Four Wildcats qualify for state meet / Cross country

By Jim Waller • October 31, 2016 1:30 am
Megan Smith’s improvement from the league meet helped her earn a trip to state. (Photo by Jim Waller)
Megan Smith’s improvement from the league meet helped her earn a trip to state. (Photo by Jim Waller)

Four Oak Harbor High School runners qualified for the state meet by placing in the top 28 at the district cross country meet Saturday in Langley.

Wildcat sisters sophomore Alex and freshman Megan Smith placed 15th and 26th respectively to earn state berths, and juniors Michael Lym, 22nd, and Tyler Grehan, 25th, qualified on the boys side.

The state meet is Saturday, Nov. 5, at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.

The top four teams at district qualified their entire squads for the state meet. The Oak Harbor boys placed sixth and the girls seventh out of 14 schools.

Arlington captured the boys title with 68 points; Oak Harbor tallied 163.

Edmonds-Woodway’s Matthew Park (16:14.73) was the individual champion out of 97 runners.

Edmonds-Woodway also claimed the girls crown with 51 points; the Wildcats had 161.

The Warriors’ Yukino Parle (19:00.17) led the field of 90.

The surprise of the meet, according to Oak Harbor coach Eric Peterson, was Megan Smith. She finished 34th in the league meet a week earlier, then jumped up eight spots against the same runners plus those from Ferndale and Squalicum to qualify for state.

Grehan moved up five spots for the boys.

“Overall, we were really proud of how our kids performed,” Peterson said. “The teams all ran really well.

“Michael and Tyler ran their guts out and were able to move within the field to earn their spots.

“Alex ran a tough race and showed some grit in a fast field of runners. Megan was a great surprise. From the week before we knew she was on the bubble of qualifying, but she stepped up.”

Oak Harbor results at district:

Boys: 22, junior Michael Lym, 17:11.84; 25, junior Tyler Grehan, 17:14.41; 31, junior Jake Hucko, 17:36.74; 35, sophomore Joesph Ralston, 17:44.54; 50, senior Miguel Guzman, 18:00.96; 60, senior Kegan Snell, 18:22; 71, senior Wyatt Pauley, 18:38.53.

Girls: 15, sophomore Alex Smith, 20L:29.56; 26, freshman Megan Smith, 20:46.91; 34, junior Natalie Merrill, 21:14.46; 39, senior Laura Rodeheffer, 21:33.9; 47, senior Carolynn Wicker, 22:08.65; 58, senior Kaitlyn Chelberg, 22:41.09; 73, junior Alora Caillier, 23:49.82.