Sehome senior trio leading Mariners into state championships

Sehome seniors Colton Johnsen, Riley Allsop and Sam Gillman have experienced nothing but the pinnacle of team success during their four years running for the Mariners’ cross country program.

Sehome won a state championship when they were freshman, Johnsen and Allsop were instrumental in capturing a second title as sophomores and all three left their footprints on last year’s state championship.

But not until this year has Johnsen, Allsop and Gillman had the opportunity to lead, and they could leave quite a legacy this weekend with a strong performance during the Class 2A State Cross Country Championships at noon Saturday, Nov. 7, at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.

“You see a quiet determination there,” Mariners coach Kevin Ryan said of his senior leaders. “You have three kids who have kind of put in their dues and developed over four years and have gotten better consistently, and now it’s their moment to step up.”

They’ve done so this season by fostering a tight-knit, family atmosphere that’s kept the boys’ team’s end goal in perspective.

They’ve ran smart, trained hard and have set themselves up with a final opportunity finish their careers the right way. But while Sehome knows it has a chance to win a fourth straight title, Johnsen, Allsop and Gillman have been around long enough to know nothing will be given to them.

“We don’t really want to think about it like that, because we won the past few years,” Johnsen said in a phone interview. “We are looking at it like we are the underdogs still.”

Allsop and Johnsen have led the Mariners as the top two boys’ runners all season. Running conservativley, Allsop placed fourth at the 5,000-meter district meet last weekend with a time of 16 minutes, 44.78 seconds, while Johnsen claimed fifth with a time of 16:52.17.

All season the duo has displayed a propensity to work well off one another. It’s been a sort of chemsitry that’s developed over many years of running together. Johnsen estimated the pair has run more than 50 races together.

“Riley and Colton have this beautiful form,” Ryan said. “Riley is a really good early-race guy, gets the right pace and is kind of pulling people along. Colten is a little more conservative, and Colten is a great middle-of-the-race runner, and that helps pull Riley along, and nobody finishes like Riley. (Colten) has Riley there behind him to help him at the end.”

Allsop said having another runner to work with has been extremely beneficial.

“It’s cool to have someone to run with and help make you faster and help you through tough parts of a race,” Allsop said.

While Allsop’s and Johnsen’ seasons have run relativley smoothly, Gillman has worked tirelessly to reach full strength ahead of the state championships.

He’s been dealing with aches and pains all year, Ryan said, but the senior has inspired the rest of his teammates through his work ethic and determination to battle through injury.

“He’s out there everyday doing sometimes more than we are,” Allsop said. “He bikes everyday when he’s not running two hours or more. It’s just inspiring. He’s out there way longer than us sometimes, and he is really battling with some injuries.”

Gillman will be pivotal Saturday.

He’s been running in that No. 3 spot, and Ryan and the team will be leaning on him to pace Sehome’s second tier or runners.

“I’d love to see the team do well this weekend, and that’s all that’s on my mind right now,” Gillman said in a phone interview. “I don’t have an individual goal. I just want to help the team.”

Sehome’s seniors have employed a team-first attitude all year, and the Mariners hope that mindset is what will carry them to another state championship.

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 6:36 PM with the headline "Sehome senior trio leading Mariners into state championships."