XC Weekend Recap: Thrills at Heartland & State Championships

5A Championships

In the 5A boys' race, Crater's Tayvon Kitchen claimed his second straight individual title with a time of 14:43.30, narrowly edging out Summit's Hayden Boaz, who finished second in 14:49.70. Crater's depth propelled them to the team title, scoring 46 points with a strong 1:14 1-5 split. Summit finished second with 74 points, and Corvallis placed third with 99 points.

In the 5A girls' race, Crescent Valley's Emily Wisniewski continued her dominance, securing her fourth consecutive individual state title with a winning time of 17:14.50. Wilsonville's Jadyn Kipe placed second in 18:04.20. Crater's girls made history, ending Summit's 15-year streak of 5A/6A state titles by capturing the team title with 55 points. Summit, who had won the title every year since 2009, finished second with 70 points, and Caldera rounded out the top three with 80 points.

6A Championships

The 6A boys' race saw a thrilling finish with Sheldon's Malachi Schoenherr capturing the individual title in 15:04.30, narrowly defeating Forest Grove's Sawyer Marquis, who finished second in 15:05.10. Franklin's Brennan McEwen secured third in 15:07.30. Jesuit emerged victorious in the team competition, scoring 52 points behind consistent performances from their top runners, including a strong fourth-place finish from Kellen Williams. Central Catholic took second with 100 points, and Lake Oswego placed third with 102 points.

In the 6A girls' race, Lakeridge's Chloe Huyler completed an undefeated season and captured the individual title with a time of 17:11.60. Huyler, who had a DNF last year, returned to the top spot after a dominating performance. Lincoln HS secured the team title with 90 points, highlighted by Ellery Lincoln's third-place individual finish (17:46.70). Lake Oswego finished second with 102 points, and Lakeridge rounded out the top three with 111 points.