LANGLEY — The Edmonds-Woodway girls cross country team is one step closer to its goal of cruising around in style.
Led by race champion Yukino Parle, the Warriors finished second at Saturday’s 3A District 1 cross country meet at South Whidbey High School. If Edmonds-Woodway can continue its success at next week’s state meet, Warriors head coach Al Bonney is going to have to pony up for a high-class ride.
“Yuki asked me, ‘Coach, if we win state will you get us a limo?’” Bonney said. “I said, ‘Yeah, sure,’ not thinking about it. … They’re very driven by silly things like that. This is the loosest group.”
Parle, a sophomore, won the competitive girls 3A race with a time of 19 minutes, 18 seconds. She battled the tough field — and the elements — to get the win.
The stormy weather was less than ideal for the runners but Parle didn’t mind.
“I actually like the rain,” she said. “I like getting muddy. It’s fun.”
Parle caught up with Mikayla Pivec of Lynnwood in the final 500 meters, passing the Royals’ senior on her way to the district title. Pivec finished second with a time of 19:29.
Clinching a state berth was a goal for Parle, who committed to running after a talk with Bonney at the end of last year’s cross country season.
“Last year I wasn’t too into cross country,” Parle said. “I am this year. I became better friends with (my teammates).”
“I said, ‘Look, if you just up the ante a little bit, you can be that good,’” Bonney said. “… In the next two years she’s just going to be something else. No question.”
Bonney was hoping for a top-five finish for Parle in Saturday’s district championship. He was pleasantly surprised when another runner told him Parle won her race.
“I didn’t see it,” Bonney said. “I was surprised. I was stunned because I was (farther up the course) and I saw Pivec go by and I said, ‘OK, I think Yuki’s got second.’ And I was satisfied with that. Then the guys said, ‘Hey! She won!’ I go, ‘What?!’”
Edmonds-Woodway hopes to have a strong showing at the state meet, with the team finishing second and clinching a state berth. Olivia Meader-Yetter (19:44) placed sixth for the Warriors, who boast a young squad featuring one junior, one sophomore and three freshmen.
“They’re just a solid group and they’re on a mission,” Bonney said. “… I think we’re going to be in the mix for sure.”
The coach is hoping that, if successful, he can postpone the limo rental until after the team returns from central Washington. Bonney isn’t sure he can afford a limo from Pasco back to Edmonds.
Said Bonney: “I’m sure that I won’t be able to afford it.”
Glacier Peak’s Heidi Smith (19:34) and Brooke Wallace (19:39) placed third and fourth, respectively, for the Grizzlies, who won the team title with 59 points. Erin Boyle, who placed 12th with a time of 20:13, also finished in the top 15 for Glacier Peak.
It was the first time Glacier Peak was able to field its top lineup this season due to injuries. Smith has been suffering from a low ferritin count, which has affected her oxygen at the end of the race. Smith was measured at eight earlier in the season when she should be closer to 50.
Wallace, a freshman, sprained her ankle last Wednesday but still ran in last week’s league meet. Boyle, who had a pre-stress fracture at the beginning of the season, ran in just her second race of the season. Hanna Clymer, who finished 28th, had a high ankle sprain at the Hole in the Wall race in mid-October. Saturday’s district meet was her first race back since.
“It’s been a long, strange trip,” said Glacier Peak head coach Dan Parker. “That’s the saga. That’s our season. That being said, we feel pretty damn good about today. … I’m not quite sure how we did that today. The seven girls that I put out there haven’t run together the entire year.
“Finally getting the team to where it should be, with all the parts finally together.”
Edmonds-Woodway (71 points) edged Mountlake Terrace (72) by one point for second place. The top three teams, including the Hawks, advanced to next week’s state meet.
“The kids ran really well,” Bonney said. “… We didn’t get run out of the place. We knew it was going to be really close. That’s just a matter of a couple of people twisting around in different directions.”
“We have three of the top five teams in 3A in this league,” Parker said. “Even in the division, in Wesco. It’s crazy good. Edmonds-Woodway and Mountlake Terrace are great teams. Having Mountlake Terrace and Edmonds-Woodway, that’s great to see. It makes us want to push harder.”
Pivec and her younger sister Malia finished second and fifth, respectively, to clinch a spot in the state meet. Arlington’s Marie Gaudin (20:09) and Mary Andrews (20:30), also qualified, along with Rachel Hansen (20:03) of Shorewood and Stanwood’s Ella Conway (20:15).
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