New State Record at XO!
5/4/07 - teamxo.com

Lincoln wins the 2007 XO Invite team championship

Hayward Field, EUGENE, OR - 5/4/07 - At this time one year ago, the Cardinals of Lincoln gathered on the bus to make the two hour trip back to Portland while Jesuit stayed a while longer enjoying their team pizza party and new hardware after edging Lincoln by just five points in the Co-Ed Team Championship.  This year however, it was Lincoln enjoying victory cheers and the prolonged stay at Hayward after finishing second in the girl’s 4x400 relay, the final event, and clinching their first XO title. 

With four wins and eight runner-up finishes, Lincoln showed its depth by contending in nearly every event.  Led by Bianca Mathabane, who claimed her fourth straight 100 meter hurdles title at XO, and younger brother Nathan Mathabane, who claimed his first XO 1500 title, Lincoln used a balanced team attack to pull away from runner-up Southridge, who earned their highest finish ever at XO. 

Jewel and Bianca battle it out!

With a ninth place overall finish, Molalla High School claimed the Divisional Title (the highest placing school of a different class than the overall winner) by outpacing Siuslaw (Year 1 Divisional Champion) by over 25 points.  Like Lincoln, the Indians earned four individual titles to win their team championship.

The performance of the meet was undoubtedly Brandon Caswell’s (Pendleton) thrilling ride to become the all-time State Record Holder in the Wheelchair 1500 with his time of 3:22.19, just over ten seconds faster than the previous record, also set at the XO Invite by Kacey McCallister of McNary. 

Brandon Caswell sets an all-time state record!

Breakout performances came from superstar freshman Kellie Schueler of Summit High School.  Kellie is too young to remember Benson’s Sara Callier’s barrage of dominant XO performances as she carried the Techmen to two straight XO Championships and was integral in their run of seven straight State Championships, but maybe it’s all the same as she methodically knocked off first Callier’s 100 meter record, then her 200 record, and followed it up by breaking Kayleen McDowell’s three year old 400 record! 

Meet records were set in twenty different events, some having multiple record breakers, countless state-leading marks were scored, and Year 4 became an unforgettable memory.  Congratulations to all the schools on a fantastic meet and good luck at the State Championships!