SEQUIM — Vikings runners couldn’t find their way past Port Angeles at the first league meet of the season as the North Kitsap boys and girls cross country teams finished second and third respectively in their first league meet of the season.
Port Angeles took the top three spots in the boys race followed by the top Viking, Max Metters, who ran the course at Robin Hill Farm Park in 18:42.77. Alec and Dallas Ibarra finished sixth and seventh respectively and Connor Stewart and Wyatt Murphy took ninth and tenth to give the Vikings a final score of 36.
Madison Zosa was the top girls team runner for North Kitsap, finishing fourth in 22:39.60. The Vikings finished with 51 points, just behind Port Angeles (31) and Sequim (46).
Top five local runners (boys, 5,000 meters)
4. Max Metters, 18:42.77.
6. Alec Ibarra, 18:46.61.
7. Dallas Ibarra, 19:11.39.
9. Connor Stewart, 19:26.42.
10. Wyatt Murphy, 19:43.15.
Top five local runners (girls, 5,000 meters)
4. Madison Zosa, 22:39.60.
7. Genesi Funston, 24:57.02.
9. Eliana Ginn, 25:00.02.
16. Dylan Braund, 26:40.29.
17. Jaimie Florent, 26:59.61.
Klahowya wins at Nike Portland XC, league meet with Olympic and Kingston
The Eagles are currently ranked third in 1A and they showed why with a couple of big wins over the past week.
Both the boys and girls teams won the 5,000 meter small school race at Nike Portland XC in Oregon. Alyssa Becker won the race for Klahowya with a time of 19:57.30, followed by Rachel Newhard, who finished in 20:13.
Kelton Gagnon was victorious on the boys side with a 16:41.30 finish, followed by Jaeden Ellis’s third place finish (16:47.80).
Then in a league meet with Kingston and Olympic, the boys and girls topped both schools in the three-mile varsity run at the Fairgrounds.
The girls team took the top seven spots and finished with 15 points, which is the lowest score possible. Newhard and Becker finished neck-and-neck with Newhard just ahead by three-tenths of a second. Alex Watson, Olivia Wildes and Hannah Nelson finished out the top five.
Following the pack of Eagles was Olympic’s Olivia McFall, who finished eighth in 23:25 and Kingston’s Montana Thoroughman who took ninth in 23:31.
Wyatt Vertefeuille took home top honors in the boys race with a time of 16:47, followed by teammates Ellis and Gagnon. Curtis Upton’s time of 17:12 was good for a fourth place finish and Olympic’s Wyatt Pisz was his team’s top runner with an 18:34 mark.
Top five runners (boys)
Klahowya
1. Wyatt Vertefeuille, 16:47.
2. Jaeden Ellis, 16:51.
3. Kelton Gagnon, 16:54.
5. Mason Haws, 17:26.
6. Evan Hagle, 17:31.
Kingston
4. Curtis Upton, 17:02.
7. Connor Nichols, 17:59.
9. Thomas Brown, 18:11.
12. Kaeden Peterson, 18:41.
16. Sam Decker, 18:50.
Olympic
10. Wyatt Pisz, 18:34.
14. Joshua Rehahn, 18:48.
22. Josiah Ferraro, 19:39.
23. Cayden Bullock, 19:44.
25. Marcus Horan, 19:57.
Top five runners (girls)
Klahowya
1. Rachel Newhard, 22:30.17.
2. Alyssa Becker, 22:30.48.
3. Alexa Watson, 22:31.18.
4. Olivia Wildes, 22:31.62.
5. Hannah Nelson, 22:33.
Kingston
9. Montana Thoroughman, 23:31.
11. Claire Moe, 24:16.
14. Brooke Troyer, 25:23.
17. Grace Epperson, 27:27.
19. Nara Deller, 27:36.
Olympic
8. Olivia McFall, 23:25.
10. Malaya Patheal, 23:47.
12. Kiana Whiting, 25:00.
22. Rebecca Converse, 29:23.
South Kitsap splits with Curtis in first SPSL meet of the season
The girls took top honors in their first league meet in a 4,000-meter run at South Kitsap Regional Park against Curtis. The girls are now ranked sixth in 4A according to the latest cross country coaches poll.
Sophomore Ashley Sciocchetti and junior Evelyn Collins-Winn finished in a virtual tie for the spot, both listed as having run the race in 15:44.01. The duo was followed by senior Sequoia Simmons, junior Mia Carroll and sophomore Marissa Crane to round out the Wolves’ top five.
Jacob Laws was the top runner on the boys team, finishing second with a time of 12:34. Jacob Rowden was close behind in fourth, followed by Quincy Parsons, Brennan Koontz and Ryan Clough.
Their next league meet takes place at home on Oct. 9 against Bellarmine Prep.
Top five runners (boys)
2. Jacob Laws, 12:34.
4. Jacob Rowden, 12:58.
9. Quincy Parsons, 13:58.
11. Brennan Koontz, 14:03.
12. Ryan Clough, 14:04.
Top five runners (girls)
1. Ashley Sciocchetti, 15:44.01.
2. Evelyn Collins-Winn, 15:44.01.
3. Sequoia Simmons, 15:59.
5. Mia Carroll, 16:34.
Max Metters leads a pack of Vikings and Roughriders. (Michael Dashiell/Sequim Gazette)
