LA CENTER’S girls cross country team finished seventh in the Class 1A team standings at the state meet Nov. 7 in Pasco. Jenna Melanson led the Wildcats with a seventh-place finish. Her time of 19:19 was a La Center High School record for the state course.
Ridgefield’s Silas Griffith and La Center’s Jenna Melanson were the top area finishers Nov. 7 at the WIAA state cross country championships at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
Griffith covered the 5,000-meter course in 15:44 to finish fifth in the Class 2A boys race. His effort helped the Spudders finish eighth as a team. Griffith was joined at state by teammates Kyle Radosevich (22nd, 16:21), Miles Bethel (63rd, 17:01), Sam Anderson (81st, 17:18), Brandon Lehto (96th, 17:31), Ciarnin McNeil (100th, 17:36) and Jacob Neil (116th, 17:53.)
La Center’s girls finished seventh in the Class 1A team standings. Jenna Melanson led the Wildcats with a seventh-place finish. Her time of 19:19 was a La Center High School record for the state course. Melanson was joined by teammates Emily Graham (39th, 20:47), Sierra Harris (42nd, 20:50), Bethany Whitten (73rd, 21:51), Makenna Olson (101st, 22:36), Josie Elston (125th, 24:15) and Andrea Griffee (126th, 24:20).
La Center’s boys finished 15th in the 1A team standings. The Wildcats’ contingent was made up of Nate Beed (66th, 17:56), Jake Morris (113th, 18:45), Sawyer Bierscheid (119th, 18:50), Saige Keep (122nd, 18:59) Mateo Macial-Curry (124th, 19:01), Jaden Kenworthy (129th, 19:09) and Jared Cox (130th, 19:10).
Battle Ground’s Quinn Nelson (91st, 16:42) qualified for the boys 4A race and Hockinson’s Kyle Peterson (48th, 16:51) and Derek Henderson (78th, 17:13) each competed in the 2A boys race. August Albers, of Cedar Tree Classical Christian School, finished 34th in the Class 1B/2B boys race with a time of 17:51.
Hockinson finished 16th in the 2A girls team standings. The Hawks were represented by Acacia Neveux (79th, 21:06), Hailee Neibauer (80th, 21:06), Adyson Dyer (97th, 21:19), Hannah Neibauer (117th, 22:25); Grace Gunderson (121st, 22:57), Savannah Wray (127th, 23:05) and Kate Plymale (138th, 25:33).
Ridgefield finished 11th in the girls 2A team standings. Lexie Rutherford (53rd, 20:31) led the way for the Spudders followed by Sophie Miller (65th, 20:48), Chloe Lindbo (69th, 20:52), Hailey Figueras (73rd, 20:57), Makayla Draper (108th, 21:49), Katrin Langer (129th, 23:09) and Karli Oliver (135th, 24:18).
Prairie’s Megan Bruns was 103rd in the girls 2A race (21:09).
Woodland was represented at state (2A) by Natalie Biddix (23rd, 19:49) and McKenna Flanagan (52nd, 20:31).
