Glacier Peak sweeps Class 3A districts

Published 10:08 pm Saturday, November 1, 2008

LANGLEY — Matching each other stride for stride for the final third of a 3.1-mile race, two best friends had a dilemma: Who finishes first?

Following a sprint in the closing straightaway, Glacier Peak High School teammates/pals Brenna Condon and Sarah Whybark placed first and second, respectively, during the Northwest District Class 3A girls cross country championships Saturday at South Whidbey High.

Condon and Whybark, both sophomores, recorded the same time — 20 minutes, seven seconds — but Condon took the individual title with a lean at the end.

“We were going to hold hands but I don’t think that would have worked,” said Condon. “As long as we got 1-2 it doesn’t matter to us.”

Condon and Whybark spearheaded an impressive team performance for Glacier Peak, a first-year school with no seniors. The Grizzlies’ top five runners finished 1-2-4-6-8 and won their first district title — the first of many to come, they hope.

“We’re a good team this year. Next year we’ll be a great team,” said Glacier Peak head coach Dan Parker, whose squad is ranked No. 7 in the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association 3A girls poll.

Glacier Peak’s other leaders were junior Madison Sheppley (fourth in 20:44), freshman Tara Kingston (sixth, 20:53) and junior Stephanie Jones (eighth, 21:00). They scored 21 team points, placing well ahead of second-place Mount Vernon (68 points). Both teams qualified for the state meet, which will be held Nov. 8 at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.

“We wanted to get all of our girls in the top 10 and we succeeded today,” Whybark said, “so we’re pretty proud of everybody. It’s hard with no seniors and we’re trying to rely on the younger girls.”

The top 10 individuals also qualified for state. The group includes Lynnwood junior Mawa Ali (third) and Meadowdale freshman Analissa Merrill (tenth). Ali, nearing the end of her second season in the sport, pulled away from two other runners in the final 300 meters and finished in 20:41. Last year she placed 15th in the state.

G. Peak boys win too

The Glacier Peak boys joined the girls in claiming a district title in the school’s first year of existence.

“We talked about that from the outset,” Glacier Peak coach Dan Parker said. “Everything these guys did was going to be history. We are the first. We set out to win the first district title.”

Grizzlies sophomore Jeff Bastian caught Shorecrest’s Joe McConaughy with about 200 meters to go and passed him to win the individual title by eight seconds in 16:17.

“I just heard everybody on my team cheering for me and it gave me that extra energy to pass the guy,” Bastian said. “I was dead, but I gave it my all. I wanted to beat that guy.”

Bastian was followed by teammates Ryan Weed (third, 16:27), Chase Byrd (fourth, 16:34) and Levi Hinson (ninth, 17:05) as the ninth-ranked Grizzlies recorded 38 points to Shorecrest’s 59.

“It’s history and that’s basically what we set out to do,” Parker added. “Bringing the kids I brought last year from Snohomish I knew it was a possibility and they worked their butts off.”

The Everett boys just missed qualifying for the state meet as a team as they finished in third place with 66 points, just seven behind Shorecrest. The Seagulls were led by Cody MacDougall (sixth, 16:39).

At South Whidbey H.S.

3.1 miles (5,000 meters)

3A girls

Team scores (top two qualified for state meet): 1. Glacier Peak 21 points, 2. Mount Vernon 68, 3. Shorecrest 81, 4. Sedro-Woolley 103, 5. Meadowdale 137, 6. Lynnwood 139, 7. Ferndale 146, 8. Everett 211.

Top five runners for Glacier Peak: Glacier Peak—1. Brenna Condon 20:07, 2. Sarah Whybark 20:07, 4. Madison Sheppley 20:44, 6. Tara Kingston 20:53, 8. Stephanie Jones 21:00.

Other local top-10 individuals who qualified for state: 3. Mawa Ali (Lynnwood) 20:41, 10. Analissa Merrill (Meadowdale) 21:04.

3A boys

Team scores (top two qualified for state meet): 1. Glacier Peak 38; 2. Shorecrest 59; 3. Everett 66; 4. Mount Vernon 101; 5. Meadowdale 102; 6. Ferndale 160; 7. Sedro-Woolley 167; 8. Lynnwood 247.

Scoring runners for state qualifiers: Glacier Peak—1. Jeff Bastian 16:17; 3. Ryan Weed 16:27; 4. Chase Byrd 16:34; 9. Levi Hinson 17:05; 21. Craig Dittmann 18:08; Shorecrest—2. Joe McConaughy 16:25; 7. Chris Freeborn 16:40; 11. Tyler Kirkness 17:21; 16. Steven Cleppe 17:45; 23. Matt Freeborn 18:12.

Other local top-10 individuals who qualified for state: 5. Jon Hanson (Meadowdale) 16:37; 6. Cody MacDougall (Everett) 16:39.

For complete results go to athletic.net.

Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.