Mountain View junior-to-be Jessica Wolfe is the second fastest returning cross country runner in Class 5A. She finished third at last year’s state meet and is one of a handful of standout runners on the girls side here in Central Oregon. She was kind enough to take a break from her back-to-school activities and answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete.

Central Oregon Athlete – How long have you been running competitively?
Jessica Wolfe – I’ve been running competitively since 6th grade, so as of this year, it’ll be six years.

COA – What was the highlight for you last XC season?
JW – Well, the highlight for last season would definitely be the 3rd place finish at state. Haha, in the hypothetical state race, I was ranked as 12th, so finishing 3rd absolutely blew me away!

COA – Can you share some of your goals for the season?
JW – As far as goals go, I’d really like to start running in the 18-minute zone. I really just want to go fast, and enjoy doing so.

COA – Do you play any sports other than XC?
JW – I’m not really coordinated enough to do many other sports than running, but over the winter I do yoga/pilates and spinning (indoor cycling).

COA – What do you like doing besides sports?
JW – Besides sports I love art (painting, sketching, sculpting), music (I play the piano and clarinet), reading and writing (indeed, I am a book geek), and being with awesome people.

COA – What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
JW – My favorite workout in Central Oregon would most definitely would be Pilot Butte repeats. I love how when you do 3 or more on a consistent basis, people start to know your name and cheer you on; it’s pretty fun.

COA – Do you have a favorite XC race?
JW – I absolutely LOVED the Ashland race. It was the most beautiful trail I’ve ever ran on, and last year my teammate (Mkhaila Thornton) ran on each other’s tail the whole time; making it possible on the huge down hill to do the “rollercoaster”, which involves sticking your arms in the air and screaming. So, not only did we have a great time running, but we also finished 1st and 2nd, with our team coming in 1st.

COA – Anything else to add?
JW – As far as running goes, Central Oregon is the absolute best!

State Meet Results
2009 – 3rd, 19:19
2008 – 8th, 19:32

Intermountain Conference Championships
2009 – 5th, 19:39
2008 – 4th, 19:30

Travis Neuman is going to be a sophomore at Summit high school and he’s one of the fastest cross country runners in the state. He is the younger brother of Kenyon and Gatlin Neuman, who were outstanding XC runners at Summit as well. Kenyon went on to have great success at the University of Colorado. Travis slowed down enough to answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete.

Central Oregon Athlete – How long have you been running competitively?
Travis Neuman – I have been running competitively since I was 8 or 9.

COA – How did you get into racing?
TN – The reason I got into racing or even thought about running was because my older brothers both did XC and were fairly good at it so through watching them I really wanted to do the same.

COA – What other sports do you enjoy?
TN – I enjoy doing XC Skiing, Tennis, Track and Field, Biking and Swimming. XC is the most fun and interesting I would say out of all of them.

COA – What are some of your hobbies other than sports?
TN – I really enjoy learning songs on the piano even though im not to great at it. Reading anything about history is really fun. I also play ping pong at lunch (not to sure if thats considered a sport) with some friends and I really enjoy that too. (editor’s note: Yes, ping pong is a sport!)

COA – Do you have any XC goals you can share with us for this year?
TN – My goals for each year are kinda similar. I really want to beat my brother Kenyon’s high school times and this XC season I think both our boys and girls could have a shot at state titles so both of those things would be great to accomplish.

COA – What’s it like being on such a big XC team?
TN – I think that the bigger the team the better because it just makes the trips and running soooooo much more fun when there are a lot of kids there. Dave Clark (Summit XC coach) does a really good job explaining everything about running and our workouts and everyone one still has a blast.

COA – What was the highlight from your freshman year of sports @ Summit?
TN – Every sports that I did last year was super fun but the best part out of all of it was probably when our XC team went to Boise, Idaho for the Nike Cross Regionals race. We just had a great time and some how we ran really well the next day.

COA – Do you have a favorite workout in Central Oregon?
TN – I probably have 2 favorite run/workouts in Central Oregon. The 13 mile Green Lakes Loop is fun and we drink out of a stream that has the best water EVER! The other one would probably be doing 1,000 repeats at Juniper Park.

So how are the youngest Neuman’s times stacking up against big brother Kenyan? So far so good!

KENYON
09 – 16:38
10 – 15:59
11 – 15:38
12 – 15:24

TRAVIS
09 – 16:29
10 – ?

I’ve liked every “Kiwi” I’ve ever met, and Bruce Cole-Baker is my favorite. The easy-going, tall lean man from New Zealand is just plain cool. He and his wife Erin Cole-Baker are both talented musicians. (If you ever get a chance to hear ECB, don’t miss it!)

Bruce has been having great success as a bike racer recently. He was kind enough to answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete.

Central Oregon Athlete – Where were you born?
Bruce Cole-Baker – New Zealand!

COA – How long have you lived in Bend?
BCB – Almost 5 years

COA – What brought you to Bend?
BCB – We found Bend after visiting Central Oregon for the Sisters folk festival in 2005.

COA – How long have you been racing bikes?
BCB – Almost a year.

COA – What has been your best result so far?
BCB – 1st Singlespeed at Crook County Crush XC.

COA – What are some of your racing goals?
BCB – US MTB Marathon Nationals, High Cascades 100.

COA – What are some of your other hobbies?
BCB – Breaking/Fixing Bikes, Running, Music.

COA – What’s your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
BCB – Hillclimbs..Mt Bachelor, Skyliners, Marazik.

COA – Anything else to add?
BCB – Thanks to Sunnyside for bike fixins, and to everyone involved with putting on all the fine events in Central Oregon, and to Josh for bringing this community together!

Alyssa O’Connor’s comeback story is worth remembering. When it seems that an injury might keep someone from getting back in top form, or a second injury, well look no further than the story of former Summit standout and member of the Cornell track team to find a little inspiration.

Alyssa was kind enough to answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete.

Central Oregon Athlete – How has the transition from running in high school to running in college gone for you?
Alyssa O’Connor – My mileage hasn’t changed that much from high school to college, and the transition has been pretty smooth. Track will be the first season I plan on really competiting so I guess I’ll see how that goes. The biggest difference is the lack of trail running. I didn’t realize how spoiled I was by having the oppurtunity to train in Bend.

COA – Having been on such big high school teams @ Summit, how different is it to be on a smaller team in college?
AO – Cornell still has a pretty big track team, although not quite as large as Summit. One of the benefits of being on a smaller team is the ability to get to know your teammates better.

COA – How was your cross country season?
AO – I raced twice and mainly used the fall to train and prepare for outdoor track.

COA – What events do you see yourself doing this track season?
AO – I am training for the 800 right now, but I really want to race some 1500s.

COA – Any college track goals you can share with us?
AO – My main goal is to make it through this track season uninjured. A PR in the 1500 or 800 (or both!) would be a plus.

COA – What was your biggest running highlight in high school?
AO – After breaking both of my legs, I was unsure if I could ever run competitively again. I came back junior year for track, anxious and ready to race. That season is one I will never be able to forget. I overcame both my injuries, set a personal record in the 800 and helped my team win a State Championship.

COA – What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
AO – Either 1,000 meter repeats at Juniper or the Watershed loop at Tumalo Falls.

COA – What do you enjoy other than running?
AO – Hiking, road biking, climbing- I’m up for almost anything outdoors as long as it doesn’t involve me being on a boat.

COA – Anything else to add?
AO – Good luck to all Central Oregon athletes this spring!

Summit’s Kellie Schueler still has her senior season of track ahead of her and she’s already won more state titles than the majority of high schools. Seriously! The Stanford-bound runner has put up numbers, times and records that put her at a level that most high schools would be jealous of.
• 12 individual State track titles (going for 16)
• 3 team State track titles (going for 4)
• 2 team State cross county titles

Add to the above that coaches, teachers and students all think she is an amazing person, let alone athlete and you can see why she’s been featured on the pages of Sports Illustrated and has been named Gatorade’s athlete of the year for Oregon. Schueler was kind enough to answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete.

COA – How long have you lived in Bend?
KS – Since I was two years old.

COA – When did you start racing?
KS – I did the Little Foot Run starting in Kindergarten, but didn’t start racing at the Junior Olympics for track until I was 7 or 8 .

COA – What are some of your track goals this year?
KS – Finish the season without hurting myself, complete my goal of 16 state titles, be the first girl to win the 100, 200, 400, and 800 at the Oregon State meet.

COA – Do any of the boys at Summit ever challenge you to races?
KS – Yes, Pat Madden, who doesn’t stand a chance (most of the time).

COA – What has been the highlight of your running career so far?
KS – Winning a gold medal for the 4×400 at the Pan American Jr. Games last summer in Trinidad.

COA – Do you have any running heroes?
KS – Kara Goucher.

COA – What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
KS – 1000 repeats at Juniper.

COA – What do you like to do other than run?
KS – Sew, hike, attempt to surf, cook, learn, ride horses, adventure.

COA – Anything else to add?
KS – A thank you to anyone and everyone who i’ve competed against, thank you for supplying the competition that has helped me to develop as an athlete.

The Brent name has come to mean dominance in Intermountain Conference boys basketball. Seth Brent has kept that going with his stellar play this year, leading the Cougars to a 23-1 record going into Saturday’s playoff game against Corvallis (at Mountain View 6pm). Seth’s older brother Brady was the 2008-2009 IMC player of the year and led Mountain View to a 19-4 record. Seth, at 6-7, leads the No. 3-ranked Cougars in scoring and rebounding this season. Seth took some time to answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete:

Central Oregon Athlete – Has basketball always been your main sport?
Seth Brent – Yes, Ive been playing since bitty ball in like 1st grade.

COA – Do you play any other sports?
SB -Not anymore. I used to do track and baseball, but just basketball in high school.

COA – What are your hobbies other than sports?
SB – Hanging with the guys on the team, chillin and watching movies, watching college football!

COA – Any plans yet for next year?
SB- I am going to WHitman COllege (where my brother Brady goes) and will be playing basketball.

COA – How much has having an older brother to play with helped your basketball game?
SB – It has helped so much. Seeing really what it takes to be good a year in advance. He has always been helpful with whatever it is i needed or wanted and has always believed in me.

COA – What has been the best part of this season?
SB – Just the success we have had and the growth in everybody on the team.

COA – What is your goal for the season?
SB – We want to make it to Mac Court in Eugene and compete for a state championship.

COA – what has been your most memorable game?
SB – Crook County on senior night. We decided to dress down the team manager (Ryan Soderquist, nicknamed “Q”). He played the last few minutes of the game and even got a few shots up. The smiles on his face before and after the game were something i will always remember.

COA – what are some of your best numbers you’ve ever put up in a game?
SB- I had 30 points and 10 rebounds against Madras. Had 26 points and 8 rebounds against Aloha. Then I had 10 points 11 rebounds 8 assists against North Eugene.

Summit senior Jordan Schiemer excels in two very different individual sports. Alpine ski racing and golf require two unique skill sets, but Schiemer’s success in both sports shows a lot, including that you can specialize in multiple sports (thus living the Central Oregon lifestyle). You also have to respect a guy who puts team first… as you’ll see from his answers below. Schiemer is a three-time state qualifier in golf and will be aiming for a pair of state titles later this spring, but he has a state ski title on his mind right now. Jordan was kind enough to answer a few questions for COA:

Central Oregon Athlete – What’s next on your ski racing schedule?
Jordan Schiemer – I have the State Championships this week, the 2nd through the 5th at Mt. Hood Meadows.

COA – What has been or is your racing goal this year?
JS – My goal this year has to continue to improve my skiing, and win the State Championship as a team and individual.

COA – What has been the highlight of your ski racing career?
JS – The highlight of my ski career was winning the Bronze medal overall at the 2007 Western Region JR Olympics, at Mammoth Mtn, California.

COA – How long have you been skiing?
JS – I have been skiing since I was 3.

COA – How long have you been golfing?
JS – I have been golfing since I was 5.

COA – What are your golfing goals this year?
JS – My golfing goals this year are the same as skiing. Improve my game and win the State Championship as a team and an individual.

COA – What are some of the similarities and differences of competitive golf and ski racing?
JS – Golf and Ski racing are both individual sports that can be competitive as a team. They both hold you accountable for your mistakes whereas in other team sports, you can sub someone in if you get tired. They’re opposite because in Golf you need to be relaxed and calm, and in Skiing you need to fired up and aggressive.

COA – What other sports do you enjoy?
JS – I enjoy all sports. That’s why we have SportsCenter.

COA – Any hobbies other than sports?
JS – I enjoy anything outdoors. Camping, boating, fishing, biking, all of it.

COA – What’s your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
JS – First a good long run along the River Trail or up around Tumalo Falls, then strength training at the Athletic Club.

– Photo by Tyler Orton
They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, that being the case, Cole Ortega is a strong kid. A surfing accident cost him use of his fine motor movements in one arm and could have cost him his life. But Ortega hasn’t let that accident slow him down. The Summit sophomore has since played competitive golf with one hand and is focusing on his passion for snowboarding. Central Oregon athlete asked Cole a few questions:

Central Oregon Athlete – How long have you been snowboarding?
Cole Ortega – I have been snowboarding for 8 years.

COA – What sports do you enjoy other than snowboarding?
Cole – Other than snowboarding, I enjoy playing golf and soccer.

COA – What has been your biggest snowboarding accomplishment so far?
Cole – My biggest sports accomplishment was when I won the overall title for the U.S.A.S.A National snowboard competition in 2008. I placed 10th in halfpipe, and 1st in slopestyle for an overall 1st place.

COA – What is your favorite kind of riding, park, half-pipe, powder, something else?
Cole – My favorite conditions are a sunny pow days riding with my friends but I also like a good park day.

COA – What are your goals as a snowboarder?
Cole – My goals as a snowboarder are to have fun and never take it too serious.

COA – Who are your sponsors?
Cole – My sponsors are Quiksilver, Mt.Bachelor, D-Feet Socks and Side Effect boardshop.

COA – How did the accident effect your outlook on sports and life in general?
Cole – My accident made me stronger as a person, but it had a huge impact on my sport. I couldn’t play sports for almost 6 months. Now, I don’t take anything for granted because you never know what is going to happen next in life.

COA – What advice would you give to kids who are dealing with an injury or illness, based on what you’ve learned?
Cole – I would tell them to never give up and to keep a positive attitude.

COA – What’s next for you this winter?
Cole – This winter I am looking forward to getting back to the point I was at before my accident and to have fun.

Piper McDonald… expect to hear that name a lot in the upcoming years. The 13-year-old 7th grader at Sky View Middle school isn’t just fast for her age, she’s one of the fastest “women” in Bend. That’s right, when it comes to running, McDonald is fast beyond her years. Here are a few examples of what she’s done in adult races in Central Oregon:
(These are Overall results, not age group)
1st – Duel in the Desert 2009 Two Person Road (with Mike Larsen)
1st – Pilot Butte Challenge 2009 (New women’s course record)
2nd – Girls on the Run 5K 2009
2nd – Heaven Can Wait 5K 2009
Those are just a few!

Piper was kind enough to slow down and answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete.

Central Oregon Athlete – How old were you when you entered your first race?
Piper McDonald – When I was 11 i entered my first race which was a 10k in Portland on 5-18-08

COA – Do you remember the first race you ever won?
PM – The first race I won my age group in was my first race and the first race I won over all female was the Pilot Butte Challange in 2008.

COA – How did you get into racing?
PM – The reason I got into running is because of my parents. I have always been into sports and have done them my whole life but even before I really got into running my parents used to keep me and my older brother’s in shape by having us do some running, every now and then and then one day I just decied that I liked running and wanted to make it my primary sport.

COA – Do you have a favorite race?
PM – My favorite race would probley be Trask Mtn. I did it one year when one of my older brother’s Jake was in it with his high school. I love it because there is big hills, mud pits, and creek crossings.

COA – What’s coming up next for you, any races planned?
PM – I have a few races planned for the future I will probley do a lot of the COCC races and I’m planning on doing the Dirty Half.

COA – What are your short and long-term goals?
PM – My goals in order are first to win cross country nationls, then to go to boarder clash all 4 years of high school, then to go University of Oregon, and then my big goal for the future is to go to the Olympics.

COA – What sports do you enjoy?
PM – My favorite type of running is cross country because there is a big range of distances and you get to run on all different tirains. Then I like track and another sport i like is cross country skiing which I do in the winter to take a brake from running but to also stay in shape.

COA – Any non-athletic hobbies?
PM – A non-athletic hobbie I have is sewing.

COA – What’s your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
PM – I have a coach named Mike Larsen who has made me the runner I am today and I could not have done it with out him. One of my favorite workouts he has had me do is a bunch of strenght exersizes where I just worked on building up strength.

The Pole Pedal Paddle is Bend’s signature sporting event. Marshall Greene has won the last four, as far as Central Oregon Athlete is concerned, that makes him a BIG deal! But Greene is more than just a dominating PPP champion. He recently took third @ the Boulder Mountain Tour and is an elite level endurance athlete. Greene was kind enough to answer a few questions for COA:

Central Oregon Athlete – Where did you grow up?
Marshall Greene – Grew up in Spokane. Ran xc for Lewis and Clark HS and skied with the club
team there, Spokane Nordic.

COA – How long have you lived in Bend?
MG – I moved to Bend shortly after graduating from Middlebury College in VT in
2004.

COA – What brought you to Bend?
MG – I came to Bend to pursue cross-country ski racing full time. For
“professional” nordic ski racers, there are only a few places in the country
with post-collegiate club teams that provide the support (financially and
technically) necessary to be succesful as a ski racer. Many of these places
are in the middle of nowhere and don’t really have anything to offer besides
the ski team. I knew that I wouldn’t be ski training all 24 hours of the
day and I wanted a place where I could live happily the rest of the day.
Bend was the obvious choice.

COA – What’s next on your racing schedule?
MG – I’m leaving for Madison, WI for a Super Tour event this weekend. After that
I’ll be heading to Europe for three weekends of racing. First weekend will
be in a Swiss national level race, 2nd weekend is a Europa Cup (the World
Cup qualifying races for Central Europe), and then the last weekend I’ll
race the Engadin Ski Marathon with 12,000 others.

COA – What’s something that most people don’t know about you?
MG – I’m incredibly forgetful. I lose and leave things everywhere –on my
honeymoon I left my passport in a taxi at the Thai/Cambodia border.

COA – As the winner of multiple PPPs you are clearly a multifaceted racer/athlete,
what other sports do you enjoy?
MG – I love participating in pretty much every sport. I still run all the time
and do some road bike racing. Mt. biking is tons of fun but a little
dangerous for me — I crash hard and often. I played baseball and
basketball growing up so I even enjoy team sports from time to time.

COA – What makes the PPP special?
MG – I would love to say that the PPP distinguishes the best all-around endurance
athlete in the area but that’s really not true. Cross-country skiing
requires so much technique that if you haven’t been doing it for a long
time, it’s very difficult to make the podium. That said, the PPP is unique
in that it challenges people to become proficient at so mnay different
sports.

What REALLY makes the PPP special is how many people all over Central Oregon
get into it. Whether they are volunteering, being a team member in an event
they’ve never tried before, or racing alone, the whole community gets into
the race. That’s pretty cool for sure.

COA – What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
MG – It’s hard to beat some of the trail running that is so accessible around
here. One of my favorite loops starts at the Tumalo Falls parking lot, goes
up the Bridge Creek trail up to Trail 99, and then down North Fork. It goes
through the watershed and stays green much longer into the summer than many
of the trails that start to turn to dust by June. Also Bridge Creek is a
pretty infrequently used trail and bikes aren’t allowed on it so you really
feel like you’re out there all alone. Obviously I’ve got nothing against
mt. bikers — I am one, after all — but sometimes, it’s pretty cool to have
real solitude even without having to be too far from a trailhead. I’m not
sure if I’ve ever met another group of people on it in all the times of run
it.