Valley Girls 3rd in League, Heckman in Top 20

In the Girl's race, the teams from Northwest Christian and Ocosta Dominated the team competition as expected. Within the first mile, Anna Brooks and Kiersten Kimminau started to separate with Ocosta's Sararose Gallo giving them chase. By the two mile mark, the two northwest Christian runners had started to separate a little and two more of their team mates had started to challenge Sararose and Kelsey Gunderson. Meanwhile Valley's Traci Hoffman had started to move as well working her way into a battle with Kathryn Anderson of Ocosta. Jessica Cook of Valley found herself in a battle with Mariah Vogler of North Beach as they were starting into the last 800. The race was taken by kimminau finishing all alone in 18:15. Northwest Christian runners took the next 3 spots. Kelseey Gunderson of Ocosta overtook her team mate to finish 5^th in 20:09. Just three seconds behind was Gallo of Ocosta. Traci Hoffman of Valley was trying to chase down Kathryn Anderson of Ocosta in the last 150 yards only to come up 2 seconds short good enough to take the 8^th place ribbon in 20:34. The next three runners, Vogler of North Beach, Saul of Ocosta and Jessica Cook of Valley were all in a group in the last 50 meters finishing 9^th, 10th, 11th within 4 seconds. Like Hoffman this was a season personal best. But there were more personal records to be set. Savannah Burbank, despite a hurt back, pushed through the tape in 23:00 also a best for this year. Right behind her running the best race of her career was Claire Borg of valley finishing in 23:01 just edging fellow Viking runner Dominique Kudasik who was fighting off a cold and soreness finishing 22^nd in 23:08. Raymond's Iris Heckman also finished in a personal best taking the tape in 26:25 good enough for 42^nd and in 44^th was Valley senior Kaitlin Daniel in 46h in 26:35. For Kaitilin that represented a 2 and ½ minute improvement over her last race. I don't know how they did it, but I hope they have another rabbit in their collective hats. Next Saturday is the district race. Savannah and Iris ran really well and I am very proud of them. The Valley girls finished in the ribbons at league for the first time since 2005. This was exciting.

In the boy's race Northwest Christian dominated the tea m competition with only one place breaking up a perfect score of fifteen. The Navigators scored 19 putting 13 runners in the top 20. Almost immediately Luke Shilter took the lead and never looked back touring the 2.95 mile circuit in a scant 15:26. Ilwaco's Evan Sutherland finished 2^nd in an amazing 15:53 out dueling Colton Buster of NW Christian. Raymond Freshman Jachin Heckman was locked in a pack of 5 with 1000 meters to go. The young Heckman worked his way up to the second spot as the group hit the track. Once there he threw in a surge and the group started to break apart. Heckman broke into the top 20 with 300 to go and held off the runners behind him taking 20^th in a personal best 17:57 finishing ahead of Brwnlee and Mendoza ,the 2^nd and 3^rd Ilwaco runners., A little farther back Aaron deMontigny and Ben Meade of Raymond found themselves in a pack battle with Dilantama of NW Christian and Winkle of Chief Leschi. In 3 ½ seconds between the four deMontigney took 36^th in a personal best 19:16 followed by Meade taking 37^th place in 19:17. South Bend's Jose Bucio took 42^nd in 19:30. Valley's Ryon Ashley also finished in a season best hitting the tape in 19:52. Blake Moore nursing a hurt leg still managed to finish in just 22:45 and Tomi Tanaka also of Valley improved his best time to cross the line in 25:17. The boys like the girls did amazingly today. Next Saturday is the district meet and with a little rest it will be interesting to see what everyone can do.

Every coach in the district is looking for a little magic out of their runners for next Saturday's meet and I can't lie, I am already so excited to see what they can do, I can't stand it. I feel a little kid waiting the week before a trip to Disneyland. Saturday November 1^st at Rainier is the state qualiying race and really t final measure for each kid to see how much they have improved. The Girls run at 12:00 and the Boys at 1:00