Cross country: Bingham, Pyeatt place 13th at state meet

By Michael Dashiell • November 7, 2018 1:30 am
Sequim’s state 2A cross country competitors share smiles after completing the 5,000 meters at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco on Nov. 3. They include, from left, Murray Bingham, Jazen Bartee, Riley Pyeatt and Liam Byrne. Photo courtesy of Tracie Pyeatt
Sequim’s state 2A cross country competitors share smiles after completing the 5,000 meters at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco on Nov. 3. They include, from left, Murray Bingham, Jazen Bartee, Riley Pyeatt and Liam Byrne. Photo courtesy of Tracie Pyeatt

Sequim’s state cross country 2A state meet results:

• Boys

Murray Bingham 13th (16:28.9)

Liam Byrne 78th (17:27.7)

Jazen Bartee 133rd (18:16.2)

• Girls

Riley Pyeatt 13th (19:35.8)

The long, winding road for Sequim’s cross country runners came to an end Saturday in Pasco, with the Wolves scoring a pair of top-15 finishes.

SHS senior Murray Bingham improved his state meet best by more than 40 seconds, finishing in 16 minutes, 28 seconds — good for 13th place overall at the Class 2A state meet at Sun Willows Golf Course on Nov. 3.

Bingham, who placed 76th at last year’s meet, set a personal best for 5,000 meters at this year’s final.

“Murray had a rough second mile but he didn’t let it get to him,” Huff said. “He was way off the medal stand. He passed 13, 14 (runners) in his third mile.”

Senior teammate Liam Byrne finished 78th in 17:27 — about 28 second and 26 places better than his finish at last year’s state meet — while Jazen Bartee, another senior, was 133rd with an 18:16 mark.

“Liam and Jazen had strong finishes,” Huff said.

Riley Pyeatt, Sequim’s lone Wolf in the girls’ race, posted an impressive 13th-place finish with a time of 19 minutes, 35 seconds.

“Riley was a little nervous; if she would been a bit calmer, she would have placed even higher,” Huff said. “That’s just experience.”

Pyeatt was the third-fastest ninth-grader in the state final, behind Washington’s MaryAlice Mitchell (fifth) and Pullman’s Kylie Franklin (seventh).

Huff said Pyeatt’s freshman time at state was very similar to Sequim grad Stephanie Marcy’s finish at that grade level; Marcy (now Dinius) took 14th as a freshman at state with a 19:55 finish in 2013 — and went on to win a state title as a senior in 2006.

“That’s a good sign,” Huff said.

The only thing holding the SHS freshman back, her coach said, is getting enough miles in during the offseason.

Port Angeles sophomore Lauren Larson was fourth, about a minute behind 2A champ Amelia Pullen of Washougal. (18:04).

West Valley (Spokane) won a tiebreaker with Bellingham for the 2A girls’ title at 118 points; Pullman was a close third (123 points). Port Angeles’ girls were eighth, the top finishing squad from the Olympic League.

In the 2A boys race, Sehome (84 points) edged Washougal (98) for the team title. Liberty of Issaquah was third. North Kitsap was the Olympic League’s top team entry after placing 13th, while Kingston was 14th and Port Angeles 16th out of 16 teams.

Eliason Kabasenche, a Pullman junior, won the boys’ 2A individual title with a 15:44 finish.