Cross country: SHS girls place third in final league tune-up

Kaitlin Bloomenrader and Liberty Mavy finished in the top 10 overall, helping Sequim’s girls place third in the Wolves’ lone regular home meet of the season and final tune-up for the Olympic League finals last week.

Bloomenrader, a junior, was fourth overall after finishing the 5,000-meter course at Voice of America Park on Oct. 12 in 21:04, behind medalist Mairin O’Brien of Bainbridge (20:12), North Kitsap’s Salix Wartes-Kahl (20:27) and North Mason’s Kezlie Thygesen (21:04).

Bloomenrader took 20th place at the state 2A meet in 2021.

“She’s started to look faster than her sophomore year,” Sequim assistant coach BJ Schade said of Bloomenrader.

“She’ll finish well; she had her best races at the end last year.”

Mavy, a sophomore, placed eighth with a personal 5K best of 21:53. She was the second-fastest underclassman in the race, behind Bainbridge freshman Sabine Hartenstein, who was fifth.

Schade said he was impressed with Mavy’s finish

“That [Voice of America course] is not a PR course,” he said.

Her sister Sadie Mavy was 24th (24:09), while Ahrya Klinger was 32nd (25:35) and Nikoline Updike was 42nd (27:15).

“Aryha is running strong,” Schade said. “With Liberty and Sadie … they are definitely bringing the girls team together. Even without Riley [Pyeatt, a 2022 SHS graduate], it feels like a better pack than in the past several years.”

Bainbridge, a 3A school, dominated the meet with 32 points, followed by North Kitsap (79), Sequim (91) and Kingston (115). Port Angeles, who didn’t field enough runners to qualify as a team, was led by freshman Leia Larson (10th, 22:03).

Sequim’s boys, missing top runner Colby Ellefson, placed seventh out of eight teams.

Owen Randall paced the Wolves with a seventh place finish — his third top-10 finish this season in as many league meets — after completing the course in 18:04.

“We talked to him about doing some work in the offseason,” Schade said. “He did that over the summer. He’s just been fit and stronger. He wants to run faster, he wants to train harder, he wants to do more.”

Randall was backed by teammates Colin Feik (22nd, 18:53), Calem Klinger (35th, 19:43) and a quartet that finished in placed 42-45: Mirek Skov (20:18), James Mason (20:19), Connor Goff (20:24) and Matthew Lake (20:42).

Ellefson’s had a nagging foot injury but has run pain-free and should be ready to go for the league final this week, Schade said.

“We’re trying to get him on a program of getting some work on soft surfaces; fortunately, the last three meets [of the season] are on golf courses,” Schade said.

“He’s such a hard worker. He’s doing the work on his own … [with] cross training,” Schade said, such as biking and swimming.

Kingston (49 team points) edged Bainbridge (52) in the boys’ team standings, followed by Olympic (87), Port Angeles (117), Bremerton (120), North Kitsap (126), Sequim (147) and North Mason (212).

Sequim’s junior varsity boys were second behind Bainbridge. Roger Burwash (ninth, 21:24) and Kaiden Tosland (ninth, 21:28) were the Wolves’ top JV runners.

Sequim’s boys are dealing with some other injuries that may make it tough to qualify for districts, but Schade said SHS coaches will back off on the mileage as they get prepared for the postseason.

“They’re a competitive group; they’ll step up,” he said.

Coming up

The Olympic League championships is set for Thursday, Oct. 20, at The Cedars at Dungeness golf course.

Girls junior varsity runners kick things off at 3:30 p.m., followed by the boys JV race at 4 p.m. Boys varsity runners are scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m., and girls varsity runners complete the meet with a 5:01 p.m. race start.

The top five 2A teams and high-finishing individuals advance to the West Central District meet, set for Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Chambers Bay Properties in University Place.

The top six girls teams and 42 individuals, and top five boys teams and 35 individuals from districts advance to the state 2A meet, set for Saturday, Nov. 5, at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco. Last season, Pyeatt placed fifth and Bloomenrader took 20th at state, while Ellefson was 51st in the boys’ race.

Sequim’s Owen Randall leads the Wolves at an Olympic League meet, held Oct. 12 at Voice of America Park. Randall finished seventh in 18 minutes, 4 seconds.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Liberty Mavy races at an Olympic League meet on Oct. 12 at Voice of America Park in Sequim. She placed eighth overall in 21:53.

SEQUIM GAZETTE PHOTO BY Michael Dashiell Sequim freshman Colin Feik races with the lead pack in the early stages of an Olympic League meet at Voice of America Park on Oct. 12. Feik finished 22nd overall in 18:53.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Kaitlin Bloomenrader races at an Olympic League meet on Oct. 12 at Voice of America Park in Sequim. Bloomenrader was fourth in the meet (21:04). Port Angeles freshman Leia Larson, left, was 10th.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s James Mason and (background) Connor Goff compete in an Olympic League meet at Voice of America Park on Oct. 12. Mason and Goff placed 43rd and 44th.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Ahrya Klinger races in an Olympic League meet on Oct. 12 at Voice of America Park in Sequim. Klinger finished 32nd in 25:35 as the Wolves placed third.