SEQUIM — Port Angeles advanced both its boys and girls cross country teams to the district meet after strong performances at Thursday’s Olympic League Championships at The Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course.
In the league meet at Cedars at Dungeness, the Port Angeles Roughriders showed up and showed off,” coach Angie Gooding said. “The girls’ team powered their way to an impressive second-place finish, while the boys battled hard for fouth place, earning both teams a well-deserved trip to districts.”
“It was a day full of grit, speed, and Rider pride — next stop: district championships.
Port Angeles senior Leia Larson posted the top individual performance for any North Olympic Peninsula athlete, finishing the 3.1-mile course in fourth in 20 minutes, 1.86 seconds. Larson’s teammate Miriam Cobb placed 15th in 21:51.5, while Storey Schmidt was 17th in 22:14.41 and Isabella Pickett (34th in 23:39.14) and Alice Shields (39th in 24:11.97) rounded out the Riders’ runners.
Sequim freshman Emily Bair posted an impressive top-five finish, sprinting on the short rough along the course’s first hole to the end line and overtaking Olympic’s Abigail Thatcher by 0.37 of a second for fifth place.
Bridget Pyeatt was 25th for Sequim with a time of 23:18.16, while Shaylee Furbee (45th in 26:37.52), Kylie Peters (46th in 26:38.95) and Kaylee Lawson (47th in 26:44.53) all ran for the eighth-place Wolves’ girls.
Port Angeles totaled two top-10 boys runners with seniors Andre Campbell placing eighth in 16:43.83 and Easton Dempsey ninth in 16:47.8.
Henry Wendel (16th in 17:26.21), Jay Lieberman (17th in 17:26.41) and Mason Cummings (27th in 17:55.76) all counted toward the Riders’ team score.
Sequim’s top runners were juniors Adrian Osborne (17:15.64) and Reid Randall (17:15.86) who came in 12th and 13th, respectively. Gavin Tupper ended up 15th for the Wolves (17:25.85), while Josh Wakefield (29th in 17:57.69) and Westley French (18:17.4) all counted toward the Sequim team score.
The schools will run again at the Westside Classic Class 2A District meet on Nov. 1 at Chamber Bay near Tacoma.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@peninsuladailynews.com.
Port Angeles senior Leia Larson, front, eyes the finish line while Sequim freshman Emily Bair (back) overtakes Olympic’s Abigail Thatcher to earn a top-5 finish at the Olympic League Cross Country Championships at The Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course on Thursday. Emily Matthiessen/for Peninsula Daily News
