ARLINGTON — Inclement weather slowed many cross country runners in the Pacific Northwest on Saturday and stopped others altogether.
Heavy rain and high winds made many times dip at the District 1/2 2A and District 1 3A Championships that were held Saturday morning at Lakewood H.S. and cancelled the 4A District 1 Championships at Lincoln Park in Seattle. The 4A race has been rescheduled for Monday at Sammamish State Park in Issaquah. The boys race starts at 2:30 p.m. with the girls race to follow at 3:15 p.m.
The weather continued an ugly trend that’s been continuing throughout the entire cross country season.
“This is the worst cross country season, for weather, by far in my 25 years that I’ve seen,” said Glacier Peak head coach Dan Parker. “The whole season.”
Organizers at the 4A District Championships in Seattle contacted Lakewood head coach Jeff Sowards to see if Lakewood could host the 4A event late Saturday night. Sowards, who already had his hands full with two district tournaments, politely declined.
“It was a little slick,” said Mountlake Terrace freshman Katherine Gustafson, who won the 3A District 1 girls’ race at Lakewood.
“I saw one person fall at a turn at the beginning (of the race),” added Lakewood’s Douglas Davis, who placed fourth in the boys’ 2A run.
There was talk by volunteers at the event that the 4A championship could be held at Lakewood on Monday, but the final fate of the meet was to keep it in King County.
The state championship is in Pasco on Nov. 9. As of Saturday night, the forecast called for a high of 50 with a 10 percent chance of rain according to weather.com.
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