Lake Oswego Standout Pulls Away From Chloe Foerster After Two-Mile Mark

By Joe Zochert for DyeStat

Tim Healy photos

EUGENE - With about a mile left in the Oregon 6A girls cross country championship, Lake Oswego junior Kate Peters made her move to win her first state championship Saturday with a winning time of 17:28.

The beginning of the race got off to an unusually slow start as no one wanted to go out and set the pace. It definitely played to Peters’ strength and strategy. 

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“The second (that) two miles hit, bust a move and have fun the last mile,” Peters said about getting away from the pack at the two-mile split.

Peters, ranked No. 2 nationally, has won all six races of her race. That includes an impressive win at the Nike Portland XC where she recorded a personal best 16:40 and beat Colorado’s three-time state champion Riley Stewart, a senior from Cherry Creek , and Mira Costa CA senior Dalia Frias. Stewart and Frias are ranked Nos. 3 and 7 in the nation, respectively.

It was Peters' second time running at Lane Community College. The last time she ran at the state championship it was in 2019 she was a freshman running for Lincoln of Portland and she finished second to Fiona Max of Summit.

This time, Peters had a big test in the state championship race against Jesuit senior Chloe Foerster for the first time. Foerster is US#10 and finished second in the race with a 17:35. She was fourth in 2019.

“I knew I couldn’t leave it to the final 400 meters or so...she has such a great kick and she could have got me,” Peters said of Foerster.

With the regular season now over, Peters is now looking towards the Eastbay Cross Country West Regionals with hopes to qualify for the national finals in San Diego on Dec. 11.

“I think this is the first time like I've done the proper training plan to peak towards the national meets,” Peters said.

With her first big goal of the season realized, Peters will turn attention to trying to compete for a national individual title.

"I'm very excited to see how it works out and how much faster I can run," she said.