Girls 1st, boys 2nd in 3-team meet | Cross country

The Oak Harbor High School girls cross country team finished first and the boys second in a three-team meet at Skagit Valley College Thursday, Sept. 15.

The Oak Harbor High School girls cross country team finished first and the boys second in a three-team meet at Skagit Valley College Thursday, Sept. 15.

The Wildcats edged Jackson and Mount Vernon 35-40-51 in the girls race, while Jackson took the boys race 20-38-76 over Oak Harbor and the host Bulldogs.

Oak Harbor’s first five girls all placed in the top 12 over the 3.1-mile course: Alex Smith, third, 21:41; Carolynn Wicker, fifth, 22:09; Natalie Merrill, seventh, 22:35; Laura Rodeheffer, eighth, 22:43; and Megan Smith, 12th, 22:54. Mount Vernon’s Maria Rivera won in 21:09.

The Wildcat boys were led by Ben Gasper, who placed second in 17:22, nine seconds behind Jackson’s Matthew Watkins.

Michael Lym (sixth, 17:58), Jake Hucko (eighth, 18:21) and Tyler Grehan (ninth, 18:30) were the next best Oak Harbor finishers.

In the junior varsity boys race, Jackson defeated Mount Vernon and Oak Harbor 17-57-61. Wildcat Chris Brooks took fourth (19:17). There was no JV girls race.

The Wildcats travel to Seaside, Ore., this Saturday, Sept. 17, for the Three Course Challenge.

Other Oak Harbor results at Mount Vernon:

Girls varsity (66 runners): 17, Tamia Rios, 24:10; 18, Kaitlyn Chelberg, 24:26; 20, Emma Lerch, 24:27; 26, Riley Borden, 25:44; 27, Alora Caillier, 26; 31, Brenna Rothman, 26:17; 33, Stephany Flores, 27:23; 39, Shandiin Vandervene, 28:07; 41, Gracie Upchurch, 28:18; 53, Sophia Mischke, 31:08; 64, Ashley Berry, 35:16.

Varsity boys (22 runners): 13, Joseph Ralston, 18:53; 14, Wyatt Pauley, 18:54; 19, Kegan Snell, 19:33; 21, Nick Krantz, 20:17.

Next five Wildcats in the JV boys race: 9, Miguel Guzman, 19:54; 22, Cameron Costner, 20:44; 26, Dylan Sanchez, 21:02; 29, Peyton Horn, 21:21; 31, Seth Gluth, 21:41.