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A KU clean sweep EAGLE POINT - Early returns at the Southern Oregon Conference cross country championships Saturday favored the South Medford boys in their bid to qualify for the state meet. The caveat: The tallies weren't final. Confusion in the finishing chute at Eagle Point High School, the result of exhausted bodies crumpling under the strain of racing 5,000 meters, forced meet organizers to review video of the finish line. Only then was it confirmed that the Panthers, with a third-place finish from Shaun Olson and a critical pass from Alando Pacas in the final 10 meters, were the runner-up team with 79 points, edging Ashland by one and earning a state berth. The top two teams and top seven individuals qualified for state next Saturday at Lane Community College in Eugene. Klamath Union won the boys title for the fifth straight year, and Lauren Jespersen became the fifth Pelican in a row to win the championship, edging teammate Jacob Gomez. In the girls competition, Klamath Union won with 54 points, and Ashland came in second with 62. Melis Garner of Roseburg cruised to the individual win, and North Medford's Jenny Brown - who, because of tennis commitments, has been a part-time performer - placed second. Two other local girls, Crater freshman Kendel Nelson and North senior Sarah Dalton, advanced to state with third- and seventh-place finishes, respectively. The final boys results were in question after several disoriented runners stumbled or lost their bearings in the chute immediately beyond the finish line, located on the track near the main grandstand. One of the top runners, Adam Wadsworth of Roseburg, collapsed about 100 meters from the finish, got back up, stumbled, fell again, and eventually crawled over the finish line. He was tended to on the infield grass by paramedics for dehydration, then taken to a hospital for observation. He returned to the stadium in time for the awards ceremony. South coach Bill Rowan was anxious to hear the final boys results. He was told that about four spots, starting with No. 12, were being looked at. The Panthers had the No. 12 placer, Pacas, and Ashland the Nos. 13 and 16 runners in Asha Stout-Wolf and David Richardson, respectively. Those positions held up. "It's always exciting," said Rowan, who last took a boys team to state two years ago. The uncertainty of places after a race is "part of the sport. With some of the drama in the finish chute, it made it even more interesting." Ashland coach Bob Julian Jr. acquiesced. "That's the nature of the game," he said. Jespersen, who broke his own course record by 19 seconds with a time of 15 minutes, 39 seconds, and Gomez, who was a second behind, were expected to lead the Pelicans to the easy win. The No. 2 spot was up for grabs, and South made the most of its opportunity. "This group of boys has really come a long way since the start of the year," said Rowan. "They've improved tremendously and really came together as a group." Olson was aware he wouldn't be able to keep up with the Pelican pair. "I don't think I've ever beaten them when they've finished a race," he said. "You know they're going to run a fast time. I just wanted to try and run with them for as long as I could. I knew they'd pull me to a fast time." Olson stayed relatively close until the last mile and was timed in 16:04. Shortly after he finished, South sophomore Chris McLean came in fifth with a personal record of 16:16, and Pacas put on a big kick to overtake by one second Ashland's Stout-Wolf in the final 10 meters. "That was the swing that saved us," said Rowan. "That was a pretty gutty finish for Alando." Kyle Lundwall was 21st and Joe Arnold 38th to complete the Panthers' scoring. "Alando outkicks everybody," said Julian. Ashland's top finisher was freshman Andy Wright, eighth in 16:28. In the girls meet, Garner, too, broke her own course record, covering 5,000 meters in 18:59. Brown transferred at the start of the school year from St. Mary's, where she won the Class 2A state championship last year. She was clocked in 19:33. "She's an awesome runner," Brown said of Garner. "She's a level above everyone else. My goal was to come out and try to stay a somewhat close distance behind, then kick it in. But she was too far ahead." Brown, a senior, went on a half-dozen college recruiting trips this fall for tennis and recently decided she will attend the University of San Diego. She competed in only two conference meets for the Tornado. "I was very taxed," she said. "Basically, I thought I was going to die." Ashland, which had won the past two district titles and seven of the past 11, didn't have the marquee runner it's had in other years. Until this year, the Grizzlies had the girls champion every year since 1991. Kendall Clark, who was fourth last year for the Grizzlies, is battling leg injuries and finished 23rd. "The rest of the girls really came through," said Julian. Therese McCaffrey placed fourth for Ashland, followed by Mariah Mayfield (10th), Rihana Patterson (13th), Claire Chavez (17th) and Gretchen Buettner (18th). McCaffrey "always comes on at the end of the year," said Julian; Patterson ran a personal record and Chavez, usually the No. 6 placer, moved up. "So many other teams were right there," said Julian, "I feel pretty good about getting to state. We had a good race, so someone had to have a great race to beat us, and KU did." Klamath had five of the top 16 placers, led by fifth-place Adrienne Cesena. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.