Squalicum's Patrick Gibson finished second in the top division of the South Whidbey Invitational to lead the Storm boys' cross country team to a second-place showing in the meet, which was held on the same course where the Class 2A Northwest District meet will be held in less than two months.
Gibson covered the 5,000-meter distance in 15 minutes, 49.04 seconds, second only to Eisenhower's Santos Vargas (15:35.28). Mount Baker junior Dillon Quintana was fourth in 16:11.90, while Blaine's Tom Bradley also scored a top-10 finish (sixth) in 16:26.50.
Squalicum, which did not field a complete girls' team, also got a strong run from Brittany Gappa, who placed third in the top division with a time of 18:38.91. She finished behind Glacier Peak's Amy-Eloise Neale (17:48.63) and Katie Bianchini (18:22.73).
Eisenhower won the boys' team title with 33 points.
Squalicum, which also got a 15th-place finish from Nick Gallaher (16:47.83) and a 17th-place run by Dylan Dubuque (16:50.42) had 92 points.
Bellingham was right behind in third place (107 points) and was led by Joe Charbonneau (13th, 16:46.71), Terry McClement (18th, 16:58.00) and Paris Speidel (24th, 17:18.32).
Mount Baker finished seventh, thanks in part to an 11th-place finish by Connor Shelton (16:43.39). Blaine also saw Eddie Fontes finish 12th in the top division in 16:44.98.
Bellingham was the only Whatcom County team to place in the girls' top division race, as Bekah Jensen (20:12.99) and Nicole Burbank (20:17.06) finished 15th and 16th, respectively, and Leah Veldhuisen (20:31.04) and Abby Walker (20:31.84) were 22nd and 23rd.
Mount Baker finished second in the Division 2 girls' race with 83 points, behind only South Whidbey's 54, while Nooksack Valley was third (88 points).
The Mountaineers got a seventh-place run from Kelsie Nern (21:45.41) and an eighth-place finish from Rayedeen Engels (21:57.64). Katie Buss was 19th (22.56.81).
Chloe Garnder's fifth-place finish (21:35.84) led the Pioneers, while Alex Parson finished 15th (22:43.40).
Lynden finished ninth and was led by Michelle Navis (36th, 23:48.35).
The Lions' Paulin Fleishman won the boys' Division 2 race in 17:46.35, while Brandon Blake was fourth in 17:54.70. That helped Lynden finish second to Anacortes overall.
Nooksack Valley was sixth and was led by Tanner Klemann (27th, 19:23.86). Mitch Beard finished 16th in the boys' top division in 16:48.29.
The Sehome junior varsity team finished seventh and was led by Trevor Northrop in 22nd (19:12.25).
