South Eugene High School celebrated a historic victory on Saturday as its boys cross‑country team secured the OSAA 6A state championship at Lane Community College – the program’s first title since 2017. The meet, held under warm, clear skies, also saw the South Eugene girls finish second for the second consecutive year, underscoring the depth of talent in Lane County’s distance‑running programs.
Senior Yosuke Shibata overcomes illness to win 6A boys title
Senior Yosuke Shibata entered the race battling a lingering flu, spending part of the week in bed before deciding to compete. Despite the setback, Shibata paced himself wisely, staying patient and matching moves with rival Isaiah Carpenter of McMinville. He finished first in 14:53.3, saying, “I’m just super grateful that even through sickness, I was able to push through it and still get the state championship.” Shibata’s victory adds a personal milestone to his commitment to Duke University and his recent NIL partnership with Brooks.
Junior Khalil Sabzalian helped secure the team trophy with a ninth‑place finish in 15:23, while teammate Jacob Loveless anchored the squad with a 16th‑place effort. Shibata praised Sabzalian’s work ethic, noting the partnership reminded him of his freshman year and added valuable depth to the team.
Girls team repeats as runners‑up, led by sophomore Evangeline Johnson Hess
South Eugene’s girls squad, coached by Jeff Hess, posted a strong second‑place finish behind University of Oregon commit Ellery Lincoln, who set a new course record. Sophomore Evangeline Johnson Hess earned silver with a time of 17:36.6, adding to her podium finish from the previous year. “We’ve put in a lot of work this season, and everything just came together for us,” Hess said.
Junior Julianne Bawden made a remarkable leap from 63rd place last year to seventh this season, highlighting the rapid development of the program’s younger athletes. The team’s depth was evident with five additional finishers, including 13th‑place Claire Reeder and 26th‑place Eleanora Diment, contributing to a 71‑point team total.
Lane County schools dominate top‑four finishes
Four Lane County teams placed in the top four overall. Siuslaw captured the 3A boys title, while North Eugene’s Ashenafi McKinnis secured third place in the 6A boys race after a strong showing at the district meet. North Eugene added six more finishers to rank ninth in the team standings.
In the 4A division, Corbin Sage of Marist Catholic repeated as individual champion, posting a time of 15:18.9 and breaking the previous state record by more than three seconds. Marist’s Mary Jane Hill led the local girls 4A finishers with a ninth‑place time of 19:10.1.
Looking ahead
With the state championships concluded, top qualifiers from South Eugene and other Lane County schools will advance to national regional meets as the cross‑country season progresses. Coaches and athletes alike are optimistic that the momentum built this weekend will carry forward into the upcoming regional competitions.
Original reporting: Homepage – Lookout Eugene-Springfield — read the source article.
