A pair of Twin Harbor cross country runners won their respective district championships as we review recent District 4 title meets.
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Aberdeen’s Haggard repeats as district champ
All Aberdeen cross-country standout Ailyn Haggard had to do to defend her district title was repeat last season’s performance.
She did exactly that, down to the second.
Haggard ran the exact same time she did last season to win her second consecutive 2A District 4 championship at the district meet on Thursday at the Lewis River Golf Course in Woodland.
Haggard, a junior, won her second district title with a time of 19:11.0 – the exact time she ran to win last season – to place well in front of Hudson’s Bay senior Ava Peterson, who finished second with a time of 19:37.
Haggard was the lone Bobcats girls runner to qualify for the state meet as the Bobcats finished with 208 points to place 10th out of 11 teams.
ALICIA TISDALE | ALICIATISDALE.COM Aberdeen’s Cecil Gumaelius placed fifth in the 2A District 4 boys cross-country championship race on Thursday in Woodland.
In the boys 5,000-meter championship, Aberdeen sophomore Cecil Gumaelius improved 19 spots from his 2024 placement to finish fifth overall, qualifying for next week’s state meet with a personal-best time of 16:19.0.
Aberdeen’s boys team placed 10th out of 13 teams with 246 points.
Local results are listed below.
Full results available at athletic.net.
Aberdeen results
Boys
5, Cecil Gumaelius, 16:19. 34, Oliver Cech, 17:46. 56, Toby Nelson, 18:48. 67, Rylon Wilson, 19:32. 84, Jaxon Eiler, 20:57. 85, Cooper Gill, 20:58.
Girls
1, Ailyn Haggard, 19:11. 39, Ashley Galeana-Lopez, 22:59. 41, Serenity Allread, 23:00. 66, Sveva Totaro, 25:22. 76, Payton Nagle, 28:35. 80, Taylor Hatton, 31:46.
Unified/Ambulatory
1, Dillon Grove, 19:26. 2, Jackson Cihak, 19:37.
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Montesano’s Anderson claims district crown
Montesano’s Benjamin Anderson edged his two closest competitors and league rivals to win the 1A District 4 championship at the district title meet on Thursday at the Lewis River Golf Course in Woodland.
Similar to the 1A Evergreen League championship meet a week prior, Anderson ran a time of 16:33 to place three seconds ahead of Elma junior Frank Roberts, with Hoquiam junior Ryker Maxfield placing third with a time of 16:57.
Hoquiam senior Junior Soto came in fifth with a time of 17:09 as Harbor runners claimed four of the race’s top five spots.
Grizzlies teammate Zeke James, a sophomore, also qualified for state with a time of 18:05 to place 18th overall (top 28 advance to state).
The depth of league-champion Elma proved once again to be key as the Eagles took second overall with 94 points, four points better than third-place Seton Catholic.
In addition to Roberts’ second-place finish, Elma junior Luis Torres placed 11th with a time of 17:54 while senior Ashton Brown (18:15, 24th), sophomore Carter Arnold (18:23, 29th) and freshman Civil Smith (18:29, 31st) rounded out the Eagles team score.
As one of the top four teams of the meet, the entire Elma boys team qualifies and will make a trip to the state meet on Saturday.
La Center won the boys team title with 51 points.
In the girls race, Montesano qualified for the state meet with a top-four team placement.
Led by freshman 1A Evergreen League champion Kamille Vandevender’s second-place (19:43) and junior Zoe Ray’s sixth-place finish (20:56), the Bulldogs totalled 73 points to place third behind Columbia (White Salmon) (60 points, 2nd) and district-champion La Center (50).
Junior Alice Nelson (22:15, 19th), freshman Samantha Lubinus (22:29, 22nd) and sophomore Emily Anderson (22:34, 27th) placed in the top 28 qualifying spots to round out Montesano’s score.
A pair of Elma runners also qualified for the state meet as senior Destiny Whipple (22:11) and sophomore Craelyn McGinn (22:14) placed 16th and 17th, respectively, to punch their ticket to state.
Full results available at athletic.net.
The WIAA State Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Saturday at the Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
Local results
Boys
1, Benjamin Anderson, Montesano, 16:33. 2, Frank Roberts, Elma, 16:36. 3, Ryker Maxfield, Hoquiam, 16:57. 5, Junior Soto, Hoquiam, 17:09. 11, Ricardo ‘Luis’ Torres, Elma, 17:54. 18, Zeke James, Hoquiam, 18:05. 24, Ashton Brown, Elma, 18:15. 29, Cartern Arnold, Elma, 18:23. 30, Colton Sweet, Montesano, 18:27. 31, Civil Smith, Elma, 18:29. 35, Owen Young, Montesano, 18:33. 38, Alexander Bale, Montesano, 18:46. 45, Joey Goodenough, Hoquiam, 19:53. 52, Taylor Lund, Elma, 20:21. 53, Kian Ray, Montesano, 20:22. 56, Fredy Martinez Ramirez, Elma, 20:29. 57, Hayden Sweet, Montesano, 20:31. 58, Ethan Mathews, Hoquiam, 20:31. 68, Dustin Stewart Jr., Hoquiam, 21:57. 81, Cadence White, Montesano, 27:17.
Girls
2, Kamille Vandevender, Montesano, 19:43. 6, Zoe Ray, Montesano, 20:56. 16, Destiny Whipple, Elma, 22:11. 17, Braelyn McGinn, Elma, 22:14, 19, Alice Nelson, Montesano, 22:15. 22, Samantha Lubinus, Montesano, 22:29. 27, Emily Anderson, Montesano, 22:34. 34, Anna O’Conner, Montesano, 23:16. 45, Hannah Schlesser, Hoquiam, 24:41. 52, Juliet Lisle, Hoquiam, 25:21. 54, Jordan Trudell, Elma, 25:25. 55, Aldeen Olvera-Obi, Hoquiam, 25:28. 58, Alicia Horton, Elma, 25:56. 59, Sofia Penjakova, Montesano, 27:33. 65, Lindzey Whitney, Elma, 34:22. 66, Quinn Nesmith, Elma, 40:27.
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North Beach boys place third at district meet
The North Beach boys earned a trip to state after a third-place finish at the 1B/2B District 4 Championships on Saturday at Rainier Elementary School.
Led by junior J.B. Fabian’s fifth-place finish of 18:46.44 the Hyaks placed third with 90 points behind Morton-White Pass (72) and league-champion Rainier (33).
North Beach’s score was rounded out by freshman Jax Hudson (19:19.95, 15th), freshman Major Hudson (19:23.22, 17th), junior Charlie Gersitz (19:24.29, 18th) and junior Kenneth Frank (20:36.45, 36th).
Placing as one of the meet’s top-four teams, the entire Hyaks squad earned the opportunity to compete at Saturday’s state meet in Pasco.
In the girls race, North Beach eighth-grader Judith Fabian qualified for state with a time of 24:46.81 to place 20th overall (top 28 to state).
Full results available at athletic.net.
Local results
Boys
5, J.B. Fabian, North Beach, 18:46.44. 15, Jax Hudson, North Beach, 19:19.95. 17, Major Hudson, North Beach, 19:23.22. 18, Charlie Gersitz, North Beach, 19:24.29. 36, Kenneth Frank, North Beach, 20:36.45. 37, Dakota Frank, North Beach, 20:41.60. 47, Jeremiah Eastman, North Beach, 21:43.78. 56, Ezekiel Phimmasone, Raymond-South Bend, 23:32.31. 63, Donovan Bale, RSB, 24:58.52.
Girls
20, Judith Fabian, North Beach, 24:46.81. 34, Alissa Lamm, Ocosta, 27:03.11. 35, Jayna Britt, North Beach, 27:31.42. 36, Melia Giraldo, North Beach, 27:33.47. 38, Elle Williams, North Beach, 27:54.70. 43, Anna Perkins, Willapa Valley, 28:58.97. 46, Elly Mirante, Ocosta, 30:29.14. 47, Riley Sampson, North Beach, 30:38.90. 49, Elise Barron, North Beach, 31:41.78. 50, Addison Kulp, RSB, 32:03.67. 53, Bella Yothamart, North Beach, 33:18.99. 54, Ellie Zielesch, Willapa Valley, 33:20.80. 59, Reagan Seely, Willapa Valley, 38:30.97. 63, Darby Richter, 45:32.15, Willapa Valley. 64, Anagayle Hodel, Willapa Valley, 46:41.76.
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SUBMITTED PHOTO Ocosta sophomore Logan White qualified for the state meet at the Westside Classic on Saturday at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place.
Willapa Valley’s Kempton, Ocosta’s White qualify for state
A pair of Twin Harbors cross-country runners qualified for the state meet at the Westside Classic on Saturday at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place.
Competing in the boys 1B-class 5K varsity race, Willapa Valley sophomore Colton Kempton placed 14th overall with a time of 19:15.1 to qualify for state.
Ocosta sophomore Logan White qualified for the state meet with a time of 20:37.4 to place 36th (top 42 qualify for state).
Full results available at athletic.net.
The WIAA State Championships are scheduled for Saturday at the Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
Local results
14, Colton Kempton, Willapa Valley, 19:15.1. 36, Logan White, Ocosta, 20:37.4. 61, Billy Burns, Ocosta, 22:33.8. 64, Sabastien Perkins, Willapa Valley, 23:01.4. 73, Angel Medrano, Ocosta, 24:26.3. 75, Aiden Burns, Ocosta, 25:02.6. 76, Camden Wetterauer, Willapa Valley, 25:03.2. 85, Nathan Richter, Willapa Valley, 26:50.7. 87, Oskar Mirante, Ocosta, 27:30.5. 88, Emmett Butler, Ocosta, 27:49.9. 89, Darrien Milbert, Willapa Valley, 27:54.4. 91, Alexander Martinez, Ocosta, 29:09.0.
