It’s been a rough go for the oft-injured Portland Trailblazers. Here is the Trail Blazers midseason report: A team waiting for surgery- By Joe Freeman, The Oregonian.

Here are the biggest things happening in sports in the Pacific Northwest right now:
Oregon goes for its first college football National Title on Monday.
Seattle Seahawks beat New Orleans Saints in NFL playoffs on Saturday.
Blazers look for 3 wins a row as they host the Miami Heat.

Anything else?

The NBA is loaded at the top this season:
1 Dallas
2 Boston
3 Miami
4 San Antonio
5 LA Lakers
6 Utah
7 Orlando
8 Oklahoma City
9 Chicago
10 New York Knicks
15 Portland
Full Rankings.

Jordan Wolfe was a standout runner at Mountain View high school. Recently he took 10th overall and first for his age group at the Portland Marathon. His time of 2:42 was the second fastest in his age group of all time @ the Portland Marathon. Wolfe was kind enough to answer a few questions for Central Oregon Athlete:

Central Oregon Athlete – What are you doing these days as far as racing?
Jordan Wolfe – My racing is informally just training with Detachment 910 through Air Force ROTC. We have physical fitness testing and there is a 1.5 mile run that has inspired some friendly competitiveness. It was actually after training with more of a military focus that I got back into racing after taking my senior high school track season off, and deciding not to run for my college team. In high school I was always injured or sick and during that year off I built some new strength. With that new strength I ended up surprised myself while doing some spur-of-the-moment repeats. After those, I decided to start building a base again and see what I could do in a marathon.

COA – Where are you located these days?
JW – Seattle, WA in the ever eventful U-district

COA – Tell me about running the Portland Marathon, were you surprised by your time?
JW – Portland was a wonderful no pressure experience. I didn’t know what to expect and neither did anyone else which allowed me to go out and play. I went out with a goal of breaking 2:40 but telling myself that I would be happy to just qualify for Boston with a 3:10. I ended up settling into a pack with some great guys running about my goal pace and got into a sub-six rhythm. It felt great, the atmosphere was awesome, and the other racers were very encouraging. I was just so stoked to be racing again. I was also terrified of hitting the infamous “wall” the whole time, but my fitness carried me well, and when I did tighten up at mile 21 I was still riding on high spirits. I can’t wait to get some more miles on my legs and give it another go! The marathon is such a great distance!

COA – What is next on your racing schedule?
JW – I didn’t get my Boston registration in on time so I am thinking that Eugene will end up as my spring marathon. This winter I will be hopping into the “Winter Grand Prix” put on by Club Northwest which is a local six race series. I realize that I am just a baby in this sport so I am hoping to use each race experience to learn while keeping my speed up, my mind sharp, and my heart hungry.

COA – What was the highlight of your XC/track days back @ Mountain View?
JW – My senior season my wonderful sister Jessica joined me on the team. It was so much fun to share the connection that comes from working out together. We hurt together, won and lost together, and ultimately, though disappointed with my racing, I won a season of memories with her and she ended up taking 6th in state that year (which I reveled in greatly.)

COA – Any goals you can share with us when it comes to competing?
JW – I want to learn what it means to live the lifestyle of competitive running. If I can get a good balance down between training physically, spiritually, and mentally, I think I have the ability to run for the Air Force Marathon Team. If I was to make that team upon graduation in June 2013 I would be ecstatic. It will be a three year process of patience and faithfulness as I finish this season of schooling but if I make that team… I feel like I could do anything.

COA – What other sports do you enjoy?
JW – I love soccer, cycling, ultimate frisbee, and endurance sports in general.

COA – What do you like to do when you aren’t training/racing?
JW – I love music! singing it, writing it, playing it, listening to it, performing… I love it all. I love adventuring, whether it be around the neighborhood, on a mountain, in a book, or with food–new experiences are thrilling!

COA – What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
JW – Butte repeats. There is just something about the grind of busting out a workout in the center of central Oregon that gets me pumped. I can look down and see my high school track, I look out and see the mountains that stare back as if challenging me to climb harder… and a bunch of central Oregonians cheer you on. The atmosphere is powerful.

COA – Anything else to add?
JW – Growth is worth the growing pains.

Les Schwab Invitational field announced. Of the 16 teams, 13 are from Oregon but none are from Central Oregon. The Oregon teams are: Central Catholic Rams, Lincoln Cardinals, Dayton Pirates, McKay Royal Scots, Hillsboro Spartans, South Salem Saxons, Horizon Christian Hawks, Sunset Apollos, Jefferson Democrats, Westview Wildcats, Jesuit Crusaders, Wilsonville Wildcats and Lake Oswego Lakers. Out of state teams are: Bishop Gorman Gaels, Las Vegas, DeMatha Stags, Hyattsville, Md. and St. Raymond, New York.

1 LA Lakers – West
2 Orlando Magic – East
3 Miami Heat – East
4 Boston Celtics – East
5 Dallas Mavericks – West
6 Oklahoma City Thunder – West
7 Portland Trailblazers – West
8 San Antonio Spurs – West
9 Utah Jazz – West
10 Houston Rockets – West
FULL RANKINGS

That’s good news for Blazer fans! Story here.

19 year old Mountain View graduate Jordan Wolfe took 10th overall and first for his age group, setting the second fastest course time in the marathon’s history in his classification, clocking in at 2:42!
This was Wolfe’s first marathon. His sister, Jessica Wolfe, who was third in the state’s Class 5A XC race last year volunteered at the aid station that marked mile 24 and got to see her brother accomplish this amazing feat.

You’ve got to love Portland!!!