MARYSVILLE — Few teams can truthfully say they are perfect, but the Jackson High School boys cross country squad is part of the prestigious club.
Runners for nationally ranked Jackson placed first through fifth Saturday in the Wesco South championships at Lakewood High School, achieving a perfect team score of 15 points.
In yet another outstanding performance by Jackson — No. 1 in the Oct. 13 Milesplit Fab-15 National Rankings — the T-wolves stuck close together for much of the race and ended with an impressive 27-second gap between No. 1 finisher Mitchell Briggs and No. 5 finisher Nathan Calacat.
“That was our goal … to come into this and really try hard to get that perfect score, and it worked out,” said Briggs, a senior who won the 3.1-mile race in 15 minutes, 55 seconds, leading Jackson to its fourth straight South title.
Jackson’s perfection was easily the most buzzed-about performance among three varsity boys races during the 2009 Cascade Conference and Western Conference Divisional Cross Country Championships.
Coming in second through fifth for Jackson were Sean Roe (16:04), Connor Frederickson (16:08), Blake Nelson (16:11) and Calacat (16:22). Being part of such a strong team is “awesome,” Briggs said. “You know you can go into the race and you can really just pack up pretty much … and seeing all of your guys next to you is amazing.”
The Class 2A, 3A and 4A Northwest District Championships are Oct. 31 at South Whidbey High in Langley. Runners will try to qualify for the state meet, set for Nov. 7 at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
Three of the South’s best runners — Kamiak’s Bryton Reim (sick), Glacier Peak’s Jeff Bastian (ankle) and Shorecrest’s Joe McConaughy — did not compete, which helped Jackson complete its mission.
“Those were the three guys we were going to worry about in the race,” said Briggs, “and when we heard at the line that they weren’t running we were like, ‘Well, our perfect score (is) possible.’”
Lakewood’s Guske wins second straight title
It was all about desire. With time running out and a persistent rival by his side, Taylor Guske pushed harder.
Guske, a Lakewood High senior, pulled away late in a back-and-forth race to win his second straight Cascade Conference individual championship. He prevailed in a meet-record tying time of 16:26, matching former Lakewood star Tyler Rapp’s meet record from 2005. That’s the year that Rapp, now a Lakewood assistant coach, won his state title.
Runnerup Conner Ballew of Archbishop Murphy finished in 16:31, five seconds behind Guske, who traded the lead with Ballew during the race. Guske said he and Ballew “fed off each other.” Highlighting his school’s homecoming week (the dance was Saturday night), Guske pulled away in the final quarter-mile, sparked by his coach’s inspiring words.
“Either you want it or you don’t,” Guske said Lakewood co-head coach Jeff Sowards yelled at him during the race.
Guske did want it and he helped Lakewood, ranked No. 4 in the 2A state coaches’ poll, win its sixth straight conference title and 21st overall. Chad Skiles placed third for Lakewood, which edged Archbishop Murphy by three points for the team crown.
Cascade’s Hopper wins, helps teammate
Instead of basking in the glory of his victory, Dylan Hopper rushed to help a hurt teammate.
Hopper, a Cascade High senior, won the Wesco North championship race in 16:13. Hopper’s teammate, Aaron Campbell, placed fourth, but Campbell aggravated a lower-back injury and was in pain after the finish.
So Hopper jogged to Campbell, who rested belly-up on the stadium’s infield grass. Hopper held Campbell’s legs and helped stretch his sore teammate’s back. Hopper, the North runnerup last year, said assisting Campbell was nothing special; he thinks of his teammates like brothers.
“They’re just great people to be around,” Hopper said. “They’re my best friends. I’d do it for any of them.”
Hopper and Campbell helped Cascade place third in the team standings. Everett won the team title with 58 points.
Boys race results
At Lakewood H.S.
5,000 meters (3.1 miles)
Team scores and top-10 individuals. For complete meet results, go to Athletic.net.
Cascade Conference boys
Team scores: 1. Lakewood 44 points, 2. Archbishop Murphy 47, 3. King’s 84, 4. Cedarcrest 99, 5. Granite Falls 110, 6. Sultan 169, 7. South Whidbey 182.
Top 10 individuals: 1. Taylor Guske (Lakewood) 16:26*, 2. Conner Ballew (AM) 16:31, 3. Chad Skiles (Lakewood) 17:02, 4. Harris Emmons (King’s) 17:03, 5. Sam Holeman (AM) 17:33, 6. Ryan Loutsis (AM) 17:36, 7. Maika Matalomani (GF) 17:41, 8. Josh Denison (Cedarcrest) 17:42, 9. Ben Mow (GF) 17:42, 10. Nick Howe (Lakewood) 17:44
*Tied meet record
Wesco North boys
Team scores: 1. Everett 58 points, 2. Lake Stevens 64, 3. Cascade 73, 4. Stanwood 118, 5. Marysville-Pilchuck 140, 6. Snohomish 143, 7. Arlington 145, 8. Oak Harbor 155, 9. Monroe 223.
Top 10 individuals: 1. Dylan Hopper (Cascade) 16:13, 2. Tyler King (OH) 16:18, 3. Angelo Comeaux (Everett) 16:35, 4. Aaron Campbell (Cascade) 16:37, 5. Jared Lehning (Snohomish) 16:44, 6. Cody MacDougall (Everett) 16:47, 7. Mason Newton (Everett) 16:55, 8. Wade Weinart (Stanwood) 16:56, 9. Johnny Bywater (LS) 17:03, 10. Mathew Reith (OH) 17:06.
Wesco South boys
Team scores: 1. Jackson 15 points, 2. Glacier Peak 86, 3. Shorecrest 93, 4. Shorewood 101, 5. Kamiak 125, 6. Mountlake Terrace 148, 7. Meadowdale 168, 8. Edmonds-Woodway 192, 9. Mariner 253.
Top 10 individuals: 1. Mitchell Briggs (Jackson) 15:55, 2. Sean Roe (Jackson) 16:04, 3. Connor Frederickson (Jackson) 16:08, 4. Blake Nelson (Jackson) 16:11, 5. Nathan Calacat (Jackson) 16:22, 6. Jon Hanson (Meadowdale) 16:29, 7. Ryan Weed (Glacier Peak) 16:36, 8. Nick Schonewald (Jackson) 16:41, 9. Sean White (GP) 16:50, 10. Alex Brock (Shorewood) 16:51.
For complete meet results, go to Athletic.net.
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/ doubleteam
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