The Camas girls cross country team is good.
How good? The Papermakers’ No. 1 runner and league runner of the year wasn’t at her best on Saturday at the Class 4A bi-district meet in Tacoma. She finished third.
No problem. Camas’ No. 2 runner won the race.
How good? In a race with 140 competitors, Camas won with a score of 30 points, 71 points better than the next best team.
How good? The Papermakers’ No. 6 and 7 runners weren’t fast enough to score for their team. But if they had run as individuals, they would have qualified for state on their own.
Yes, that’s good.
The Papermakers turned the bi-district meet into their own state meet warmup.
Emma Jenkins raced over the 5,000-meter course at American Lake Golf Course in 18 minutes, 56 seconds to take first place. Freshman Rachel Blair, 4A Greater St. Helens League runner of the year, placed third in 19:19.
That helped Camas easily outdistance Olympia 30-101 for the team title.
Camas placed its scoring five in the top 12 — Emily Watson was fifth, Maddie Woodson ninth and Ellie Postma 12th.
In a meet which the top 35 runners advanced to state, even if their teams did not, the Papermakers’ sixth runner Kaylee Merritt placed 19th and seventh runner Madison Child placed 26th.
It was a great day for all 4A GSHL girls runner as Mountain View’s Savanna Craig was second to Jenkins in 19:07 as 4A GSHL runners held down five of the top six spots.
Cassie McKinney was sixth, leading Union to a fourth-place showing that advanced the Titans to state. Skyview’s Ellen Burbank (17th) also earned a state berth.
4A boys — After finishing fourth at the district meet last week, Skyview’s Chanse Gilbert pulled off a surprise win, clocking in 17:09.
The Camas boys placed second to Tahoma (51-99) as Yacine Guermali placed seventh and Adam Ryan was eighth.
Gilbert helped Skyview finish fifth and earn a state berth. Teammate Mason Scheidel placed 10th.
Battle Ground’s Quinn Nelson (26th), Mountain View’s Samuel Johnson (27th) and Heritage’s Ryan Cibart (30th) all earned individual berths.
3A girls — Fort Vancouver freshman Emily Phelps led a quartet of Clark County runner earning state berths.
Phelps placed sixth in 20:27 and will be joined at state by Columbia River’s Ellie Furth (14th), Fort’s Anna Harrison (23rd) and Prairie’s Megan Bruns (25th).
3A boys — No local runner or team qualified for the state meet.
