It was a perfect day of track and field. The morning clouds receded to reveal a glorious day of sunshine with a gentle breeze that lent it’s aid on the home stretch. The wind was perfect. The weather was perfect. The meet came down to the final event; the mile relay. Summit needed four points more than Benson in the event to win the meet after the Techmen of Benson took the lead when they won the women’s triple jump and the men’s mile relay. The competition was perfect. And when Benson’s anchor leg passed an experienced Gresham team to take the lead on the home stretch, with the cheering of the entire Benson team, and sprinted to the win, the finish was perfect.

On a day of so many perfect moments, all present took their own moments to revel in the aura of Tracktown, USA. Benson’s Nate Anderson’s came as he crossed the finish line first in the men’s mile relay when he blew a kiss to the ever-supportive crowd.

Oakridge’s Andrew Perri’s moment came after winning the men’s 800 meter race that he planned on foregoing. Clutching his sore back, he said to meet director, Ross Krempley, “thanks for making me run.” Krempley, realizing that Perri of 2A Oakridge would have fewer opportunities to run at big meets than the 4A kids, encouraged Perri to run despite his sore back, going as far to connect him with a pair of spikes to run in for the day. A perfect moment indeed as Perri’s ten points lifted Oakridge over Damascus Christian to be the best 2A/1A school of the meet.

Another moment came during the men’s pole vault, when Darryl Evans cleared 15-6 with the west grandstands thundering synchronized clapping as he sprinted down the runway on his way to a new personal record. “Rest assured,” said one on-looker to Evans, “every part of you was over sixteen feet on that jump.”

The men’s 3000 meter race offered more than most realize: the third, sixth, and seventh fastest times in the nation among preps this year were all recorded in this exciting race where Zuber Ahmed dropped a ridiculous 57.5 second to last lap to drop a loaded field of some of Oregon’s best distance runners.

Sara Callier of Benson was Dominant to say the least, winning four different events. As if wining four events wasn't enough, she jumped, ran and relayed her way to three XO Invite records, missing a perfect fourth event by less than an inch.  Is Callier the reason athletes can only do four events in high school...

Brad Taylor ran a smart race and finished with a big kick that earned him the XO Invite mile title. Ryan Lewis of 1A Damascus Christian destroyed his old personal record to take down one of the state’s best and XO 100/400 record holder Nathan Ingrao in the men’s 200. Bianca Mathabane of Lincoln successfully defended both short and long hurdle titles of last year’s XO Invite when she won them for Benson.

Yet, the most perfect moment of all came for University of Oregon bound Newberg senior, Rachel Yurkovich. “It was the perfect throw,” said Yurkovich in an interview with The Oregonian, “I was in awe of myself.” The javelin may be the only event where a slight headwind can assist an athlete, and as Yurkovich launched her spear into the upper stratosphere, that perfect wind lifted it to where no high school girl has ever thrown a javelin: 176 feet 5 inches away from it’s origin. Think of a forward pass in football that stays in the air for almost 60 yards; now imagine a high school girl as the quarterback. Tracktown welcomes Rachel with open arms.

The meet was tight the entire way, not just between Benson and Summit, but across the board, in each team’s own struggle to beat a rival, or to place higher than last year, or even to beat a school larger than their own. Oakridge and Damascus Christian had a great battle for best 2A/1A school. Sandy edged Mt. Hood Conference rival Barlow by three points at the end of the day, improving on their XO Invite finish of last year by ten spots. Everything seemed to go right for South Eugene who took third in team scoring.

There were so many perfect moments. Ideas are already brewing for ways to improve the XO Invite for 2006 and the prospects are very exciting. But for now, athletes will be perfectly content pouring over results, planning for district and state competitions, and reminiscing on the competition of last Saturday. Congratulations to all who competed, Team XO sincerely thanks you and wishes it was as fun for you to partake as it was for us to host and we look forward to seeing many of you next year!