Mike Condon is one of Bend fastest racers. The Mountain View graduate has won numerous local races, including the 2010 Pilot Butte Challenge. He slowed down long enough to answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete:

Central Oregon Athlete - How long have you lived in Bend?
Mike Condon – I moved to Bend when I was in first grade and have considered it home ever since, despite spending a few years in Pittsburgh while attending Carnegie Mellon University.

COA – What sports did you compete in at Mountain View?
MC – While in high school I competed in Cross Country Running, Nordic Skiing and Track.

COA – What did you do after high school?
MC – After graduating from Mountain View I followed my older brothers out east where I attended Carnegie Mellon University and received a degree in Civil Engineering. My junior year I decided to run cross country and qualified with my team for nationals twice.

COA – How long have you been racing?
MC – While I always enjoyed racing my friends in elementary school, my official racing career began as a 6th grader on the track team at Pilot Butte Middle School. The first race I competed in was a 1500M which I finished in last place.

COA – What do you like to do when you aren’t training or racing?
MC – My training mostly consists of running, road biking, and Nordic skiing so when I’m not doing those I enjoy catching up on hiking, mountain biking, and downhill skiing. I also work full-time as a civil engineer and coach at Mountain View High School as an assistant for the cross country and Nordic ski teams.

COA – What is your favorite race in Central Oregon?
MC – Definitely the Pole Pedal Paddle! Bend has so many recreational opportunities and there isn’t any other race in Central Oregon that combines these as well as the PPP. The Dirty Half has always been one of my favorites as well.

COA – What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
MC – Downhill skiing, Nordic skiing, biking, running, and kayaking all in a single sunny spring day. That way you don’t feel like you missed out on anything! Running from Pole Creek Trailhead to Green Lakes Trailhead was also one of my favorites this summer.

COA – Do you have any racing goals you can share with us?
MC – At this point I really just enjoy staying active in a variety of different sports and community races. At some point in the next few years I’d like to do some road bike racing and run a marathon.

Kami Semick is one of the best endurance athlete in the world. The ultra runner lives here in Bend and was kind enough to take a break from running and answer some questions for Central Oregon Athlete:

Central Oregon Athlete – How long have you lived in Bend?
Kami Semick – Husband and I moved to Bend in May 2003…so a little over 7 years. Moved to Bend when my daughter turned one year old – didn’t want to raise her in the bay area.

COA – Where did you live before Central Oregon?
KS – Berkeley California. I worked in the software industry.

COA – What got you into ultra running?
KS – Being in Bend inspired me to sign up for a 50k in Ashland. That was my first ultra and from there, I was hooked.

COA – Have you always enjoyed running?
KS – I’ve always run…in high school I was a sprinter and jumper, in college I walked onto the cross country and track team (earned a performance based scholorship after two years); then when in the software industry, I ran in the mornings to keep my sanity.

COA – What do you think makes Central Oregon such a popular place for endurance athletes? We have so many trails and access to amazing places in nature, I think KS – It’s inspiring to just go out and get lost, so to speak. So you develop endurance exploring. Also, based upon my relationships with other endurance athletes in the area, I get inspired by seeing them perform. So we build on each other.

COA – What kind of mileage do you put in when you are training hard?
KS – My “build” weeks are 90 – 110 miles. I rarely will go above 110 miles per week. On weeks where I am stepping down mileage, I’m around 60 mpw.

COA – What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
KS – Winter – runs at Smith Rock/Grey Butte. I like doing repeats, in a sick way, on Grey Butte.
Summer – Most anything from Bachelor west.

COA – What are some of the highlights of your running career?
KS – Winning the World Cup 100k in 2009; Winning World Trophy 50k 2009. I think being the 5 time champion of Miwok 100k, a competative 100k run near San Francisco is also a highlight. I guess I would also add setting the course record at Vermont 100 mile this year – that was a highlight.

COA – What do you like to do when you aren’t running?
KS – In the winter I love to ski/snowboard (alpine & nordic) which is one of the reasons I love Central Oregon. There are so many great snow parks and places to explore. When I’m not being active, I enjoy the softer side of life – cooking, eating, drinking wine, hanging out with my family.

COA – Anything else to add?
KS – Thanks for the interest!

– Photo by Tim Dority

Joel Skotte is a 6-foot-3, 221 pound junior for the dominant Mountain View football team. Skotte is a monster at middle linebacker and backs up senior Austin Sears in the backfield as the latest in a long line of Cougar running backs. Joel was kind enough to answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete:

Central Oregon Athlete – How long have you lived in Bend?
Joel Skotte – I’ve lived in bend for my whole life, so 16 years.

COA – How long have you been playing football?
JS – I’ve been playing football since the second grade.

COA – What other sports do you play?
JS – I play Basketball and I run the 100 and 200 in track.

COA – What do you like to do when you aren’t playing sports?
JS – When i’m not playing sports I like to hang out with friends, dirtbike, go to church/fellowship of christian athletes, and go to the lake in the summer.

COA – What positions are you playing in football this season?
JS – I play middle linebacker and tailback.

COA – What’s the best part of playing Cougar football?
JS – The coaches really care about us as individuals as well as players. We have a close bunch of guys who have eachother’s backs on and off the field.

COA – What has been the highlight of your football career so far?
JS – Being able to play with the guys i look up to has been really awesome, it has helped me learn how to carry myself as a person and as a player.

COA – What are your goals for this football season?
JS – I hope to get defensive player of the year for our league and get all state linebacker.

COA – What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
JS – My favorite workout is crossfit.

COA – Anything else to add?
JS – I hope to play college football at a division one school. Oregon state is my first choice.

Zach Violett is one of Bend’s fastest endurance athlete. You may recognize his name from a variety of racing results. Zach took some time to answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete:

Central Oregon Athlete – How long have you lived in Bend?
Zach Violett – moved here in August of 2006, so I guess this is the start of my 4th year.

COA – What brought you to Bend?
ZV – I moved here to continue skiing after college. I got my Bachelors at University of Anchorage Alaska and didn’t want to stay up there after I finished. I was looking for a cool town that had a post-collegiate ski team. I began talking with JD Downing of XC-Oregon and found myself moving to Bend.

COA – You do a lot of racing, what sport is your main focus?
ZV – For the past 13 year I would have said Nordic skiing. Last winter I retired from competitive ski racing and now just race for fun. I don’t have a specific focus so I just jump into any race that looks fun or challenging. So far I have done adventure races, running races (everything for 10k’s to Ultras), and bike races (road & mtn).

COA – What other sports do you enjoy?
ZV – I do a little bit of everything including: golfing, rock climbing, sailing, hiking, rafting, Frisbee, and starting to try my hand at hunting (if that is considered a sport..?).
Basically I love being outside and will try just about anything that gets me out of the house.

COA – What do you like to do when you are not racing or training?
ZV – When not racing or working out my time is broken into two big chunks:
First is spending my 40-hour work week at Tech Soft 3D. Where I do international software sales.
Second is spending time with my girlfriend and our new puppy. That time ranges from laying around the house to out hiking and exploring the mountains to going on road trips and random adventures.
I also love reading. It can be so fun to get lost in a book and let the imagination fly with the story. Stieg Larsson, Clive Cussler and Wilbur Smith are my current favorites.

COA – What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
ZV – Right now my favorite workout is anything new. I get bored quickly of any single trail or workout. This summer’s favorites were:
-Mountain biking on the Umpqua
-Mountain bike loop around Mt. Bachelor.
-Long runs in the Three Sisters Wilderness.

COA – What are some of your sports goals?
ZV – Most important goal for me is to keep having fun.
I want to do a 24-hour Adventure race and someday a multi-day race.
A 50-mile Ultra Marathon has some appeal, but not setting any specific plans to it.

Gabby Crowell is an all-state volleyball player for Summit. Summit is currently ranked second in the OSAA Class 5A power rankings. Gabby was kind enough to answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete:

Central Oregon Athlete – How long have you lived in Bend?
Gabby Crowell – 11 years.

COA -How long have you been playing volleyball?
GC – I started when I was eight, so eight years.

COA -Do you play any other sports?
GC – No.

COA -What do you like to do when you aren’t playing sports?
GC – Cook, play with my dogs, hang out with friends and run.

COA -What has been the best part of volleyball for you so far?
GC – All of the great relationships I have formed with my teammates.

COA -What is your biggest strength on the volleyball court?
GC – Hitting (outside).

COA -What goals do you have for volleyball this year?
GC – Win the IMC and state.

COA -What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
GC – Running stairs with my high school team at the Summit track.

Redmond senior Trenton Kershner has started out the year as one of the fastest cross country runners in the entire state of Oregon. Kershner’s time of 16 minutes, 14.8 seconds is the 13th fastest this season among Class 6A runners. Trenton slowed down enough to answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete:

Central Oregon Athlete – Where do you live?
Trenton Kershner – I live in Tumalo, I have been there for 10 years on a nice 40-acre ranch.

COA – Do you play any sports other than running XC?
TK – I did football my freshman and sophmore year in the fall instead of XC, and I picked up XC my junior year, I also run long distance in track which I have been doing for 3 years. This year I am going to join the ski team for the first time.

COA – What do you like to do when you aren’t running?
TK – When I am not running I am usually helping out on our ranch or hanging outside (like hiking, swimming, most outdoor activities).

COA – What is the best part about running XC?
TK -The best part about running XC is the people. I love running with other people, it is a lot better than running by yourself. And i do enjoy there races, i am quite competitive.

COA – What is your favorite XC course?
TK – My favorite XC course is the Bush Parks Course, it is where i got a personal record of a 1:18 and went to state last season and this season i got a Personal Record of 1:00, its just overall the fastest course Redmond runs.

COA – How long have you been running competitively?
TK – I have been really running competitively for 2 years. Not very long so i have room for a lot of improvement

COA – What are some of your goals for this season?
TK – My goals are to make it to state this year and be the district champ of the CVC. At state i have a chance for a high placing, so that is another goal.

COA – What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
TK – My favorite Workout in central oregon is smith rock, it has many trails everywhere and a huge road/hill that is a mile long and it is a great hill work out.

COA – Anything else to add?
TK – I am very excited for this years XC and Track , our team has a good chance of making it to state and that would be great.

Stephanie Howe hasn’t been in Central Oregon for long, but she has already made a name for herself. The 2010 Pole Pedal Paddle champion took some time away from her busy schedule to answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete:

Central Oregon Athlete - How long have you lived in Bend?
Stephanie Howe – I have lived in Bend for a little over a year. I moved here from Eugene last summer.

COA – Where did you come from?
SH – Originally from Minnesota, but I haven’t lived there in over 10 years. I went to college in Michigan, lived in Bozeman, MT for a few years while completing some graduate school & then moved to Oregon to do some more graduate school!

COA – What brought you to Central Oregon?
SH – I love the outdoors in Bend. I like to ski in the winters & bike/run/paddle in the summer- so Bend is a good fit for me. I am also on the XC Oregon Ski team, which is based out of Bend.

COA – What sports do you compete in?
SH – A little of everything. Really My main sport is cross country skiing. I train year-round for races. I also compete in a lot of running races. I prefer trails & like distances anywhere from 5k-marathons. I REALLY like hills.
I do a few fun races to keep throwing my body for a loop. I raced in the high desert omnium the past two years, the flaming chicken adventure race, and of course the PPP this year.

COA – What do you like to do when you aren’t racing?
SH – I teach at COCC in the Health & Human Performance Dept. I also work at Thump coffee a few days a month. When I ‘m not working I like to be outside as much as possible.
My favorite things (in no particular order) include: traveling, adventures outside, playing with my puppy, drinking wine (especially Zin), Thump coffee, cooking, geeking out on exercise physiology.

COA – What have been some of your sports highlights so far in your career?
SH – Winning the PPP this year was pretty cool. I’ve had quite a few good results like the Mt. Ashland Hill Climb the past 2 years, some of the local running races, lots of ski races around the country.
The things I remember the most about racing are the people & places I get to travel to. I have a great group of friends who also happen to be teammates: Sarah Max, Taylor Leach, & Felice Betzel are some of my best friends AND teammates. We always have so much fun when we travel to races. Some of my best memories have nothing to do with the racing.

COA – What was it like winning the Pole Pedal Paddle?
SH – It was pretty amazing! I was surprised! I was so stressed leading up to the race trying to figure out gear & what I was supposed to be doing. It was such a relief when the race actually started. As soon as I got into racing mode, I was like “Now I know what to do.”

COA – What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
SH – Probably long trail runs up at Tumalo or other trails around Bend. I also really enjoy bounding up the hill at Archie Briggs (when I am craving pain). Long mountain bike rides can be pretty nice around here too.

COA – Do you have any sports goals you can share with us?
SH – Have fun is always the number 1 goal. Other than that I have some big ski races planned for the winter, including some racing in Switzerland and Norway. It should be a good year!!
Also, I started doing yoga with a goal to be able to touch my toes by the end of the year Still working on that one……

Mountain View junior quarterback Jacob Hollister has led the Cougars to a 3-0 start and has been hooking up with his twin brother and wide receiver Cody Hollister. Jacob was kind enough to throw some answers to Central Oregon Athlete:

Central Oregon Athlete – How long have you lived in Bend?
Jacob Hollister – About 11 years.

COA – What positions are you playing this year?
JH – Quarterback and free safety.

COA – How long have you been playing quarterback?
JH – Been playing quarterback all of my life.

COA – What’s it like having a twin brother to throw the ball to?
JH – Me and my brother have played football together all of our lives so it makes it a lot easier to have that much chemistry.

COA – Did you guys get in trouble for playing catch in the house when you were kids? (Because I’m guessing you could pull the “see mom, it’s good we did” card now).
JH – Yes we would get in trouble for playing catch in the house and so would my dad for encouraging it, but ya, im pretty sure we could pull that card on her now.

COA – What are your goals for the football season?
JH – My main and most important goal is to win state, i would also like to make 1rst team all conference.

COA – What’s the best part about playing Cougar football?
JH – The best part about playing cougar football is the leadership, and the determination by all of the players and coaches towards playing beyond our potential and also winning a state championship.

COA – What other sports do you play?
JH – I also play basketball and baseball.

COA – What do you like to do when you aren’t playing sports?
JH – While im not playing sports i like to hang out with family and friends, go to church and do anything outside.

COA – What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
JH – Favorite workout is to lift weights in our gym or running the butte.

The name McCool is a familiar one when it comes to Mountain View soccer. Taylor, Cole and Casey all stared in soccer for the Cougars and younger sister Molly is following in her brothers’ footsteps. Molly has been leading the Cougars since she scored 16 goals as a freshman. The Mountain View forward/mid center took some time to answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete:

Central Oregon Athlete – How long have you been playing soccer?
Molly McCool – I have been playing soccer for as long as I can remember!

COA – How has growing up in a soccer family helped shape your game?
MM – I used to play with my 3 older brothers a lot, and they would never go easy on me. It really helped my touch and I learned to play quickly.

COA – What are your strengths on the soccer field?
MM – My biggest strengths are probably my vision of the field and my touch.

COA – What sports do you play other than soccer?
MM – I used to play volleyball and basketball, my sophomore year I did swim team, but as of right now I am just playing soccer.

COA – What do you like to do when you aren’t playing sports?
MM – I like to hang out with friends, watch “One Tree Hill”, and eat!

COA – What are your goals for this soccer this year?
MM – This season I hope we can win the IMC and then of course go for state.

COA – What has been the highlight of your soccer career so far?
MM – I went to National camp in 8th grade with the top 100 in the country. That is probably the coolest thing that has happened so far.

COA – What are your plans for next year?
MM – Next year I hope to be playing in college somewhere!

COA – What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
MM – My favorite workout is anything that Kyle Will has had my team and I do. They are always the best!!

Bend sophomore Jenna Mattox had an amazing Fall last year. She was the top placing freshman in the Class 5A state cross county meet and led her team to a 5th place finish, but that wasn’t all she did last Fall. She also won a state championship with the Lava Bears soccer team. Mattox is at it again this fall playing both sports and looking to join her older sister Kimber as an individual cross country state champion. She took some time from her very busy schedule to answer some questions for Central Oregon Athlete:

Central Oregon Athlete – How busy is your Fall as a two/sport athlete?
Jenna Mattox – It’s been pretty busy but my coaches have been great about allowing me compete in both sports. We plan my week of workouts ahead of time.

COA – Any special moves to balance soccer and XC, like morning runs or anything like that?
JM – I try to make up missed workouts on my own.

COA – How are the two sports different for you?
JM – They have some similarities but cross country allows me to strive for personal goals as well as team goals.

COA – What’s it like to have a family with such a strong running tradition at Bend High?
JM – Having my older brother and sister having success for Bend High as well as my cousin Ryan Douglass, I’m more motivated to push myself.

COA – What are your goals this soccer season?
JM – To improve my skills and have fun, while helping my team reach their goals.

COA – What are your goals this XC season?
JM – Help Bend High make it to state by improving my times. I would love to run at border clash again.

COA – What do you like to do when you aren’t playing sports?
JM – I love to hang out with family and friends. I enjoy all types of crafts and baking.

COA – What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
JM – I love hill repeats on Pilot Butte, but probably my favorite workouts are “Kyle Will” workouts (strength training).

COA – What has been the highlight so far of your young sports career?
JM – At the district meet last year after our team had worked so hard, realizing we had earned a spot at the state meet.