Cross country: Sequim’s Pyeatt races to Olympic League title

By Michael Dashiell • October 30, 2019 1:30 am
Sequim sophomore Riley Pyeatt, pictured here competing in a league meet on Sept. 25 at Robin Hill County Park, won the Olympic League meet last week in 18:53. Sequim Gazette file photo by Michael Dashiell
Sequim sophomore Riley Pyeatt, pictured here competing in a league meet on Sept. 25 at Robin Hill County Park, won the Olympic League meet last week in 18:53. Sequim Gazette file photo by Michael Dashiell

In this season’s first prep postseason race, Riley Pyeatt had her good-natured rival’s number — as well as the rest of the Olympic League field.

The Sequim sophomore raced to an 18:40 finish — within a hair’s breadth of the personal 5k best she set two weeks prior — to claim the Olympic League meet girls title at the Port Townsend Golf Course on Oct. 24.

Pyeatt edged out Klahowya’s Alyssa Becker (19:16) and Port Angeles junior Lauren Larson (19:39) to score her first league title.

After finishing back of Larson — the 2018 Olympic League and West Central District champ — a total of nine times at league, district, state and invitational meets the past two seasons, Pyeatt dominated on the same course and in the same meet in which she placed fifth a year ago.

Sequim’s girls finished sixth overall and fourth among 2A schools, with 1A Klahowya winning the overall title and Port Angeles second.

Sequim junior Jessica German was 18th with a 22:26 finish that set a personal best by about 45 seconds, and improved her standing from last year’s league final by 10 places.

Teammate Anastasia Updike, a freshman, was 27th with a 23:28 finish, while SHS senior Emily Silva clocked in at 24:01, good for 34th.

Eli Gish led Sequim’s boys with a 20th place individual finish as the Wolves took seventh overall, fifth among 2A teams.

Port Angeles (48 points) edged Klahowya (52) for the boys’ team title.

Gish, a junior, crossed the finish line in 17:50, topping a personal best he set as a freshman by about six seconds.

Fellow junior Kaleb Needoba was 30th after finishing in 18:26 — his fourth consecutive 5k personal best in as many meets — to place 30th while sophomore Koda Robinson, the only returning varsity racer on this year’s Sequim squad, took 32nd overall in 18:45.

The West Central District’s Westside Classic, set for Saturday, Nov. 2, at Chambers Creek Properties Central Meadow in University Place.

At districts, the 2A boys and girls teams from the Olympic and South Puget Sound Leagues compete in a 16-team race. The top five teams and the top 35 placing individual runners advance to the state 2A meet in Pasco on Nov. 9.