The prospect of advancing to the state cross-country meet was little more than a distant possibility a year ago for South Kitsap senior Erika Copeland.
Only 30 individuals move on to Pasco from the Westside Cross Country Classic at Lakewood’s American Lake Veterans Golf Course.
And Saturday, Copeland did just that when she finished 23rd in the Class 4A girls meet in 19 minutes, 42.6 seconds. Gig Harbor’s Maureen Tremblay won the race in 18:26.6.
“I think she was pretty nervous from last year,” South Kitsap coach Paul Zimmer said of her 92nd-place finish. “I don’t think she would ever admit that, but I think it was on the back of her mind. But she’s moving on and that’s been her goal the entire year.”
Copeland will advance to Saturday’s state cross-country championships at Sun Willows Golf Course. She was one of only two girls competitors to qualify for the league meet Oct. 21 at Fort Steilacoom Park.
“I made it,” Copeland said. “I still think I can go faster, but I’m happy I get to go to Pasco.”
She has been busy as the school’s homecoming queen, and Zimmer feels there is another reason why Copeland could perform better at state.
“She was fighting a cold at the beginning of the week,” he said. “She’s a tough kid, so she wouldn’t let anyone know that. She’s ready to go sub-19:30 at some point this year and the state meet is a great place to do it.”
The only other South female to qualify for the meet was freshman Keegan Tasker. She finished 57th in 20:56.6.
“She told me she got a little bit of a side ache around the second mile,” Zimmer said. “That’s just the experience of knowing what to eat that day and nerves. But it was a great experience for her. I think she can be a special one for us.”
The Wolves qualified their entire boys team from that meet, but only one will join Copeland at state. Senior Jeff Robinson placed 29th in 16:51.8. Central Kitsap senior Shane Moskowitz, who plans to run at Oklahoma State next year, won the competition in 15:30.8.
“I’ve been trying to make it since I was a freshman,” Robinson said. “The hard work finally has paid off big time.”
Robinson competed at South as a sophomore before transferring to Gig Harbor for a year. He said there were some misperceptions about his move to the rival school — his father owns a carpet-cleaning business that he expanded into Gig Harbor — and not because “I wanted to run with a faster team. That’s not the case at all.”
Robinson was not the Wolves’ top finisher at the league meet. Sophomore Daniel Schulte had the school’s top time, at 16:52.52, and placed 14th. But he fell to 19:06.3 and 122nd at the Westside meet.
“Daniel Schulte came to practice (Friday) and looked horrible,” Zimmer said. “We were trying to pump him mentally for this, but he just didn’t have it.”
Zimmer also hoped that senior Andrew Crock, who was the No. 1 runner on the boys team for most of the season, might advance to state. But Crock finished 99th in 18:01.1.
“We were kind of hoping this would be the day everyone could put it together,” he said. “But it didn’t work out that way.”
Girls
Team scores: Gig Harbor 50, Tahoma 60, Bellarmine Prep 96, Stadium 164, Auburn Riverside 176, Olympia 202, Thomas Jefferson 221, Kentwood 228, Todd Beamer 240, Emerald Ridge 262, Central Kitsap 269, Rogers-Puyallup 316, Puyallup 322, Curtis 335, Shelton 336, Kentridge 422.
Top 30 to state and South Kitsap placers: 1, Maureen Tremblay (GH) 18:26.6; 2, Alexia Martin (KM) 18:42; 3, Julianna Mock (Tah) 18:52.7; 4, Elizabeth Oosterhout (Tah) 18:56.7; 5, Brittany Kealy (GH) 18:57.8; 6, Clare Kane (Oly) 19:02.7; 7, Sarah Johnson (She) 19:03.5; 8, Kailey Ulland (KW) 19:10.1; 9, Monica Jaenicke (Jef) 19:11.6; 10, Hannah Mittelstaedt (Tah) 19:13.3; 11, Izze Arens (BP) 19:14.1; 12, Erin Hull (GH) 19:26.1; 13, Carly Wilczynski (ER) 19:26.4; 14, Daryl Phill (BP) 19:26.8; 15, Danie Moon (GH) 19:27.7; 16, Rachel Atwood (AR) 19:28.9; 17, Jasmine Johnson (FW) 19:30.1; 18, Taylor Kartes (TB) 19:35.2; 19, Lauren Clawson (Tah) 19:39.8; 20, Alyssa Zuehlsdorff (BP) 19:41; 21, Molly Bauer (Cur) 19:41.3; 22, Cara Saxon (GH) 19:41.9; 23, Erika Copeland (SK) 19:42.6; 24, Sara Mussa (TB) 19:43.1; 25, Nichole Williams (Dec) 19:44.1; 26, Shannon Moskowitz (CK) 19:46; 27, Maegan Tracy (Sta) 19:48.5; 28, Danielle Rowe (BP) 19:48.8; 29, Cassidy Brown (AR) 19:49.4; 30, Nikki Bohart (Puy) 19:54.3; 57, Keegan Tasker (SK) 20:56.6.
Boys
Team scores: Gig Harbor 75, Auburn Riverside 86, Bellarmine Prep 144, Olympia 157, Thomas Jefferson 159, Kent Meridian 163, Tahoma 180, Kentridge 201, Curtis 201, Central Kitsap 234, Kentwood 277, Puyallup 301, Todd Beamer 321, Stadium 350, Federal Way 357, South Kitsap 375.
Top 30 to state and South Kitsap placers: 1, Shane Moskowitz (CK) 15:30.8; 2, Conner Peloquin (GH) 15:39.2; 3, Kenny Krotzer (AR) 15:44.7; 4, Chris Schroll (ER) 15:58.9; 5, Nate Gesell (AR) 15:59.3; 6, Casey Campbell (Tah) 16:02.7; 7, Brent Felnagle (BP) 16:03.7; 8, Jeff Baklund (Jef) 16:05.9; 9, Nate Brennand (Oly) 16:09.3; 10, Spencer Payne (GH) 16:12.4; 11, Brett Bertrand (Puy) 16:21.4; 12, Derrick Daigre (KM) 16:26.1; 13, Andrew McClellan (Cur) 16:29.3; 14, DJ Jigre (KM) 16:35.1; 15, Zackery Weber (CK) 16:35.5; 16, Daniel Caldwell (Cur) 16:35.9; 17, Matt Baer (BP) 16:36.2; 18, Casey Peloquin (GH) 16:36.5; 19, Matt Bailey (KM) 16:38.7; 20, Danny Lunder (KW) 16:40.5; 21, Dusty Miller (Oly) 16:40.8; 22, Meron Simon (FW) 16:41.1; 23, Nick Lawrence (AR) 16:41.4; 24, Luke Hoffman (GH) 16:41.7; 25, Joe Gagliano (GH) 16:42; 26, Jeff Miles (AR) 16:43.4; 27, James Dagley (Tah) 16:45.2; 28, Chase Braxmeyer (Jef) 16:49.1; 29, Jeff Robinson (SK) 16:51.8; 30, Alex Horton (KR) 16:52.9; 90, Austin Fritz (SK) 17:51.2; 99, Andrew Crock (SK) 18:01.1; 103, Kyle Norris (SK) 18:05.9; 106, Jake Allen (SK) 18:14.4; 111, Cody Pace (SK) 18:24.7; 122, Daniel Schulte (SK) 19:06.3.
