Redmond runners take on the state cross country competition

Redmond’s boys took seventh and the Mustang girls finished 11th at the 3A state cross country meet on Saturday at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.

In the 5K race, Chloe Connolly took 16th on the girls’ side in 18 minutes, 35.10 seconds and George Cretu took 17th on the boys’ side in 15:53.40.

Other Mustangs running at state were John Lehr, Cooper Arons, Travis Mason, Lance Mason, Eric Nickum, Kyle Nickum, Lauren Lehr, Naho Masaki, Ailey Butler, Tasia Meyer, Amelia Muscott and Kellie Cobb.

For Bear Creek in 1A girls, Andrea Markezich took fourth in 18:25.20 — battling with eventual champ Alice Arlyn of Nooksack Valley for much of the race — and Olivia Markezich took sixth in 18:31.10, which is a 20-second PR. They are both competing at the NXR Northwest Regional Championships in Boise, Idaho, this weekend.

Overlake’s Maggie Needham and Anya Sharma also competed at state.

In 1A boys’ action, Overlake’s boys took 12th and Spencer Arons was the Owls’ top finisher in 49th in 17:09.50. Other Owl participants were Alan Ngouenet, Zach Foster, Esteban Sanchez, Oliver Thomas, Tyler Strafford and Kunal Sinha.

Arons set an Overlake school record three weeks ago by running 16:28 in an Emerald City League meet.