Sports - Sports News

POSTED: Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

PREP GIRLS' CROSS COUNTRY: Bellingham, Sehome move on to 2A State Championships

The Bellingham and Sehome girls' cross country teams advanced to the Class 2A State Championships in the Class 2A Northwest District Meet on Saturday, Oct. 31 at South Whidbey High School.

Out of the 13 teams competing, the top four squads qualify for state next week in Pasco. Cedarcrest took the district title with 59 points, followed by Sehome with 80 points, Bellingham with 96 and Lakewood with 109.

Individually, the top 20 overall runners qualify for state. Rhiannon Alexander of Granite Falls ran a 19 minute and 12.32 first-place time for an individual district title. Sehome sent three Northwest Conference representatives to state - second-place Annie Moore (19:24.57), Jaden Duffy (19:40.45) and Katie Delahunt ( 20:42.76).

Other NWC runners who advance to state are Bellingham's Molly Leischner (19:51.30) and Allie Reynolds (20:13.28); Blaine's Kiersten Sigfusson (19:39.50); Lynden's Hannah VanZanten (20:37.48) and Squalicum's Molly Rider (19:37.06) and Brittany Gappa (19:42.46).

Despite Sehome's strong three state-qualifying finishes, the team was without top runner Mimi Krieger, the NWC champion, due to illness.

"We sat Mimi out as a precaution. Annie wasn't feeling well either, but with Cedarcrest ranked No. 2 in the state, we couldn't afford to sit both of them," Sehome coach Kevin Ryan said in a phone interview.

Krieger is expected to return to compete in the state championships next week.

"We only beat Cedarcrest by six last year and they got everyone back, but we lost four of our kids. I think we would have won by eight or nine with Mimi running," Ryan said. "Its going to be a real battle next week with them next week."

Overall, Ryan said he is pleased with his team's composure during the race despite the poor weather conditions on the course.

"We didn't panic out there. We ran extremely well and pushed through even without our top runner," he said.

CLASS 2A NORTHWEST DISTRICT MEET

At South Whidbey High School

5,000 meters

Team scores: 1. Cedarcrest 59; 2. Sehome 80; 3. Bellingham 96; 4. Lakewood 109; 5. Squalicum 125; 6. Archbishop Murphy 186; 7. South Whidbey 199; 8. Burlington-Edison 212; 9. Blaine 241; 10. Granite Falls 245; 11. Mount Baker 275; 12. Lynden 322; 13. Anacortes 342.

Top 20 individual finishers: 1. Rhiannon Alexander (Granite Falls) 19:12.32; 2. Annie Moore (Sehome) 19:24.57; 3. Cara Strodel (Cedarcrest) 19:28.57 ; 4. Molly Rider (Squalicum) 19:37.06; 5. Chelsea Stokes (Lakewood) 19:37.77; 6. Kiersten Sigfusson (Blaine) 19:39.50; 7. Jaden Duffy (Sehome) 19:40.45; 8. Brittany Gappa (Squalicum) 19:42.46; 9. Rici Morrill (Sultan) 19:46.20; 10. Molly Leischner (Bellingham) 19:51.30; 11. Missy Dowd (Cedarcrest) 19:57.41; 12. Rachel Cundy (Lakewood) 20:07.08; 13. Allie (Bellingham) Reynolds 20:13.28; 14. Desiree Nieblas (Cedarcrest) 20:19.41; 15. Michaela Bartz (Archbishop Murphy) 20:21.25; 16. Sydney Brown (Burlington-Edison) 20:28.07; 17. Tia Smith (Cedarcrest) 20:30.98; 18. Brenna Eldredge (Cedarcrest) 20:31.35; 19. Hannah VanZanten (Lynden) 20:37.48; 20. Katie Delahunt (Sehome) 20:42.76.

Bellingham: 10. Molly Leischner 19:51.30; 13. Allie Reynolds 20:13.28; 23. Kelsey Thomas 20:54.77; 26. Bekah Jensen 20:57.73; 29 Clara Reid 21:09.85; 41. Cory Brown 21:53.10; 61. Breck Smith 23:06.19.

Blaine: 6. Kiersten Sigfusson 19:39.50; 47. Brittany Kent 22:31.67; 48. Rachael McKinstry 22:32.28; 59. Cassidy Hill 22:54.37; 86. Priya Sall 29:52.20.

Lynden: 19. Hannah VanZanten 20:37.48; 74. Kelly Lam 25:45.89; 76. Taryn Vis 26:35.49; 78. Ashlie Olson 27:37.11; 83. Karla Witte 28:41.71.

Mount Baker: 37. Rachel Hatcher 21:44.40; 53. Deanna Bozzo 22:36.36; 57. Ashley Fullner 22:51.68; 63. Brianna Zender 23:44.50; 70. Krity Pilat 24:41.14; 82. Ashley Davila 28:21.80; 84. Kelcey Brown 28:54.58.

Sehome: 2. Annie Moore 19:24.57; 7. Jaden Duffy 19:40.45; 20 Katie Delahunt 20:42.76; 24. Natalie Anderson 20:55.62 30. Christy Sanford 21:16.21; 36. Mahina Kaholokula 21:31.30; 40. Meagan McIntyre 21:51.12.

Squalicum: 4. Molly Rider 19:37.06; 8. Brittany Gappa 19:42.46; 33. Tyler Franzen 21:27.07; 39. Abby Ludeman 21:47.98; 44. Makena DeGolier 22:03.21; 50. Cynthia Lilleston 22:35.21; 60. Katie Yaremko 23:02.85.