State cross country: Mac’s Spencer finishes 20th; ‘Dogs place sixth in 3A boys’ race

EUGENE – The final cross country meet of the season for schools like McMinnville, Willamina and Yamhill-Carlton concluded last Saturday at Lane Community College. Competing in the OSAA State Championships, all three programs recorded impressive times in the season finale.

For the Grizzlies, junior Kyle Spencer again led the way during the boys’ 5,000 meter contest. Spencer often finished first among the Mac boys during the 2021 fall season, and Saturday’s effort at the state championships was no different.

Spencer ultimately placed 20th overall with a time of 15 minutes, 50.90 seconds. He improved his career-best at the state meet by over 44 places (Spencer finished 64th as a freshman in 2019).

Fellow junior Kellen Reed placed 47th in 16:35.80. Freshman Grizzly Gus Blank notched a 17-second personal record of 16:52.80 to place 64th overall. It was Blank’s first time recording a sub-17-minute finish in his brief high school career.

Mason DeMontigny finished 92nd in 17:22, William Nice was 112th in 17:46.80 and Logan Hayes placed 126th in 18:12.20. Nicholas Nyburg was 129th in 18:17.10.

As a team, the Mac boys scored 319 points to finish 13th.

In the 3A race, the Willamina boys team captured sixth place overall with 166 points. Senior Michael Fox paced the Bulldogs with a time of 17:58.70 to place 14th.

Willamina sophomore Jose Cruz was 19th in 18:21.70, while junior Duane Geary set a new PR with a time of 19:24.20 to finish 41st.

Colby Buswell placed 51st in 20:46.60, Josh Andersen was 55th in 21:26.90 and Spencer Onstot was 56th in 21:31.

Yamhill-Carlton’s Louigi Etta, who qualified for state as an individual, clocked in a time of 18:51.60 to place 26th in the 3A race.