Cross Country: Boys place first, girls third at Seaside invite

Wolves race to four top-10 finishes at Oregon meet

By Michael Dashiell • September 22, 2015 7:34 pm
Sequim’s varsity boys squad charges up the meadow hill at Robin Hill County Park last week. Sequim’s boys took seven of the top nine places in an Olympic League meet sweep of North Mason and Bremerton on Sept. 16. Pictured above in the lead pack are
Sequim’s varsity boys squad charges up the meadow hill at Robin Hill County Park last week. Sequim’s boys took seven of the top nine places in an Olympic League meet sweep of North Mason and Bremerton on Sept. 16. Pictured above in the lead pack are

by MICHAEL DASHIELL

Sequim Gazette

These runners aren’t afraid of getting a little dirty; they’ve been here before.

And yet coming off of one of their top seasons in school history, the Wolves reached new heights Saturday at the Three-Course Challenge in Seaside, Ore. Four Wolves finished in the top-10 in their respective races, helping Sequim’s No. 2-ranked boys win their division — even without Jackson Oliver, one of their top athletes — and the Sequim girls place third.

“This is one of the best we’ve done in a long time,” Sequim coach Harold Huff said.

With athletes spread among Seaside’s three 4,500-meter courses — “easy,” “moderate” and hard” — Sequim posted strong efforts in each, helping the squads post top-five team finishes in Seaside’s Division III (middle-sized schools).

SHS seniors Brandon Despain (15:25) and Chris Jeffko (15:42) placed fifth and eighth place on the 405-runner easy course, while fellow senior C.J. Daniels (19:46) was 17th on the 200-runner moderate course.

Sequim freshman Ash Francis (19:58) was ninth on the hard course that featured 200 competitors.

“That’s a pretty special freshman,” Huff said.

On the girls’ side, SHS senior Waverly Shreffler was third overall on the 200-runner moderate course with a 22:30 finish.

SHS sophomore Kiara Pierson (21:01) was 38th on the 200-runner easy course and senior Audrey Shingleton (27:05) was 40th on the 200-runner hard course.

“They had real good races,” Huff said of Pierson and Shingleton.

Despain’s, Shreffler’s and Francis’ marks were tops in their divisions. Despain’s effort was particularly noteworthy, Huff said, because the senior is nursing an illness.

“I think the kids like the race because it’s a very varied terrain: they run in sand, run uphills, they run through a mud pit,” Huff said. “And they’re huge races. You’re always surrounded by people to zero in on.”

Sequim gets the second of its two regular Olympic League home meets Sept. 23 when they take on North Kitsap and Olympic.

The Wolves then take on some of the bigger Seattle-area schools when they compete at the Bellevue Invitational on Sept. 26. About 60 teams participate in that invite, Huff said.