REFLECTION: Thank you for supporting your children at the USATF PacNW Association Championships this past weekend.  Saturday was a great day, with so many amazing performances across the board!  They include:

• Team Whisper qualified 59 total runners for the Regional meet in Eugene this weekend.  To put that into perspective, last year we registered 43 total runners in the Association Race.  WOW!

• Teams Whisper!  We had 7 teams qualify for the Regional meet! Boys 11-12, Girls 11-12, Boys 13-14, Girls 13-14 (x2), Boys 15-18 and Girls 15-18! 

• Three individual champions in Sam, Katelyn, and Joseph – HUGE congrats, as they are also the first Whisper Association individual champions ever!

• Girls 11-12 had the lowest winning score for that age division as far back as I could find (2006?) for the Association race – 19 points.  This is also the second consecutive year Whisper has won this category at this race.

• Girls 13-14 qualified two teams for Regionals!  This is no easy fete.  We could have easily won if we stacked the race, but we took a risk and it paid off, advancing two teams.  These teams placed 2nd and 4th (last year, 3rd and 4th) and are running out of their minds!  In forming the team, do we have any number crunchers out there who can look into the Inland NW, Oregon and PacNW divisions, specifically the individuals within those teams and see if we can evenly divide up this group?  I’m no gambling man, but both Whisper teams are legit!  This is something I will be doing over the next 48-hours.

• Boys & Girls 15-18 Teams won their races!  Quick note: this girls’ team will be comprised of five of the eight girls from the 2017 team that made it to Nationals!  The 2017 team was the first time Whisper had taken part in the USATF JO experience.  All the teams are legendary, but this team holds a special place in my heart.

REGIONALS: Looking ahead to Saturday, if your child cannot participate, please let me know by Tuesday at midnight.  This is especially important if they are part of a qualifying team. If they cannot race, we can fill their spot with someone who is able to participate, and we need to notify their families as quickly as possible so they can make travel arrangements.  Thanks!

Here are the teams and individuals competing at the Regional meet at Lane Community College.

• 9:00am 2k Girls U8 – Sofia Soto and Megan Garl

• 10:00am 3k Girls 9-10 – Aaliyah Narciso/Willson

• 10:30am 3k Boys 9-10 – Colin Robertson

• 11:00am 3k Girls 11-12 – Bethany, Abi G, Carly, Evelyn, Ava, Claire, Lyla, Maddy R (Alternate: Kaydie)

• 11:30am 3k Boys 11-12 – TEAM: Sam, Jayden, Tanner, Michael M, Treyton, Kardin, Jackson, Austin

• 12:00pm 4k Girls 13-14 – TEAMS: Sara, Alexis, Jamie, Elle, Phebe, Sydnee, Lauren, Avery, Hanna B, Charlotte, Maddie C, Alyson R, Amanda, Abi R, Callie C, Mikayla (Alternate: Olivia).  Team arrangements have not been made at this point.

• 12:30pm 4k Boys 13-14 – TEAM: Luke, Degenet, Jacob, Josh, Sam P, Michael O, Aiden, Dawson (Alternate: Grayson)

• 1:00pm 5k Girls 15-18 – TEAM: Katelyn, Ashley, Natalie/Talie, Callie, Maddy W, Chloe, Candi, Kira!!!

• 1:30pm 5k Boys 15-18 – TEAM: Nicholas, Joseph, Chris, Lorenzo, Sirak, Danny!!!

Friday Course Preview & Dinner:

If you plan to meet us for the course preview, there has been a slight change in plans to accommodate the masses.  The 2k & 3k course preview will be at 4pm, while the 4k & 5k course preview will be at 5pm.  Dinner for those racing in the 2k & 3k will be at 5:30pm at Ciao Pizza & Italian Food, and 7:00pm for the 4k and 5k runners.  Click here for the menu.  I’ve also updated the Whisper Calendar with all of this information.  Click here for directions to the restaurant from LCC.

Race Day – Saturday!

It’s time to play!  Same drill as at the Association meet.  Please arrive 90-minutes prior to the start of your child’s race.

Thanksgiving Week

Next week (Thanksgiving week), we will not have practice until Saturday, November 30 from 8:30-10:30am.  Between the Regional race on 11/23 and then, feel free to team up for runs with their teammates, and even partake in a local Turkey Trot!