Emily Cohen Runs Away With Jim Danner Championship Race And Leads Team To Victory; Valor Christian Boys Beat Franklin OR; Asher Danielson Outsprints Jack Meier For Win

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Kim Spir PHOTOS

Cherry Creek made another successful trip from Colorado to Nike Portland XC, winning the girls team title for the second time in three years. 

Sophomore Emily Cohen pulled away from the field on the second of the three loops around the Clackamas Community College campus in Oregon City, Ore., a new venue for the meet, and won by 22 seconds in 17:41.2. 

Cohen's teammates Kinley Wolfe (ninth overall), Baylor Wolfe (23rd), Kylee Hu (36th) and Caroline Laughlin (42nd) helped Cherry Creek score 81 points and hold off a strong effort from Central Kitsap WA, second with 90 points.

RESULTS/VIDEOS | INTERVIEWS

 "I really liked how (the course) was three laps because you knew exactly what you needed to do each lap and you could see the course the whole time," Cohen said. "And it wasn't super hilly."

Cohen previously won Aug. 26 at the Steve Lohman Invitational. 

Cherry Creek has brought teams to Nike Portland XC typically every other year and showcased previous stars of the program such as Jordyn Colter and Riley Stewart. 

Central Kitsap had two low scores with Clare Herring and Audra Palmer taking third and fourth in the championship race.

In the boys race, Ida B. Wells senior Asher Danielson outkicked West Salem's Jack Meier in a tight race between two of the leading contenders for this year's Oregon Class 6A title. Danielson, who ran under 15 minutes a week earlier in a second-place finish at the Mook Invite at Alderbrook, won the Jim Danner championship race in 15:01.8, two seconds ahead of Meier. 

"This brings me a lot of confidence," Danielson said. "My last race I got a nice PR, running under 15 minutes was a confidence boost. But winning against top level guys definitely brings my confidence up."

Dane Eike of Valor Christian in Colorado led the race early on and finished third in 15:11.6 and led his team to victory. 

Valor Christian scored 89 points to beat Franklin of Portland (131), Mountain View ID (215) and Ida B. Wells (219). 

Two weeks after placing sixth as a team at the St. Vrain Invitational, Valor Christian put together its best performance so far this season. 

Kaeden Dendorfer was 18th overall (10th for team scoring), Judah Crooks was 21st, Cory Gilbert was 43rd and Porter Warren was 45th for Valor Christian. 

Franklin's Brennan McEwen was seventh and teammate Zafer Courcelle was 10th.