Kids In the Hall: Justin Loftus, Crater OR

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Crater High of Central Point, Ore., might just have the best boys cross country program that has never made an appearance at Nike Cross Nationals. The Comets, under coach Justin Loftus, are routinely one of the best teams in Oregon but qualifying through NXR Northwest is a puzzle this group hasn't yet solved. 

The story of Walter Vail, as told by Loftus, includes a meteoric rise from obscurity to state champion -- and one courageous, yet unfortunate moment at the NXN regional qualifier, the year Crater should have made it. He is part of the program's lore now, for his impact on a school that has produced notable runners Bryan Berryhill, Isaac Stoutenburgh, Max Runia and Andy Monroe.

Here are coach Loftus' words (edited for clarity):

Walter came out for track his sophomore year because he didn't want to raise money for the golf team's poster. He threw the javelin and ran with us a couple times and decided he liked the crew we had out there. He would split his time between javelin and distance. 

His times to start that year (2014) were: 2:18 (for 800 meters), 4:45 (1,500 meters) and 9:43 (3,000). He threw 96 feet in the javelin and made our varsity team on the track. He finished the season with a 4:25 1,500 meters at conference.

I decided to take him up to Eugene to watch our state meet in track. His quote, after being at Hayward Field and seeing it in person: "I am going to come back and compete here."

The next year in cross, his junior year, he was the conference champion and eighth at the state meet.   

He won the Class 5A state track title in the 3,000 meters in 8:37.37 and came back his senior year to win the state cross country title. He holds our 3,000 meters school record of 8:22.36, at the 2016 Oregon Twilight meet, in the same race where Edward Cheserek surprisingly lost to Sam Atkin of Lewis-Clark State in 7:56.7.

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Of note, at the 2016 NXR Northwest race, Walter (senior year) and Andy Monroe were side by side in fifth and sixth place with 1,000 meters to go. Andy broke away with about 600 left and Walter started to fade. Walter collapsed and crawled the last 200 meters to the finish, going from sixth place to 69th. The incident dropped Crater from first to fourth. 

(Photos courtesy Justin Loftus)

Walter Vail with 550 meters left at the 2015 NXR Northwest. 

On the ground in the homestraight away. The Gig Harbor runner took 13th.

Back up again. 

Almost there.

Crawling to the finish.