WIRC qualifies 21 for regional race

The Whidbey Island Running Club picked up an individual win from John Rodeheffer and two top-four finishes from age-group teams at the Western Washington Junior Olympic cross country championships Saturday, Nov. 12, at Seattle's Lower Woodland Park.

By Jim Waller • November 14, 2011 1:53 pm
The WIRC youth boys (13/14) team runs in a pack at the Junior Olympic Western Washington championship last Saturday and qualifies for the regional meet. The WIRC runners (red jerseys) from the left are Joey Jepsen (barely visible)
The WIRC youth boys (13/14) team runs in a pack at the Junior Olympic Western Washington championship last Saturday and qualifies for the regional meet. The WIRC runners (red jerseys) from the left are Joey Jepsen (barely visible)

The Whidbey Island Running Club picked up an individual win from John Rodeheffer and two top-four finishes from age-group teams at the Western Washington Junior Olympic cross country championships Saturday, Nov. 12, at Seattle’s Lower Woodland Park.

The top 35 in each race qualified for the Junior Olympic regional competition at Lower Woodland Nov. 19. The regional races will include runners from Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

Twenty-one WIRC members qualified for regional.

Last Saturday, Rodeheffer, 15, won the intermediate boys (15/16) 5,000-meter race in 17:04.

The WIRC youth boys (13/14) and midget girls (11/12) placed third and fourth, earning spots for their teams in the regional meet.

Dakota Powers, 14, led the boys in the 4,000-meter race by placing ninth (15:03).

Laura Rodeheffer paced the girls by grabbing sixth (12:18) in the 3,000-meter race.

John Rodeheffer was named WIRC Runner of the Meet. Ryan Vasileff, 11 (midget boys, 15th, 11:47), Addie Hansen, 12  (midget girls, 24th, 13:06), and Mallorie Mitchem, 13 (youth girls, 16th, 16:54), earned Outstanding Performance Awards from coach Catie Rodeheffer.

The Most Improved Award went to Miguel Guzman, 13 (youth boys, 23rd, 16:08) for recording a personal record on a difficult course made more challenging by the rain, according to coach Rodeheffer.

The Western Washington meet featured 11 teams and many unattached runners.

Other WIRC results at the Western Washington meet:

Sub-bantam girls (7/8), 2,000 meters: 5, Jaida Mason, 9:57; 9, Emily Lamb, 11:32; 11, Jordyn Lovett, 12:17.

Sub-bantam boys: 3, Harrison Keating, 9:18.

Bantam girls (9/10), 3,000 meters: 21, Catherine Wicker, 15:34; 28, Altanie Hansen, 17:13.

Bantam boys: 19, Micah Thompson, 14:24.

Midget girls (11/12), 3,000 meters: 11, Kaitlyn Chelberg, 12:36; 23, Carolynn Wicker, 13:05; 29, Megan Keating, 13:48.

Midget boys: 45, Tyler Grehan, 13:32; 46, Cullen Wood, 14:27.

Youth girls (13/14), 4,000 meters: 38th, Jonalynn Horn, 19:07; 40, Breanna Grehan, 19:41.

Youth boys: 10, Logan Clark, 15:08; 13, Joel Erickson, 15:32; 36, Joey Jepsen, 17:51.

Intermediate girls (15/16), 5,000 meters: 4, Christina Wicker, 21:29.

Intermediate boys: 14, Cole Zink, 19:30.