MEDICAL LAKE – The Cardinal cross country boys crew remains the team to beat in the Northeast A League as they stayed the top-ranked team in the state 1A weekly coach’s poll after decisive victories in both a league match and a strong showing at a cross-state invitational.
The Cardinals continued their league juggernaut when took their A game to Newport last Wednesday, Oct. 9, winning both varsity divisions against the Grizzlies by wide margins.
The boys’ varsity left the opposition eating their dust, 15-48, while the girls’ varsity won, going away 21-40.
It was a seasonal affair as well.
“The course was somewhat challenging with one hill,” head coach Gene Blankenship wrote in an email. “The unique part is a run through the cemetery.”
Jeremiah Windle led the boys’ varsity runners with a time of 18 minutes, 14 seconds, and Grace Grubaugh the varsity girls at 22:21.
Competitors of the Meet were Jenna Castro and Luke Dickey, with Cardinal Pins going to Micaela Eberhardt, Sophia Dienemann, Grubaugh, Hailey Cross, Kelsey Braswell, Angel Mendez, Thomas Collins, Sawyer Williams, Alex Dunay, and Franklin Haughton.
The following Saturday, Oct. 12, Medical Lake made the long trip over the Cascades to Lakewood — and missing Homecoming in the process, electing their own team king and queen, Connor Palmen and Katie Hiatt — for the Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational.
The sacrifice was apparently worth it as the team broke nine personal records and three season records for the effort, placing third overall among the 60 teams at the event. Only Jesuit of Oregon, rated No. 1 in Oregon’s 6A Division, and No. 1 ranked Sehome in Washington’s 2A classicication placed ahead of the Cardinals.
Quintin Collins led the boys’ varsity with a time of 16:20.8.
The varsity girls finished 11th out of 51 teams. Allison Payne led the Cardinal girls with a season’s best 20:34, followed closely by Paige Headrick, then Jenna Castro who ran her first sub-21-minute 5,000-meter time.
The Cardinals were scheduled to host Riverside and Deer Park on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 4 p.m., then Freeman the following Wednesday, Oct. 23 in the final two meets of the regular season before heading to districts in Chewelah on Sat. Nov. 2
And mark your calendars: state championships will be held at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco, Wash. On Saturday, Nov. 9, followed by the NXR Northwest Regional Championships in Eagle Island Park in Boise, Idaho on Saturday, Nov. 16.
Lee Hughes can be reached at [email protected].
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