Sequim Gazette staff

Perhaps these Wolves are too young to know they’re not supposed to be this good.

Sequim’s boys cross country squad ran with the best in the state Saturday and proved they belong, earning fifth place in the class 2A championships in Pasco.

It’s the Wolves best finish at a state meet in the program’s 31-year history.

Juniors Mikey Cobb and Peter Ohnstad and sophomore Brendon Despain led the way. Cobb finished in 16:43 for 41st overall. Ohnstad was 51st with a 16:49 finish and Despain was just 0.65 seconds behind Ohnstad, good for 53rd.

As they have all season, Sequim’s sophomores helped finish in a flurry: C.J. Daniels (60th, 16:56), Chris Jeffko (16:58, 63rd), Jackson Oliver (17:15, 78th) and Christian Ash (17:22, 87th) gave the Wolves 166 team points.

Sehome defended its class 2A title with 102 points, followed by Squalicum (128) Cedarcrest (149), West Valley-Yakima (156) and Sequim. Lindbergh, runner-up to Sequim at the West Central District meet, was right behind the Wolves in sixth while Port Angeles finished a distant 14th. Peter Butler was the top 2A boys race competitor from the Olympic Peninsula, placing 28th.

Sequim placed ninth at state last year.

The Wolves’ prospects for a similarly strong finish in 2014 are promising, with no seniors to graduate from this year’s top seven varsity squad. Projections for the 2014 state race — minus this year’s seniors from each competing squad — put Sequim squarely in second place behind Sehome.