This year’s Washington State Cross Country Championships took place in Pasco on Saturday, November 9th. The Gig Harbor Varsity team buckled up and took the 4-hour bus ride over on Friday, making sure to get enough rest before the big races the next day. The whole season has consisted of steadfast work and training, preparing the athletes to give everything that they have.
Both teams fought hard and delivered up to expectations. The girl’s team finished in 3rd place, improving their 4th place finish from last year, while the boys ended in 9th. Although they finished in the same place as the previous season, this year was far more competitive, and the spot was well fought for. The races were a lot quicker and deeper than last year, demanding the runners to showcase everything that they’d learned throughout the season. The weather conditions were in their favor, being cloudy and cool without wind or rain. The fastest female athlete, Sophia Rodriguez, finished with a time of 16:48.1, while the quickest male runner, Owen Powell, crossed the finish line at 14:44.9. Both runners represented Mercer Island and led the way to victory for each of their respective teams.
Our own girl’s team earned an impressive 3rd place in the Women’s 3A race, which was accomplished with top runners Taylor Sletner (12) and Lejla Carlsson (11) finishing 5th and 6th. Sletner ran her way to an extraordinary time of 17:36.9, claiming the record for the fastest finish in the history of our school. Carlsson went home with a no less impressive time of 18:11.5, making superb tactical decisions throughout the whole race. Not far behind were Ella Savage (9) in 36th, Clarabelle Simmonds (10) in 55th, and Laila Flynn (11) in 80th with personal records of their own, followed by Ruby Savage (11) placing 93rd and Sofia Simmonds (12) placing 150th out of the 200 best runners in our state.
The boys ran their Men’s 3A race with Gavin McKeegan (11) leading the team and finishing 25th with a personal record of 16:02.7. Following were Joshua Minner (10), finishing 58th, and Max Dower (10), placing 60th, with less than a second separating them. Jack Greer (10) placed 65th, Joey Campbell (12) placed 69th, Galen Peloquin placed 120th (9), and Preston Nelson (9) placed 164th.
When asked about what the best part of the championships was this year, Taylor Sletner said, “I have to say running with the team has been really fun, because we run off one another and push each other to be our best selves.” Although our athletes are incredible, even the best face difficulties that they have to overcome. “The challenge is always doubt and the fear of not being able to hold your pace,” said Lejla Carlsson. Joshua Minner had an impressive finish to his race, passing 7 people in the last 200 meters. “The season has prepared me to know that I can run fast and achieve goals I thought were not possible,” he reflected.
Other than magnificently representing our school on the course, the team also enjoyed the state experience. They ate “really good spaghetti” and watched Christmas movies together. On the way back home, they stopped at Fred Meyer for dinner and ice cream, which has become a fun tradition over the past years. Overall, our wonderful Tides runners had an exciting trip and enjoyed both the competition and the time they got to spend together. The coaches and athletes are proud of what they have accomplished; they had a wonderful season overall. They are looking forward to continuing the training and are determined to work hard in order to reach their full potential. “Going forward, we’re still pretty young; there’s still a lot that’s coming up,” says head coach Patty Ley. We are all excited to see what the future of our beloved cross country team holds.