (1,500 and 3,000), and Christian Reyes (300 hurdles). Coach Steve Ritchie said the squad has a shot at second place, with East Linn Christian the clear favorite.

Trojans sophomore Kaylin Cantu is ranked third in Class 2A in the 1,500 and 3,000 and fourth in the 800. She will run the 1,500 and the 800 and anchor both relays at districts. Other top girls athletes include distance runner Alejandra Lopez, versatile Sarah Therkelsen (long jump, high jump and both relays) and field event stalwarts Abby Frey (javelin), Alyssa Eklund (pole vault) and Makayla Massey (shot put). Ritchie also has charted East Linn Christian as the girls team favorite at districts, with the Trojans in the hunt for second.

Stevie Hutzler, 22, celebrates winning the women’s race for the Silverton Health Fun Run.
Stevie Hutzler, 22, celebrates winning the women’s race for the Silverton Health Fun Run.

“Overall, it has been a good season,” Ritchie said. “We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores on the 46-person squad but only seven seniors, so I feel good that we have remained very competitive in what is clearly a rebuilding year for both our boys and girls.”

The state meet is May 19-21 at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Silverton, meanwhile, competed this week in the Mid-Willamette Conference district meet at Central, with distance runner Maddie Fuhrman ranked in the top three in Class 5A in the 1,500 (third), 800 (second) and 3,000 (first). The Foxes’ 4×400 relay team of Fuhrman, Baylie Cameron, Jori Paradis and Desiree Sinn is ranked third in the state, while Cameron is 10th in the 300 hurdles and Tess Oster is 10th in the javelin.

On the boys side Silverton has two athletes ranked in the top four in the high jump: Coleton Myers is tied for second at 6-3, while teammate Shon Ackerman is tied for fourth at 6-2. Brock Rogers is third in the 110 hurdles and Ian Rush is sixth in the pole vault.

Baseball/softball: Kennedy is 10-2 in Special District 2 baseball and headed toward a dramatic end to the regular season. The Trojans are tied with St. Paul and Regis. Kennedy visited St. Paul on Friday, May 13 after Our Town’s presstime and will host Regis in the May 19 season-ender. St. Paul is ranked 10th in Class 2A/1A, with Kennedy 13th and Regis 14th.

Silverton, meanwhile, was 9-9 in league and ranked 17th in Class 5A heading into its final three-game series vs. Lebanon. The Foxes are in a good position to nab one of the four play-in positions. Only the top two finishers in the MWC draw a bye into the main bracket.

In softball, Kennedy is 8-0 in district play, two games ahead of Central Linn in the loss column. The Trojans, who have just two league games remaining, are ranked fifth in the state.

Seventh-ranked Central Linn, which is 4-2, still must play four league contests. The top two finishers in the district automatically advance to the state playoffs.

Silverton’s softball team, meanwhile, is 10-6 in the Mid-Willamette heading into the final week of the regular season.

The Foxes are 1.5 games behind 11-4 Dallas in the battle for second place behind 14-1 Lebanon. Silverton hosts Dallas in the final game of the regular season and needs to finish in the top two in the league to avoid the play-in round of the playoffs.

Choir: Silverton finished fifth at the May 5-7 OSAA Class 5A championships at  Bauman Auditorium on the George Fox University campus in Newberg. The group, under the direction of Jennifer Kercher, finished with 315 points, just four less than No. 4 Putnam. Corvallis won its second consecutive state title with 346, followed by Liberty of Hillsboro (323) and Central (321).

Speech/debate: Silverton finished tied for ninth with Marist Catholic in the OSAA 5A championships April 21-23 at Western Oregon University in Monmouth. The Foxes had eight points, scored by Melly Kazel, Erin Marcellais and Elijah Rakha-Sheketoff. Kezel finaled and Marcellais made the semis in after dinner, while Rakha-Sheketoff reached the round of 16 in the Lincoln-Douglas debate bracket.

Also participating for Silverton were Houston Winslow and Mark Mulder (dual interpretation), Rakha-Sheketoff (extemporaneous speaking), Winslow (memorized serious), Marcellais (poetry reading), Hannah McNutt (prose reading) and Jenny Rooper (radio commentary).

Run for the Hills is Saturday, May 21, races starting at 8 a.m., Victor Point School, 1175 SE Victor Point Road, Sublimity. Victor Point hosts a 1-mile kids run, 5K and 10K run/walk and a  15K. There will be music, a drawing and refreshments. It’s $10 for 1-mile run, kids 12 and under, $20 for 5K, $30 for 15K or $25 for a 10K run/walk. Registration deadline May 19. The event benefits Victor Point School. Register at runsignup.com and enter “Victor Point School’s Run for the Hills.” Paper registration is available at the school, 503-873-4987

Follow me on Twitter.com @jameshday.
Got a news tip? Email me at [email protected]. Follow Our Town on Facebook.

Previous Article

Man About Town: Never a dull moment… Even if you want one

Next Article

Insights galore: Valedictorians, salutatorian talk about stress, learning, legacy

You might be interested in …

Wetlands wonders: Water treatment system creates setting for flora, fauna and new view of garden potential

The Oregon Garden is not just another pretty place. Home to more than 100 bird species, a variety of wild animals, a small but highly skilled team of horticultural professionals and a dedicated group of educational partners; the project showcases some of the best things Oregonians hold dear. It is a place with many one-of-a-kind collections of trees, plants, blossoms, birds, animals and people.

A new home – SACA excited at plans to locate into brewery building

By James Day The oohing and aahing echoed throughout the cavernous warehouse building. “We’re so excited,” Silverton Area Community Aid board member Laura Wanker, who along with fellow board member Kathleen McCann, was giving Our Town a tour of the old Ratchet Brewery building in North Second Street on March 1. SACA, which provides food aid and other community services […]

Mayor’s Ball raises more than $50,000

The 2008 Mayor’s Ball is expected to have raised more than $50,000. Hosted by Mayor Ken Hector and his wife, Darby, the event has raised more than $300,000 through its 16-year history.  Hector was not ready to disclose exactly how this year’s proceeds will be distributed, but hinted that “the usual suspects will probably benefit, including the Silverton Senior Center, […]