EUGENE – The baseball team’s run to the state’s final four is the latest testament that there’s something contagious going around the Creswell athletic program. It’s been happening this entire school year.
Whatever it is, longtime local running guru Dr. Lonn Robertson has caught the bug.
“Last spring, I got a call that Creswell didn’t have a distance coach so I went down to talk to (track head coach) Rachael (Bailey), whom I hadn’t met, and I wanted to see what she needed, because I know a lot of runners around town and I thought I could find somebody in Eugene who could probably help. But within 15 minutes of being around these kids I realized I wasn’t going to let anybody else do it,” Robertson said Friday during Day 2 of the three-day OSAA Track & Field State Championships at Hayward Field.
“It’s been impressive. They are the nicest, kindest, most compassionate people I know. I thought maybe things would get messy along the way, but I was wrong about that. I’ve been doing this for 27 years, and these kids are the best. I haven’t figured it out exactly, but these kids are phenomenal.
“Anyway, I got in my car and realized I’m not going to go find somebody else, I’m just going to figure this out.”
“With all of the discord and troubles in society today, I don’t have a lot of respect for most of the adults anymore, but these kids are lightyears ahead of us in kindness and compassion. So I love coming to work and spending time with them.”
Creswell performed well in the state meet, the girls placing 12th and the boys finishing 17th. Pleasant Hill’s Ryan Thomas provided one of the top highlights of the weekend when she broke the Class 3A state record in the 100-meter dash on Friday with a time of 12.15. The P-Hill girls ended up in a tie for 20th place, and the boys placed 33rd, led by Cody Jones’ fourth-place finish in the javelin.
For the most part, though, this was a celebratory day for Creswell athletes, ending their seasons at legendary Hayward Field.
“Its a great experience for all of our kids,” Bailey said, “but especially for (sprinter) Connor (Nguyen) because he’s been injured in previous seasons, so for him this is a special thrill. There are so many great and talented kids here and I love seeing them build friendships with other kids here.
“Our team has grown in numbers, the program has grown, and we just want to help to continue to see it growing.”
Kylie Leonard, who recently signed a track scholarship with Portland State, placed in two events for the Bulldogs, finishing fourth in the 300-meter hurdles and fifth in the 400-meter run.
“Kylie is a fighter, she does a great job of digging in when she has to find a way,” Bailey said.
Nguyen also placed in two events – finishing eighth in both the 100- and 200-meter dash.
Mason Schartz actually placed in three events, as he was sixth in the high jump and anchored both relay teams – the 4×400 and the 4×100.
Robertson says he hopes to change the culture around the school about distance running. His star pupil, sophomore Lincoln Criddle, who finished 10th Friday in the 3000, “could be a scholarship athlete,” Robertson said. “But he needs to get some friends who want to join him.”
Robertson himself didn’t start running until age 50. Now 71, he has logged 57 marathons. He still runs for fun, but no more marathons – although he’s currently coaching an elite marathoner.
He doesn’t underestimate the value of running at Hayward Field, oftentimes referred to globally as the “Track Capital of the World” or “TrackTown USA.”
“When I’ve run in Berlin, when I’ve run in Africa, when I’ve run in Amsterdam, everywhere I go in the world, they say ‘Dr. Lonn Robertson, representing the Track Capital of the World.’
“I was at an ultra-marathon in South Africa they announced ‘Dr. Lonn Robertson is here from the Track Capital of the World’ .. and I was just going to jog this race.
“So now I don’t advertise much if I show up for a race.”
