In defending their home course at Robin Hill County Park last week, Sequim’s varsity and JV boys squads were nearly perfect.

Thanks to a strong team effort, Sequim’s girls made it a clean sweep … by less than two seconds.

The Wolves posted three wins in as many races against visiting North Mason and Bremerton squads on Oct. 4.

Murray Bingham led a boys varsity race that saw a dominating Sequim team take five of the top six spots.

Sequim tallied 16 team points, easily out-pacing North Mason (51) and Bremerton (62).

Bingham led from start to finish, covering the 5,000-meter course in 18:26, four seconds better than teammate Liam Byrne.

“I can run by myself but it is nice to have someone pushing me,” Bingham said.

“I’ve been dealing with a hip issue — it’s a little tender — but it I feel pretty good now.”

Teammates Alec Shingleton (third, 19:41), Jazen Bartee (fourth, 19:07) and Eli Gish (sixth, 20:15) made it a near perfect score of 15; only Bremerton’s Spencer Anderson (fifth) cracked the top five.

“Eli (Gish), every week he gets better,” Sequim coach Harold Huff said about the ninth-grader. “He’s the real deal for a freshman.”

Riley Martin took 11th overall in 20:28, as Sequim raced with just six varsity runners.

Sequim’s girls edged North Mason by a single point (27-28) after Nathalie Arreguin edged the Bulldogs’ fifth runner Pearl Pulley at the finish line by about 1.5 seconds.

Savannah Knutson of North Mason took first overall, but Kaitlin Viada (third, 25:34) led a pack of Sequim Wolves who earned four of the top seven places.

“The hills are pretty hard (at Robin Hill) but we train here three or four days a week,” Viada said.

Freshman Jessica German was fourth (26:30), Vita Olson sixth (27:04) and Emily Silva was seventh (27:34), with Arreguin earning the winning points in 10th (28:23) to give SHS’s girls their first league meet wins of the season. Bremerton only raced two and didn’t score team points.

“We do a lot of sprints and hill repeats, and we’ve had a lot less injuries (this season),” Viada said.

Sequim’s boys junior varsity squad raced to a perfect score of 15 after sweeping the top seven spots, led by Jakob Pyeatt (20:16), Erik Christiansen (20:26) and Fischer Jensen (20:28).

“I’m happy with their effort for sure,” Huff said, particularly on the hilly course at Robin Hill. “This course develops more than muscles. It (develops) character.”

Huff said his squad had struggled in some meets this season, but that seems to be turning around.

“They had been off at races; sometimes it was their effort, sometimes their training … but we had a heart-to-heart talk,” Huff said. “Everybody had a good week. That’s right where you want to be before league.”

See photos from the meet here.

Sequim has one more league double dual meet — Oct. 11 at Port Angeles against Klahowya and the host Roughriders—before they host the Olympic League meet on Oct. 19 at The Cedars at Dungeness golf course.

Last season, Sequim’s boys raced to a 16-point win over Kingston for the league title while Sequim’s girls took third. Both teams wound up wtih state 2A meet berths.

Timberwlves sweep too

Sequim Middle School’s cross country teams swept boys and girls races at Robin Hill County Park on Oct. 4, setting the stage for Sequim High’s sweep later that day.

Led by eighth-graders Riley Pyeatt and Hannah Wagner, SMS’s girls edged Stevens (Port Angeles) by two points, 27-29. Pyeatt finished the 2,400-meter course in 8:24, backed by Wagner in 9:07. Kariya Johnson was fourth (10:01), Aidyn Shingleton placed ninth (10:42) and Kari Olson rounded out Sequim’s top five in 11th place (10:48). Forks, Blue Heron (Port Townsend) and Queen of Angels (Port Angeles) did not have enough runners to score.

On the boys’ side, Kristian Mingoy edged Stevens’ Joshua Gavin by a second (7:54-7:55) to take top honors as the Timberwolf boys dominated their Port Angeles rivals by 14 points in team scoring, 22-36. Blue Heron placed a distant third with 85 points. Sequim’s Henry Hughes clocked in at 8:14 for third place while SMS teammates Brandon Wagner (8:27), Christian Gonzalez (8:28), Cannon Cummins (8:29) and Javier Gomes (8:33) swept places 4-8.

Sequim’s Alec Shingleton, left, and Jazen Bartee race up the meadow hill at Robin Hill County Park last week. Shingleton placed third and Bartee was fourth as the Wolves easily won the double-dual Olympic League meet. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell

Sequim’s Kaitlin Viada helps Sequim to league wins against North Mason and Bremerton on Oct. 4. Viada placed third on Sequim’s home course, finishing in 25:34. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell

Sequim freshman Jessica German makes her way up the meadow hill in the Wolves’ Olympic League meet on Oct. 4 at Robin Hill County Park. German placed fourth overall in 26:30. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell

Sequim’s Nathalie Arreguin races to a strong finish as she helps the Wolves escape with a one-point win over North Mason on Oct. 4. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell

Sequim’s Murray Bingham takes top honors at an Olympic League meet in Sequim on Oct. 4, as the Wolves top North Mason and Bremerton. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell