Cross Country: Four top 10 finishes boost Port Angeles boys to meet win; Sequim’s Pyeatt claims girls race

SEQUIM — North Olympic Peninsula runners peppered the leaderboard at the third Olympic League cross-country meet of the season, a 3.1-mile race at Voice of America at the Dungeness Recreation Area on Wednesday.

Junior Jack Gladfelter of Port Angeles and senior Riley Pyeatt of Sequim earned their respective boys and girls varsity individual race titles for the third straight league competition.

In the boys race, Gladfelter was joined by four other Roughriders in the top-10 as Port Angeles breezed to a team victory with 25 points well ahead of second-place Kingston (58) and North Kitsap (64).

Sequim (130) was fifth as a team in the seven-team boys race.

Gladfelter’s first-place time of 16 minutes, 51 seconds topped Sequim sophomore Colby Ellefson (17:24) and Port Angeles teammate junior Max Baeder (17:25).

It also came within six seconds of the course record of 16:45 set by Klahowya’s Kelton Gagnon set during the spring cross country season earlier this year.

Ellefson and Baeder went back-and-forth along the race course, with a final kick boosting Ellefson to the runner-up finish.

Baeder’s time was a personal best.

“Junior Max Baeder had an outstanding run, shaving 10 seconds off his overall best time,” Port Angeles coach Rodger Johnson said.

Josh Gavin finished fourth for the Riders, just behind Ellefson and Baeder in 17:28, while Port Angeles junior Langdon Larson was eighth (18:05) and senior Naaman McGuffey placed ninth in 18:28.91.

“Their hard work in practice and through the off season continues to pay off in their weekly races,” Johnson said.

Pyeatt continued a stellar senior season with her fourth race win, this time finishing in 19:32, to earn a 50-second win over North Kitsap Salix Wartes-Kahl.

Wolves sophomore Kaitlyn Bloomenrader added to her strong start with a fifth-place finish (21:37), Sequim senior Aidyn Shingleton was 11th in 23:54 and junior Anastasia Updike was 17th (24:47) as the Wolves finished second overall as a team with 56 points, behind North Kitsap (36).

Nikoline Updike was 23rd (25:47) and Mia Kirner 24th (25:49) to round out Sequim’s runners.

Port Angeles freshman Zakara Braun earned her best finish of the season, coming in 16th to pace the Riders in 24:35.

Senior Gracie Townsend was 22nd for Port Angeles (25:44), Maya Gentry 31st (27:37) and Faerin Tait 33rd in 28:19.

Three other Riders also competed: Grace Kathol, 41st in 29:32; Katie Marchant, 42nd in 29:44 and Rhiley Pavlak, 51st in 34:46.

Sequim and Port Angeles runners will compete at Wednesday’s fourth Olympic League meet at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds.

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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-406-0674 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.