LANGLEY — A lot can happen in seven weeks. Just ask the Everett High School boys cross country team.
At the start of the season, the squad struggled mightily, Everett coach Bruce Overstreet said, and seemed too inexperienced to defend its 2006 district title.
But the Seagulls progressed week by week. Their improvement reached an apex Saturday when they won the Class 3A boys team title during the 2A, 3A and 4A District 1 championships at South Whidbey School.
“Without a doubt this is not the most talented team,” coach Overstreet said, “but they came together as a group more than any team I’ve ever had.”
Sophomore Cody MacDougall (first place) and senior Arian Anderson (fourth) were the top finishers for Everett, which last week placed fifth at the Western Conference North Division championships. MacDougall won the 5-kilometer race in 16 minutes, 42 seconds, holding off a challenge from Arlington’s Paul Simbeck (16:46).
Anderson, who said he also placed fourth last year, is a “solid, solid team captain” who helped unite the Seagulls throughout the season, said Overstreet.
Everett won the district crown with 45 points. Shorecrest was second (57). The top two 3A teams, as well as all top-10 individual finishers, qualified for the state championships Nov. 3 at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
Simbeck and Luke Passalacqua (seventh) both placed in the top 10 for Arlington, but the Eagles barely missed qualifying for the state meet as a team. They tallied 59 points, two more than Shorecrest.
Arlington coach Mike Shierk praised the effort of Simbeck, who entered the race aiming for an individual title. Simbeck, a team captain, is known as The Machine because of his outstanding work ethic, said Shierk.
Everett’s third-highest finisher, sophomore Paul Giesick, crumpled onto the grass inside the track oval several minutes after finishing in 11th place. Giesick epitomized Everett’s improvement this year, Overstreet said. The exhausted youngster ran the course in 17:18 Saturday, about two minutes faster than he did it early this season at the South Whidbey Invite.
Lakewood lives up to ranking
It was a horrible time for a migraine headache to strike. But Nick Devier fought through it and did his best to lead the Lakewood boys cross country team to a third-place team performance in the 2A District 1 boys race.
Devier, a junior, finished seventh and teammate Taylor Guske was ninth as Lakewood scored 92 points to take third behind champion Sehome (22 points) and Burlington-Edison (57).
Devier’s time (16:29) was 27 seconds slower than winner Mason McHenry of Sehome. Last week Devier won the Cascade Conference championship in 16:35.
“Nick was a little bit off his game today,” Lakewood co-head coach Jeff Sowards said of Devier, who Sowards said dealt with a migraine earlier in the day. “I thought he led our team very well under the circumstances.”
The top four 2A teams qualified for the state championships Nov. 3 at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco. All other top-20 individuals also advanced.
The meet featured the state’s top three squads, according to the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association rankings: No. 1 Sehome, No. 2 Burlington-Edison and No. 3 Lakewood. That’s exactly how the teams finished Saturday, but Devier hopes his group can challenge the favorites next week at the state meet.
“(Sehome) did really good. They had a lot of guys up front,” Devier said. “But we’re still showing a tiny school like ours has something to say.”
Contact Herald Writer Mike Cane at mcane@heraldnet.com. For more high school sports news, check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
At South Whidbey H.S.
3.1 miles (5,000 meters)
For complete results go to www.watfxc.com.
3A boys
Team scores (top two teams qualified for state meet)—1. Everett 45 points, 2. Shorecrest 57, 3. Arlington 59, 4. Squalicum 94, 5. Mount Vernon 121, 6. Sedro-Woolley 155, 7. Ferndale 192, 8. Meadowdale 215.
Top five runners for top two teams
Everett-1. MacDougall 16:42, 4. Anderson 16:55, 11. Giesick 17:18, 14. Lee 17:31. 15. Comeaux 17:31.
Shorecrest-3. McConaughy 16:54, 5. Freeborn 17:06, 13. Rotter 17:30, 17. Novack 17:36, 19. Kirkness 17:50.
Other top-10 individuals who qualified for state
2. Simbeck (Arlington) 16:46, 6. Garrison (M. Vernon) 17:07, 7. Passalacqua (Arlington) 17:09, 8. Jimenez (M. Vernon) 17:10, 9. Fuhrmeister (Squalicum) 17:13, 10. Ryzhkou (Squalicum) 17:18.
2A boys
Team scores (top four teams qualified for state meet)—1. Sehome 22 points, 2. Burlington-Edison 57, 3. Lakewood 92, 4. Bellingham 128, 5. Mount Baker 166, 6. Blaine 196, 7. Cedarcrest 215, 8. South Whidbey 230, 9. Lynden 233, 10. Anacortes 240, 11. Granite Falls 305, 12. Sultan 328, 13. Archbishop Murphy 329.
Top five runners for top four teams
Sehome-1. McHenry 16:02, 3. Crabo 16:11, 4. Flynn 16:16, 6. Overman 16:19, 8. Dorough 16:42.
Burlington-Edison-5. Simpson 16:19, 10. Drake 16:45, 12. Whan 16:53, 14. Williams 16:56, 16. Spilsbury 16:59.
Lakewood-7. Devier 16:29, 9. Guske 16:44, 22. Ordonez 17:10, 24. Walker 17:18, 30. Skiles 17:33.
Bellingham-13. Thomas 16:54, 19. McClement 17:04, 25. Bodven 17:21, 27. Citron 17:28, 44. Lobb 18:00.
Other top-20 individuals who qualified for state
2. Lindstrom (Anacortes) 16:02, 11. Ramirez (Blaine) 16:48, 15. Bradley (Blaine) 16:57, 17. Sosa (B-E) 17:00, 18. Williams (Mount Baker) 17:02, 20. Morton (Sehome) 17:06.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
