Finnish foreign exchange student Matias Vesma led the Taft High varsity boys with a fourth-place finish in 17:29, and Zander Hryczyk, Eli Jones, Angelo Cruz Garcia, Cooper Fitch and Brayan Mateo posted personal-best times Saturday in the Toledo XC Challenge.
With what amounts to two exhibitions under their heels, the Taft High cross country team opens with its first true competition of the fall season Tuesday at the Amity Invite.
Senior Micah McLeish finished 27th and junior Lucas HIndman 34th Saturday to pace Taft High to an eighth-place finish in the OSAA State Cross Country Championships.
Taft High senior Micah McLeish placed 11th to pace the boys team and junior Autumn Ellis finished 19th to lead the girls Friday in the Fred Berkey Cross Country Invite in Tillamook.
Taft junior Eli DeMello placed fifth for the boys and junior Brooke Orendorff ninth for the girls Thursday in the Conquer the Hill Invitational cross country meet in Sheridan.
Taft High senior Micah McLeish finished second for the boys and junior Autumn Ellis third for the girls Thursday in the Cape Kiwanda Invitational cross country meet in Pacific City.
The Taft High boys placed 10th and the girls 12th Saturday in the Prefontaine Memorial Invitational in Coos Bay that honors Steve Prefontaine -- the most dominant American distance runner of all time.
