After a a season-long battle with closely matched teams battling for a top spot behind juggernaut Bainbridge, Sequim’s girls cross country squad earned a third place finish at the Olympic League finals on one of their home courses last week.

Led by senior Dawn Hulstedt, a senior who place fourth overall, the Wolves tallied 95 team points to finish behind Bainbridge’s Spartans (18 points) and Kingston (80) and just ahead of Port Angeles (97) and North Kitsap (107) at the league finals on Oct. 24.

Sequim’s Westley French, left, and Adrian Osborne run together at the start of the Olympic League cross country championships held Oct. 24 at The Cedars at Dungeness golf course.

The top six teams at the meet advance to this week’s district meet in University Place.

“We were very surprised [with third],” Sequim assistant coach BJ Schade said. “Especially with Birdie [Pyeatt] being so sick.”

Hulstedt finished the 5,000-meter course at The Cedars at Dungeness golf course in 20:13. Backing her effort was freshman Marea Denton in 15th place (22:24), junior Manuela Valle Jover in 22nd (23:15), Pyeatt in 28th (24:05) and senior Aspen Goldner in 34th (25:47).

Pyeatt was dealing with an illness but managed the top-30 finish.

“She was so sick; that was just gusty for her to come out and do that for the team,” Schade said.

He said the team was fortunate this season to have Jover, an exchange student, come out of the team.

Sequim’s boys, with a lineup packed with underclassmen, placed seventh, one spot out of a district team berth.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim High freshman Johnathan Tipton finishes the Olympic League championships course last week.

Sophomore Adrian Osborne and freshman teammate Westley French both advanced to districts as individuals, with Osborne placing 24th overall in 18:02 and French in 39th place in 19:14.

Johnathan Tipton (43rd, 19:40), Jackson Hines (46th, 20:00), Joshua Wakefield (47th, 20:28) and Billy Struve (48th, 20:35) rounded out SHS’s finishers.

Tipton missed a district berth by one place, Schade said.

The Wolves’ seven-racer varsity lineup at the league finals didn’t have a senior, but had one junior and six underclassmen.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim freshman Marea Denton races to a 15th place finish at the Olympic League finals last week, helping SHS take third place.

“All of the [boys], across the board, are some really good, hard working kids,” Schade said. “It’s a sports where you put in the miles, put in the work, you’ll see improvement.”

Looking ahead

The Westside Classic, the West Central District meet, is set for Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Chambers Creek Properties in University Place.

Schade said Sequim’s girls will have to run very well to grab one of the four team sports to state, but if Pyeatt is healthy and running well the Wolves should have a chance.

Hulstedt qualified for the state meet in 2023 but didn’t run as she was dealing with an injury.

“I’d love to see her under 20 [minutes],” Schade said. “We’ll continue to rest her and go easy this week.”

The top four teams (out of 16 competing) and 28 individuals not advancing with their teams earn a spot at the class 2A state meet, held at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco along with other classifications in a day-long state cross country championship meet.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim’s Adrian Osborne races to a 24th place finish at the Olympic League championships last week.