MONTESANO — Forks’ Madelyn Archibald raced to the Class 1A Evergreen League Championship on Thursday at Lake Sylvia State Park in Montesano.
Archibald led wire-to-wire, crossing the 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) finish line with a time of 21 minutes, 36 seconds, two-and-a-half minutes better than Hoquiam’s Macie German, who placed second with a time of 24:11.
“[Winning the league title] feels really good,”Archibald told the [Aberdeen] Daily World after the race.
Archibald placed second at last year’s league-title meet.
“I won a couple of league meets earlier in the season, but to win league is really cool,” Archibald set.
Archibald was the pace setter from the start, rolling out to a large lead in the first third of the race and never letting off the gas pedal.
The Spartans senior was unfazed by the altered course, where rains earlier in the week caused some downed trees to obstruct the off-road portion of the course. To accommodate for the blockage, officials changed the route, making it a more hilly, road-based course.
“This was actually the driest year that I’ve been here,” Archibald said. “I had a time in my head that I needed to beat and that’s what I worked to do.”
Forks’ Karen Ensastegui was seventh in 26:05.
There were not enough runners to generate team scores in the girls competition.
The Spartan boys ended up runner-up in the team competition with 50 points, behind Tenino (37).
Junior Wesley Camacho was the top finisher for Forks, placing third in 18:02, 15 seconds behind individiual winner Sam Hill of Tenino.
Matthew Larson was eighth for Forks in 18:58 and Colton Duncan and William Perez were 11th and 12th in 19:07 and 19:12, respectively for the Spartans.
Forks will compete in the Southwest District 4 Championships at Lewis River Golf Course in Woodland on Thursday.
________
Compiled from team reports. Email scores to sports@peninsuladailynews.com or phone 360-417-3525.
