Ultimook Race: TDHS Cross Country tests mettle in the mud on Sept. 3
By Jill Pearson/Photos by Kristi Timmons, Alisa Long, and Kristen Booth
Some runners are easy to recognize from far away- either by their stride, or some small appearance clue. Usually, you can see the bright yellow jerseys from a mile away, and I’d thought I’d be able to pick out the sunset shaded tie-dye shirts for the Ultimook meet…or at least recognize some telltale blonde hair amid the pack. So when I mentioned to another coach that I had missed two of the varsity boys who should’ve run past me by that point- she just pointed to familiar heights/strides just beyond me, absolutely covered in mud from head to toe.
Ultimook, for the relatively un-muddied uninitiated, is Tillamook’s unique home meet, a “true cross country race” complete with a mud pit, creek crossing, and 3.1 miles of paths around a hydrangea ranch on a rural road.
It was held on Saturday, Sept. 3.
Dozens of teams, from 1A to 6A around the Pacific Northwest, converge on the grassy field near the starting line in improvised “uniforms”, warming up and mingling in ways that give vibes of a family-friendly version of Woodstock, if Woodstock had Prefontaine look-alikes instead of Santana.
“It’s a tough course- which is perfect for this point in the season,” parent and runner Aaron Long remarked as we watched the muddy runners hustle by. “The kids are strong, but they’re not fast yet. This race plays well to that, plus it’s just a really fun way to get them hooked on running.” It was a good benchmark for the runners who had been working hard and consistently over the summer- and for some, the result of over a year of training.
No one was more ebullient than Josef Lutz, who ran the JV race with an all-time PR of 19:25, placing him 11th runner in the race, and 4th runner varsity for next race, a goal he has been working towards for the past year. Ahead of him in the varsity race were Juan Diego Contreras, Leo Lemann, and Egan Ziegenhagen, racing in the 5A/6A contest, even though The Dalles has recently dropped down to 4A this year. It’s nice to start the season knowing the Riverhawk boys can hold their own, no matter the size of the contest.
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On the girls’ side, newcomers Abigail Pope (28:14) and Nayeli Vergara (28:45) saw some strong initial times in the varsity and JV races, respectively, with the varsity girls led by sophomore Alaina Casady. It was a good race for senior Lucy Booth as well, who is starting her season at 24:11, only 5 seconds from her district PR last year. As coach Thouvenel would say, it’s amazing what happens to the runners who consistently show up, work hard, and listen to their coaches.
This week’s race will be decidedly less muddy and considerably flatter as the Riverhawks host the Bridget Nelson invitational for the first time at The Dalles Country Club. Come support them this Thursday afternoon; middle school races their 3k at 3 pm, with the high school contests at 3:30 and 4:15. Park at the Discovery Center and take the shuttle bus over, as parking is limited. You can follow the Riverhawks’ times and schedule on Athletic.net
