Surprising individual performances led to a surprising team outcome as the Oak Harbor High School boys track team won its first league title since 1978 at Shoreline Stadium Friday, May 11.

The Wildcats girls finished in the middle of the pack, placing fifth out of nine teams.

Was the boys title a surprise? “Definitely,” head boys coach Jay Turner said. “We knew that we would be close and we talked to the kids about it a few weeks ago, but, honestly, I figured we would be in the third or fourth range.”

The Wildcat boys used superior depth to take the crown with 135 points. Glacier Peak finished with 116, one better than Shorecrest and three better than Lynnwood in a tight battle for second.

Glacier Peak ran away with the girls title with 204 points; Shorecrest finished second at 143. Oak Harbor compiled 99.

The Oak Harbor boys won only two events to Glacier Peak’s six, but the Wildcats placed (top eight) in 15 of the 17 events (GP scored in 11) and finished with two in the top eight in nine events.

Oak Harbor’s two wins were “huge upsets,” according to Turner. Josh Schrum (1,600, 4:20.84) and Matt Reith (3,200, 9:41.58) took home blue ribbons while slicing big chunks off their previous best times.

Turner said the two senior distance runners weren’t the only surprises in the meet: “Carlton Johnson was a last-second sub in the 4×400 relay and ended up running extremely well. In the throws, Carlos Beltran came out of nowhere to place seventh (javelin, 137-10). A couple of weeks ago he was a JV sprinter. Also, the discus duo of Keon Crumpton (fourth, 130-11) and freshman Jackson Constant (seventh, 122-2) both placed, which was a pleasant surprise.”

He added, “Freshmen Dejon Devroe had one of the most amazing meets for a freshman that I have seen. He placed in four events and also ran a sub-50 split in the 4×400 relay to help the team place third.”

Devroe was third in the 400 (50.58), seventh in the 200 (23.66) and eighth in the long jump (18-11). He, along with Johnson, Connor Meyer and Chris Opdyke ran the 4×400 in 3:27.78.

Josiah Miller, competing with a sore back, finished second in the 100 (10.9) and 200 (22.6) and third in the triple jump (41-02).

As for the girls, Turner said, “The 4×200 relay team was a bit of a surprise in getting second (Sierra Seabolt, Maura McKole, Jessica Hollins, Christina Alexander, 1:48.1). I also thought Christina Wicker ran well and Dominique Jackson had a very nice meet in all three throws.”

Wicker placed second in the 400 (1:01), sixth in the 800 (2:22.41) and fifth in the 4×400 (4:18.08) with Kelsey Johnson, Heather Dale and McKole.

Jackson was third in the discus (106-05), sixth in the javelin (89-11) and seventh in the shot put (32-03).

Head girls coach Eric Peterson said the girls received personal bests in the 800 from Wicker, Dale (seventh, 2:23.63) and Hannah Bressler (eighth, 2:26.44) and from Alex Laiblin in the 3,200 (eighth, 11:53.63).

Raeanna Wynne placed in three events (second, 100 hurdles, 16.09; sixth, triple jump, 32-04.5; seventh, 300 hurdles, 51.11) and Jessica Hollins (fourth, 100, 12:92; third, 200, 26.85) and Ciera Wiser (fourth, javelin, 99-11; seventh, triple jump, 31-08.5) in two.

McKole finished second in the 200 (26.85).

Oak Harbor hosts the district meet Wednesday (3:30 p.m.) and Friday (5 p.m.), May 16 and 18.

Other top-eight finishes at the league meet:

Third, boys: Schrum, 800, 1:57.52; Chris Hailer, high jump, 5-10.

Fourth, boys: Reith, 1,600, 4:31.87; 4×100 relay, Peter Franssen, Sheyenne Sams, Johnson, Cody Hernkind, 44.91.

Fifth, boys: Meyer, 800, 2:04.86; John Rodeheffer, 3,200, 10:02.78; Jeremy Foster, shot, 45-02.75.

Fifth, girls: Seabolt, 100, 13.05.

Sixth, boys: Josh McVey, pole vault, 11; Hernkind, long jump, 19-01.

Sixth, girls: 4×100 relay, Nalani Gabbert, Seabolt, Alexander, Hollins, 52.27.

Seventh, boys: Clayton Richardson, 800, 2:07.14; Dayne Herron, shot, 44-02; Jacob Olson, high jump, 5-06; Tucker Lundstrom, triple jump, 40-02.5.

Eighth, girls: Jember Jansen, 400, 1:06.17.