Bear Creek’s junior high and senior high cross-country teams participated with 25 other squads in last Saturday’s ninth annual Kings Cross Invitational in Shoreline.

In the junior high race, Kevin Chappel finished third overall with a time of 9:41 over the hilly 1.5-mile course. With a margin of victory of more than 90 seconds, Lenora Brekke was first overall for the girls in 10:47.

In the girls senior high race, freshman Olivia Markezich ran a very strong race, finishing in fourth place overall with a time of 20:27 over the hilly 3-mile “King’s Roller Coaster Course.”

The senior high boys were led by Alex Finan in the “Red Race” with a season best 17:51, good for 25th place and first amongst freshmen. His sophomore brother JJ ran 18:27 for 43rd place. In the “Silver Race,” Joseph Tsou and Peter Li ran strong races, finishing 33rd and 83rd, respectively, out of a 100-runner field.

On Sept. 22, Bear Creek cross-country runners competed in an Emerald City League/Nisqually League meet at Magnuson Park in Seattle.

Junior Angela Tzen led the girls varsity in seventh place with a time of 20:27 over the 2.9-mile course, and Markezich was close behind her in eighth place. Abigail Helm, Lucy Caile and Ranne Xiao also ran strong for the Grizzlies in the 87-runner field.

The boys were led by Alex Finan in 12th place with a time of 17:35, and his brother JJ was 17th in 17:53. Junior Sean Gallagher was 21st in 18:02 and senior Luke Poling was 38th in 19:02. Tsou, Li, Steven Dunn and Sam Boelitz also ran strong races.