Sequim’s cross country crews on Oct. 13 got one last warm-up before facing off against Olympic League teams on their home turf at the league finals this week.
Riley Pyeatt extended her league meet winning streak to 11 with an individual victory in the girls division, clocking in the 5,000-meter course at Bainbridge Island’s Battle Point Park in 18:56 — 17 seconds faster then her finish on the same course at last year’s league final.
Bainbridge’s Eden Michael was second, about 40 seconds back, in 19:35.
Sequim’s Kaitlyn Bloomenrader was sixth overall, finishing in 20:52 — her second sub-21-minute 5k in as many meets, helping the Wolves fend off North Mason for third place in the team standings.
Sequim’s Riley Pyeatt breaks from the pack and cruises to a win in an Olympic League meet held Oct. 13 at Battle Point Park on Bainbridge Island. Photo by Mark Krulish/Kitsap News Group
Bainbridge’s girls placed five runners in the top 10 to run away with a team win with 36 points, followed by North Kitsap (59 points), Sequim (86) and North Mason (88), Port Angeles was sixth.
Sequim’s Anatasia Updike was 20th in 23:19, a season best 5k, while Aidyn Shingleton was 29th (23:59), Nikoline Updike took 41st (25:18) and Mia Kirner was 44th (26:00). Aspen Goldner earned a personal best 5k time, finishing 48th in 26:48.
In the boys’ race, with Port Angeles ace Jack Gladfelter not competing, fellow Roughrider Maxwell Baeder edged Sequim’s Colby Ellefson by about 2.5 seconds for medalist honors. Baeder finished in 16:39.5, with Ellefson second at 16:41.9 and Bainbridge’s Alexander Miller third in 17:00.
Sequim’s boys, who finished sixth with 141 points, one point behind fifth place Bremerton, saw Calem Klinger place 26th in 18:53, followed by Owen Randall in 29th (19:09) and Mirek Skov in 38th (a personal best 19:22).
Port Angeles’ boys took first place with 40 points, followed by Kingston (65) and North Kitsap (69).
Coming up
Sequim hosts the Olympic League championships at The Cedars at Dungeness golf course on Thursday, Oct. 21. The boy’s junior varsity race kicks things off at 4 p.m., followed by the girls’ varsity race at 4:30 p.m. and the boys’ varsity race at 5:01 p.m.
Last season, with COVID restrictions forcing a combined league meet with other Kitsap-area schools, Port Angeles’ boys won the 11-team division, with Sequim in eighth; Sequim’s Ellefson, then a freshman, finished seventh overall. Central Kitsap topped the field in the girls’ race, with Port Angeles in fifth; Sequim didn’t field enough runners to score. Pyeatt placed second to rival Lauren Larson of Port Angeles.
Top teams and individuals advance from the league meet to the Westside Classic district meet, set for Saturday, Oct. 30, at Chambers Creek Properties near Tacoma.
The state 2A championship meet is slated for Saturday, Nov. 6, at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
