Summit readies for national exposure

Summit took the top four spots in the Class 5A cross country finals, including a third-straight title by Megan Fristoe.

Photo by Cliff Pfenning, oregonsports.com

The national cross country meet annually includes ... lots of mud.

File photo.

The Nike Cross Country National Championships are set to be run Saturday in North Portland, and for a change a school other than Jesuit or Central Catholic will be on hand to represent Oregon.

A team of seven runners from Summit High in Bend won the Northwest Region title and will run at Portland Meadows when the girls race begins at 10 a.m. Saturday. Summit, led by three-time Class 5A champion Megan Fristoe, is the first team from a public school in the state to qualify for the event, which is in its eighth year.

Fristoe finished ninth at the Northwest Regional, Nov. 12, in Boise, Idaho, and the following four Summit runners, including three other seniors, placed in the top 43 to carry to team to the regional title and a spot among the top 22 teams in the nation.

The course at Portland Meadows includes obstacles and small hills across 5,000 meters. The previous top performance by an Oregonian came in 2006, when Kenny Klotz of Central Catholic won the boys race.