It was a three-way battle for the 4A state girls’ cross country team title last Saturday at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco, but the No. 1-ranked Redmond High Mustangs had to settle for third as they were edged out by Tahoma and Bellarmine Prep.
The final standings were one of the closest in recent history, with Tahoma finishing with 88 team points (adding up the top five placers for each qualified team), with Bellarmine in second with 99 and Redmond one point shy at 100.
“The competition was amazing, our score would have won state normally,” said Redmond head coach Denis Villeneuve, who has taken the girls’ team to state in each of the past 11 years. “Many of our girls ran last year at state and weren’t pleased with the results. We analyzed the course and competition, and developed strategies to race well. They were very motivated and focused.”
Leading the way for the girls’ squad was freshman Megan LeGresley, who finished fifth overall in a season-best 5K time of 18 minutes, 22 seconds.
Sophomore Kelsey Dunn also cracked the top 10, finishing ninth in 18:41.
Both of the Mustangs’ senior state returners each bettered their previous personal record times at Sun Willows, with Holly Young (29th, 19:13), Allie Nichols (58th, 19:39) running well, and first-time state runners Mekenna Mossman (62nd, 19:45) and Mandy Rusch (79th, 20:00) rounding out the Mustangs’ placers.
The fact that his top two girl finishers were in 9th and 10th grades was exciting to Villeneuve, who said the future of Redmond cross country was as bright as ever.
“We are excited for next year and beyond, although Tahoma and Bellarmine have young teams too,” he noted. “It is great to think about having those two back next year to build a strong team around.”
The boys’ team, making its sixth-straight state appearance, finished 11th overall and was led by Johnathan Stevens, placing 36th in 16:12, with Zach Kirwan (68th, 16:31) and Max Dunn (74th, 16:35) close behind.
Even though youth was served at state, the Mustangs’ three senior captains, Dunn, Young and Nichols, were recognized by Villeneuve for their longstanding commitment to the program after running their final race.
“All three are smart, dedicated and personable,” lauded the 21st-year coach. “They helped to keep our tradition alive and inspire the new people to do their best and follow the ‘Redmond Way.'”
OTHER SCHOOLS
Also at the state meet, Bear Creek (1B/2B) sophomore David Broaddus had the highest finish on the boys’ side, placing 66th out of 140 runners in 18:55.
On the girls’ side, the Grizzlies placed sixth overall as a team and were led by Bridget Daugherty (22:09) and Joy Twentyman (22:19), with Annalise Hastings (22:31) not far behind.
The Overlake School (1A) had two representatives, junior Erik Risa, and sophomore Sonja Johnson-Yu.
Risa placed 62nd in 17:39, and Johnson-Yu ran 20:24 for 28th place, bettering her 36th-place finish from last year.
