Oak Harbor High School senior John Rodeheffer set a 3A course record in winning the District 1 cross country meet at South Whidbey High School in Langley Saturday, Nov. 1.

With the win, Rodeheffer defended his district title and became the first Wildcat boy to qualify for four state meets.

He will be joined at state by Wildcats Jonalynn Horn, a senior, and Laura Rodeheffer, John’s sophomore sister.

Horn placed second and Laura Rodeheffer 14th in the 3A girls race; the first 15 finishers earned state berths.

Neither the Oak Harbor boys or girls qualified for state as a team, breaking the girls five-year streak.

The top three teams earned state berths; the Oak Harbor boys placed fifth and the girls fourth (just seven points behind Arlington) in the 14-team meet.

Arlington won the boys meet with 55 points, followed by Glacier Peak (58) and Edmonds-Woodway (85). Oak Harbor scored 182, nearly 100 points behind fourth-place Shorewood (87).

Glacier Peak edged Mountlake Terrace 47-50 for the girls title.

John Rodeheffer ran a 15:36.09, good for a 3A record on the South Whidbey course and just one second off the overall course record. It was also the best time of the day out of 69 schools and 1,042 runners.

The District 1 4A, 2A, 2B and 1B schools also competed Saturday in Langley.

The time was the eighth-best 5,000-meter time by a 3A Washington runner this year, though courses vary in difficulty around the state.

Rodeheffer’s race also featured two district champions. Edmonds-Woodway’s Miler Haller won the 4A title last fall; E-W moved to the 3A classification this school year.

Haller finished second, seven seconds behind Rodeheffer.

Rodeheffer said after the race he was happy with how the race played out and said it was similar to the meeting between the two runners earlier this season, also won by Rodeheffer.

Rodeheffer took an early lead (about 50 meters in the district race), Haller took over about two-thirds through, then Rodeheffer regained the lead late.

The Wildcat senior said his goal is to finish in the top five at state.

He placed 11th at state last fall after finishing 61st as a sophomore and 69th as a freshman.

Horn entered the district girls final with the fifth-best time. Although she skipped over three other runners to place second, she said was just “okay” with the race because she didn’t win.

Glacier Peak’s Heidi Smith won in 19:05.42; Horn clocked a 19:14.11.

Smith and Horn were in a group of four that broke from the pack early, then the top two finishers pulled away in the final mile.

Horn finished eighth in last year’s state meet, the second best effort ever by an Oak Harbor girl; Debra Vaughn placed second in 1994.

She initially said her goal was to place in the top 10 this year, but said, with a smile, “top five,” when John Rodeheffer gave his top-five goal.

In addition to placing eighth in 2013, she was 39th as a sophomore.

Laura Rodeheffer will make her second state trip after finishing 58th last season. She ran 20:28.68 at district Saturday.

The state meet is Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.

Head coach Eric Peterson and assistant Andy Wesley were pleased with the Wildcats’ performance at district.

They were hoping the girls could squeak into the third spot to qualify for state but knew it was a long shot going in.

They said the Wildcats should challenge again for a state berth in 2015. Though Horn is a senior, the six others who competed at district included four sophomores and two freshmen.

Other Oak Harbor results at district:

Varsity 3A boys (89 runners): 26, Sebastian Ceaser, 17:37.72; 45, Miguel Guzman, 18:10.5; 47, Jake Hucko, 18:13.13; 63, Logan Clark, 18:42.8; 64, Matthew Nortier, 18:44.63; 68, Wyatt Pauley, 18:54.36.

Varsity 3A girls (85): 32, Olivia Flack, 21:18.87; 37, Carolynn Wicker, 21:42.37; 39, Emma Lerch, 21:55; 43, Tamia Rios, 22:13.57; 57, Megan Keating, 23:05.1.

JV boys (all classifications, 134 runners): 28, Joe Gorman, 18:48.27; 30, Michael Lym, 18:51.78.

JV girls (140): 120, Jessica Hollins, 24:37.41.

(Jonalynn Horn, left, runs with the leaders at district Saturday. Jim Waller photo.)