PASCO — Fifteen students from the North Kitsap School District travel to Pasco today to compete in the WIAA 2A State Championships.
Of the athletes competing, 13 girls and two boys will attend.
North Kitsap’s Ian Christen and Kyle Ramsey were the only boys from the district to earn a pass to State this season.
Coaches from North Kitsap predicted Christen would be the team’s top runner for the boys this season. Described as a quiet leader by Assistant Coach Jonathan Erickson, he lets his performance do most of the talking.
“He’s very analytical in his racing and puts a lot of thought into it,” Erickson said. “He has a plan laid out before he races; we just give him basic guidelines.”
The athletes going to State from North Kitsap are Christen and Ramsey for the boys; and Reagan Colyer, Clara Lund, Olivia Krol, Kristina Reid, Katrina Weinmann, Mikhaela Woodward and Sarah Zimmerman. North Kitsap’s April McCabe and Lillian Raymond will go to State as alternates.
Athletes going to State from Kingston are Melia Beckwith, Annie Roberts, Marina Roberts, Ivy Rodolf, Korina Waring-Enriquez and Troiahna Williams.
In order to make it to State, athletes must do one of two things: place in the top five during districts as a team, or place in the top 25 individually. The North Kitsap boys team placed seventh with 158 points at the Westside Classic Oct. 29. However, Christen and Ramsey placed in the top 25 at 12th and 17th respectively.
Both Kingston and North Kitsap’s girls teams fared well at districts.
Kingston finished with a team total of 75, three points behind first-place Interlake (72). North Kitsap finished third with 84.
“We’re really happy with finishing 12 points behind Interlake,” Erickson said of the girls team.
The North Kitsap boys finished seventh with 158. Kingston boys finished eighth with 199.
Both girls team have battled closely all season. During the Olympic League Championships at the 7 Cedars course in Sequim, the Kingston girls finished first with 36 points; North Kitsap finished second with 39.
If the North Kitsap girls continue to run the way they have during the season, Erickson said competition at State will be close.
“We’re really close to Kingston … If we run right,” he said.
