PORT TOWNSEND — Led by race winner Lauren Larson, the Port Angeles girls narrowly won the Olympic League Cross Country Championship, beating second-place Klahowya by one point.
In the boys’ race, Sequim’s Murray Bingham won, while Port Townsend’s Nathan Cantrell came in third overall and first among Class 1A runners.
In that girls’ race, the Roughriders had five runners in the top 17 to tally 47 points, compared to five runners in the top 15 for Klahowya, which had 48 team points.
Among the 2A schools, the Roughrider girls dominated with 29 team points. North Kitsap was well behind at 63.
“In both the boys and girls varsity races, a fast pack of the top runners took off at a seemingly unsustainable pace,” said Port Angeles coach Rodger Johnson.
“Throughout the race, one runner after another dropped from the top pack, looking completely exhausted — drenched with sweat, out of breath, and pained looks on their faces. The top runners were somehow able to kick hard at the finish and post some impressively low times for such a hilly, challenging course,” Johnson said.
Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend runners were among five of the top eight finishes for the girls. Larson won with a time of 19 minutes, 22 seconds.
Her Roughrider teammate Kynzie DeLeon finished fourth with a time of 19:32. Sequim freshman Riley Pyeatt was fifth at 19:36 and the Port Townsend duo of Anika Avelino and Rachel Matthes was seventh (20:51) and eighth (21:09), respectively.
Larson’s finish was close. She beat Madison Zosa of North Kitsap, last year’s district and league champ (and fifth in the state), by two seconds and Rachel Newhard of Klahowya by three seconds. Last year, Larson finished second to Zosa at league by 29 seconds. It was Larson’s fifth win of the year.
Only the top five runners count toward the team score, but the Rider girls were so dominant, they had eight runners among the top 23 — out of 86 girls in the race.
The Riders’ Kaylee Helgeson was 12th (21:42), Ella Holland, 13th (21:48), Kathryn Guttormsen, 17th (22:17); Emma Weaver, 20th, (22:42); Jenna McGoff, 21st (22:44) and Jada Cargo-Acosta 23rd (23:10).
In girls team points, the Wolves came in fifth with 140 and the Redhawks sixth with 156.
In the boys’ race, Port Townsend as a team came in a solid second place, with two runners in the top 10 and four in the top 15. Port Townsend, Sequim and Port Angeles combined for eight spots in the top 15 runners.
Bingham won with a time of 16:30, beating Stefans Lusis of Kingston by three seconds for his fourth win of the year. Cantrell at 16:46 beat Jaeden Ellis of Klahowya by one second for the best 1A time.
Cantrell’s fellow Redhawk, Gabe Petrick, came in seventh at 17:06, while Seamus Fraser finished 14th at 17:39 and Kincaid Gould 15th at 17:43. The Redhawks finished with 85 team points, behind meet champion Klahowya, which had 62.
Thomas Shaw finished ninth at 17:12 for the best Port Angeles showing, while his teammate Cameron Butler finished 12th at 17:21. Sequim’s Liam Byrne came in 10th at 17:18.
The Riders boys were fifth with 100 team points, while the Wolves were sixth with 113.
Port Angeles and Sequim next race in the West-Central District III 2A meet Saturday at Chambers Creek Park in University Place, while Port Townsend will run in the West-Central III 1A meet at Chambers Creek.
Olympic League Cross-Country Championships
1A and 2A Results
Port Townsend Golf Club
Thursday, October 18
Boys Results
Team
Klahowya, first, 62; Port Townsend, second, 85; Kingston, third, 90; North Kitsap, fourth, 91; Port Angeles, fifth, 100; Sequim, sixth, 113; Bremerton, seventh, 179; North Mason, eighth, 186; Olympic, ninth, 270.
Individual
Murray Bingham, Sequim, first, 16:30; Nathan Cantrell, Port Townsend, third 16:46; Gabe Petrick, PT, seventh, 17:06; Thomas Shaw, Port Angeles, ninth, 17:12; Liam Byrne, Sequim, 10th, 17:18; Cameron Butler, PA, 12th, 17:21; Seamus Fraser, PT, 14th, 17:39; Kincaid Gould, PT, 15th, 17:43; Gabriel Long, PA, 23rd, 18:03; Adam Borde, PA, 25th, 18:07; Alec Shingleton, Sequim, 29th, 18:18; Joshua Gavin, PA, 31st, 18:29; Logan Tyson, PA, 32nd, 18:29; Lucas Gavin, PA, 34th, 18:33; Koda Robinson, Sequim, 35th, 18:39; Jazen Bartee, Sequim, 38th, 18:47; Fischer Jensen, Sequim, 40th, 19:05; Silas DeWyse, PT, 46th, 19:20; Jakob Pyeatt, Sequim, 47th, 19:21; Trillium DeWyse, PT, 48th, 19:31.
Girls Results
Team
Port Angeles, first, 47; Klahowya, second, 48; North Kitsap, third, 95; Kingston, fourth, 121; Sequim, fifth, 140; Port Townsend, sixth, 156; North Mason, seventh, 157; Olympic, eighth, 198.
Individual
Lauren Larson, Port Angeles, first, 19:22; Kynzie DeLeon, PA, fourth, 19:32; Riley Pyeatt, Sequim, fifth, 19:36; Anika Avelino, Port Townsend, seventh, 20:51; Rachel Matthes, PT, eighth, 21:09; Kaylee Helgeson, PA, 12th, 21:42; Ella Holland, PA, 13th, 21:48; Kathryn Guttormsen, PA, 17th, 22:17; Emma Weaver, PA, 20th, 22:42; Jenna McGoff, PA, 21st, 22:44; Jada Cargo-Acosta, PA, 23rd, 23:10; Jessica German, Sequim, 28th, 23:26; Alisandra Baccus, PA, 29th, 23:34; Gracie Townsend, PA, 38th, 24:14; Maxine Waddell, PA, 40th, 24:20; Aidyn Shingleton, Sequim, 41st, 24:24; Eleanor Byrne, Sequim, 41st, 24:27; Taylor Coleman, Sequim, 44th, 24:44; Emily Silva, Sequim, 49th, 24:57; Gina Brown, PT, 54th, 25:41; Callay Boire-Shedd, PT, 58th, 26:07; Katelynn Glass, Sequim, 62nd, 26:38; Alyssa Peppers, PA, 66th, 27:01; Olivia Carroll, PA, 70th, 27:36; Katharina Stamme, Sequim, 72nd, 27:50; Erin Fenton, PT, 78th, 30:02; Lesae Pfeffer, Sequim, 79th, 30:27; Daya Woodyard, PA, 80th, 30:56; Sarah Joulet, PA, 81st, 31:17; Sofia Baruffi, Sequim, 86th, 35:56.
Forks at Evergreen 1A meet
MONTESANO — With three finishes among the top six runners, the Spartans girls won the team championship at the Evergreen 1A meet at Lake Sylvia State Park.
Madelyn Archibald led the Spartans by coming in second with a time of 22 minutes, 5 seconds. Melisa Galindo came in fifth at 23:36 and Karen Ensastegui sixth at 23:30.
The Spartans tallied 25 team points to Montesano’s 30 to win the league title.
For the boys, Colton Duncan came in third for the Spartans with a time of 18:19. Luis Perez was eighth at 18:49 and Wesley Camacho ninth at 18:52. The boys as a team came in second with 36 team points. Montesano won with 21 team points.
The Spartan harriers next run at districts on Thursday at Lewis River Golf Course in Woodland.
Evergreen 1A Meet
Lake Sylvia
Thursday, Oct. 18
Boys Results (Forks)
Team
Montesano, first, 21; Forks, second, 36; Tenino, third, 67.
Individual
Colton Duncan, third, 18:19; Luis Perez, eighth, 18:49; Wesley Camacho, ninth, 18:52; Matthew Larson, 12th, 19:26; Kasson Steffen, 15th, 20:15; Hector Garcia Dominguez, 33rd, 26:52.
Girls Results
Team
Forks, first, 25; Montesano, second, 30.
Individual
Madelyn Archibald, second, 22:05; Melisa Galindo, fifth, 23:36; Karen Ensastegui, sixth, 23:40; Kayleen Bailey, 11th 27:15; Savannah Meyer, 12th, 28:08.
Sequim’s Murray Bingham crosses the finish line to win the varsity boys Olympic League Cross Country Championship at the Port Townsend Golf Course on Thursday. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
The Forks girls’ cross country team took first place Thursday at Montesano during the 1 A Evergreen league meet. From left, are assistant coach Kari Larson, Kayleen Bailey, Melissa Galindo, Karen Ensastegui Salazar, head coach Brian Weekes, Madelyn Archibald and Savannah Meyer. (Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News)
The Port Angeles boys cross-country team celebrates at the Olympic League championships at Port Townsend on Thursday. (By Michael Dashiell/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
