Olympic League meet
Oc.t 18 — Port Townsend Golf Course, 5,000 meters
• Boys
Team scores:
1. Klahowya 62
2. Port Townsend 85
3. Kingston 90
4. North Kitsap 91
5. Port Angeles 100
6. Sequim 113
7. Bremerton 179
8. North Mason 186
9. Olympic 270
Sequim results:
1. Murray Bingham, 16:30
10. Liam Byrne, 17:18
29. Alec Shingleton, 18:18
35. Koda Robinson, 18:39
38. Jazen Bartee, 18:47
40. Fischer Jensen, 19:05
47. Jakob Pyeatt, 19:21
• Girls
Team scores:
1. Port Angeles 47
2. Klahowya 48
3. North Kitsap 95
4. Kingston 121
5. Sequim 140
6. Port Townsend 156
7. North Mason 157
8. Olympic 198
9. Bremerton DNS
Sequim results:
5. Riley Pyeatt, 19:36
28. Jessica German, 23:26
41. Aidyn Shingleton, 24:24
42. Eleanor Byrne, 24:27
44. Taylor Coleman, 24:44
49. Emily Silva, 24:57
62. Katelynn Glass, 26:38
72. Katharina Stamme, 27:50
79. Lesea Pfeffer, 30:27
86. Sophia Baruffi, 35:56
In what he described as a bit of bad “juju,” Murray Bingham recalled getting edged out by Port Townsend’ s Nathan Cantrell at a league dual meet last year at the Port Townsend Golf Course.
Cantrell, then a sophomore, caught the Sequim junior on a hill and beat Murray by 0.6 seconds.
There was no such bad “juju” this time around.
Bingham out-sprinted Kingston senior Stefan Lusis in the final 100 yards to take the individual boys title at the Olympic League Championships in Port Townsend on Oct. 18.
“I was trying to work myself as hard as I can,” Bingham said following the race. “I’ve always had a strong finish.”
Bingham stayed with the lead pack that included Lusis, PT’s Cantrell and Klahowya sophomore Jaeden Ellis. In the end, Bingham had the big kick to finish in 16:30, a personal best. Lusis was three seconds back, followed by Cantrell (16:46), Ellis (16:47) and North Kitsap’s Max Metters (16:53).
Sequim’s Liam Byrne, held out of action last week with an injury, finished 10th in 17:18 — also a personal best, and his best league finish.
Sequim’s boys placed sixth in the nine-team meet — Klahowya and Port Townsend, both 1A schools, dominated the rest of the 2A field — but still earned a team berth at the West Central District meet on Oct. 27 in Tacoma, with their fourth place finish among 2A schools.
“We’re going to have our hands full — they only take six teams (from districts) to state,” Sequim coach Harold Huff said.
“We’ll just see what we can do.”
Alec Shingleton, who had missed much of the past month with an injury, ran a season-best 18:18 to finish 29th.
Freshman Koda Robinson was 35th with a personal record of 18:39, while Jazen Bartee was 38th (18:47).
Sequim’s girls squad, a team of predominantly ninth- and 10th graders, is also headed to districts after placing fifth at the league meet, fourth among 2A schools.
Freshman Riley Pyeatt led the SHS crew with a fifth place finish. She crossed the line in 19:36, a personal best by about 24 seconds, and about 14 seconds behind league champ Lauren Larson of Port Angeles.
Madison Zosa of North Kitsap was second (19:24), followed by Rachael Newhard of Klahowya (19:25), Kynzie DeLeon of Port Angeles (19:32) and Pyeatt.
Sequim’s Jessica German placed 28th with a personal best 23:26 effort.
Freshman Aidyn Shingleton was 41st in 24:24 while SHS freshmen Eleanor Byrne (42nd, 24:27) and Taylor Coleman (44th, 24:44) rounded out Sequim’s scorers.
Coleman’s effort was a personal best by about two-and-a-half minutes
“They ran about as good as they could run,” Huff said of the Wolves’ girls squad.
Port Angeles (47 points) edged Klahowya by a single point for the league team title. North Kitsap (95 points) was third, followed by Kingston (121) and Sequim (140).
See more photos from the meet here.
Looking ahead
The Westside Classic, the West Central District’s cross country meet, is set for Saturday, Oct. 27, at Chambers Creek Properties Central Meadow in University Place.
Sequim and other Olympic League teams vie for top team and individual spots with teams from the South Puget Sound’s Mountain and Sound leagues.
For the boys, the top six teams and 42 placing individuals qualify for the class 2A state meet. The top five girls teams and top 35 girls placers also advance to state.
The state meet is Saturday, Nov. 3 at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
Last season, Sequim’s boys took third at districts and 16th at state, while the Wolves’ girls took 16th at districts.
Sequim freshman Riley Pyeatt, center, races with the lead pack early at the 2018 Olympic League cross country meet in Port Townsend last week. Pyeatt finished fifth overall. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
Sequim’s Murray Bingham, right, speeds past Kingston’s Stefan Lusis for the 2018 Olympic League individual title on Oct. 18 in Port Townsend. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
Sequim High senior Alec Shingleton rebounds from a mid-season injury to place 29th overall at last week’s Olympic League final. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
Sequim’s Taylor Coleman, left, sets a personal 5k best at the 2018 Olympic League cross country on Oct. 18. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
Sequim senior Liam Byrne, center, races to a 10th-place finish at the 2018 Olympic League meet last week in Port Townsend. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
Sequim High’s Fischer Jensen, left, and Jakob Pyeatt (background) compete at the Oct. 18 Olympic League meet in Port Townsend. The Wolves placed sixth, fourth among 2A schools, and will look for a team berth to state at districts on Oct. 27. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
Sequim High’s Fischer Jensen, left, and Jakob Pyeatt (background) compete at the Oct. 18 Olympic League meet in Port Townsend. The Wolves placed sixth, fourth among 2A schools, and will look for a team berth to state at districts on Oct. 27. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
