TACOMA — Port Angeles and Sequim battled a huge field and high winds and will send a total of nine runners to the 2A state cross-country championship next week, while the East Jefferson boys won the 1A meet held at the Westside Classic District 3 Cross-Country meet at the Chambers Creek central meadow.
The East Jefferson girls will also send their entire team to state, finishing second as a team in their 1A race.
“Despite incredibly strong winds, so fierce they sent our team tent flying and broke it in half, our runners showed grit, focus, and heart,” said coach Angie Gooding. “We couldn’t be prouder of their determination and toughness today. Both Coach Rodger Johnson and I are beyond impressed with how our Roughriders competed and carried themselves in such tough conditions.”
The Port Angeles boys had four runners in the top 23 and all four will be moving on to state. Andrew Campbell led the way for the Roughriders, coming in 11th with a time of 17 minutes, 53.0 seconds.
Easton Dempsey was 14th at 18:07.4, while freshman Jay Lieberman was 22nd at 18:26.6. Finally, Henry Wendel was 23rd at 18:29.5. All four boys move on to state.
Making state for Sequim was Adrian Osborne, who finished 20th in a time of 18:23.3, and Gavin Tupper, who finished 24th with a time of 18:30.3.
Just missing out on a trip to state was Sequim’s Reid Randall, who finished 29th with a time of 18:41.4. Sequim’s Westley French was 39th in a time of 19:17.4, while Josh Wakefield was 51st (19:43.1) and Jackson Hines 56th. (19:53.8). Port Angeles’ Mason Cummings was 58th (19:56.7).
For the girls, Port Angeles’ Leia Larson had a great race, finishing sixth in a time of 21:28.0, joining some of her older brothers and sisters in qualifying for state multiple times. Larson’s teammate Mariam Cobb was 20th in a time of 22:56, also good for state. Sequim’s Emily Bair, just a freshman, came in 11th with a time of 22:06.9 and she will move on to the state meet in Pasco.
Port Angeles’ Isabella Pickett was 43rd (24:27.7) and Alice Shields 50th (24:53.6).
As a team, the Port Angeles boys were fifth with 128 points and Sequim sixth with 163. Bainbridge blew away the competition with five top-10 finishes, finishing with 27 points.
For the girls teams, Port Angeles finished seventh as a team with 158 points. Bainbridge again won with 67. Sequim did not have enough girls for a team score.
East Jefferson at 1A
The East Jefferson boys dominated the 1A race with four runners in the top nine — and five in the top 16.
Joshua Yearian was third with a time of 17:31.3. Nico Errichetti was right behind in fifth in a time of 17:39.7 and Dustin Hines was sixth at 18:02.2. Noah Isenberg was ninth in 18:58.1 and Zeke Banks was 16th in 18:58.1. Louis Sanborn was 33rd (20:07.7) and John Neville 41st (21:38.2). All seven runners will move on to state.
East Jefferson finished with 39 points, outpacing Vashon, which had 48. Basically, it came down to Isenberg’s ninth-place finish and Banks’ 16th-place finish as Vashon had three runners in the top 8, but then fell off after that with 14th- and 21st-place finishes. Vashon’s Joshua Healey won the race in 16:33.5.
The East Jefferson girls had three runners in the top 12 and five in the top 23. The Rivals were led by Leah Ferland, who came in fourth with a time of 21:36.7. Hilina Taylor-Lenz was 10th in 22:15.6 and Michael Gregg 12th in 22:21.0.
Alli Applewhite was 22nd in 24:43.5 and Charlotte Hines 23rd in (25:12). Arden Moore was 34th in 27:38.1 and Clara Camp 35th in 28:08.5. All seven girls move on to state.
The East Jefferson girls finished with 62 points to Vashon’s 41.
