South Western Conference Boys Mid-Season Report

I have seen most of the teams from the Southwest Conference race now, not all at the same race, but I also have their times to compare to make a mid-season report.

North Medford and South Eugene have raced head to head twice so far, each coming away with a win. South Eugene at the High Desert Shootout and North Medford at the Southwest Conference Predistricts.

At this point in the season I would have to place North Medford ahead of South Eugene based on their current times. North has 5 runners who are running under 17 minutes and have done on more than one occasion, at the South Salem Invite, Stanford Invite, and again at the Chieftain Invite this past weekend.




They are lead by Darrell Terry who won the Chieftain Invite on October 7, he also won the Southwest conference Predistrict meet in September.

The remainder of the top five (by times only) include Josh Paul, Richard Zhu, Rick Nielsen, and Drew Jordan. Other members of the team currently under 18 minutes include: Garrett Frierson, Josh Blesse, and Travis Linville.




South Eugene would get my nod for the current second place boys team. They have two runners under 17 minutes in Gino Gaddini, and Ryan Graebner, and 9 runners under 18 minutes: Sammy Kirtner, Zach Schneider-Lynch, Walker Augustyniak, Brian Leeson, Brad Gissel, Nick Daniels, Eamonn Keer-Daly, Robert Snowden, and Colin Tracy.

I expect Grants Pass and Sheldon to be fighting it out for third place, and it will come down to who is having a good race.

Grants Pass has two runners under 17 minutes, Dusty Parrish and Brad Higgins, and one under 18, Alex Stowell. Their top five is founded out by Justin Eldred and Matthew Carlson at 18:48 and 18:59.

Sheldon has three runners under 18 minutes in Max Hammer, Jared Herr, and Tyler Courtright, and 4 runners under 19 Jacob Leighter, Geoff Moore, Michael Hanks, and Jordan Eddy which makes them a bit deeper if one runner is having a bad day.

The current top 10 Boys times:

Darrell Terry, North Medford - 16:3, Chieftain Invite
Josh Paul, North Medford -16:22, Stanford Invite
Gino Gaddini, South Eugene - 16:34, Northwest Classic
Richard Zhu, North Medford - 16:38, South Salem Invite
Ryan Graebner, South Eugene - 16:44, Nike Jim Danner Invite
Rich Nielsen, North Medford - 16:47, South Salem Invite
Dusty Parrish, Grants Pass - 16:50, Nike Jim Danner Invite
Drew Jordan, North Medford - 16:51, South Salem Invite
Brad Higgins, Grants Pass - 16:52, Nike Jim Danner Invite
Max Hammer, Sheldon - 17:00, Northwest Classic