Races to remember

Two team trophies for Camas and two medals for Washougal runners

By Dan Trujillo
November 9, 2017 5:30 am
Sports

The 4A boys state cross country race featured the most exciting finish between Ryan Kline, of Central Valley in Spokane, and Daniel Maton, of Camas, Saturday, at the Sun Willows Golf Course, in Pasco. Kline clinched the championship with a time of 15:11.3. Maton tumbled across the finish line in 15:11.5. (Photos by Dan Trujillo/Post-Record)

The Camas High School cross country runners brought home two team trophies from the state championship meet Saturday, at the Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.

Emma Jenkins, Camryn Mock, Halle Jenkins, Madison Child, Ellie Postma, Jenna Lukowiak and Brooke Roy led the Papermaker girls team to second place. Daniel Maton, David Connell, Spencer Twyman, Jackson Lyne, LJ Floyd, Sam Geiger and Luke Utheza helped the Papermaker boys team finish in fourth place.

“I think everyone gave it their all. We all really focused on working together as a team and tried to really motivate each other,” Child said. “We said, ‘No matter what happens with the outcome, if we all give it our all, then we’ll be proud of each other.'”

Emma Jenkins earned fourth place in the 4A girls race. The CHS senior completed the 5,000-meter course in 17 minutes, 59.8 seconds. Mock (22nd place in 18:46.9), Halle Jenkins (24th place in 18:49.4) and Child (25th place in 18:51.3) finished just a few places apart. Although the Camas girls beat defending state champion Issaquah by 27 points, Lewis and Clark, of Spokane, snuck past the Papermakers to win the meet by nine points.

“For the seniors, this was our last race together,” Emma Jenkins said. “We just wanted to go out there and give it everything that we had, and I think we did that.”

Tradition continues at the state level for the Camas girls cross country team. Since 2012, the Papermakers have collected three state titles and three second place trophies.

“It’s been a really fun four years,” Postma said. “We’ve all become really close. We’re more like a family now.”

“I’m just really appreciative to be able to leave our mark on this school and do that with some of my best friends,” Roy said.

The 4A boys race came down to the last split-second. Maton and Ryan Kline, of Central Valley in Spokane, sprinted side-by-side on the downhill finish. Maton took the lead, and then Kline got it back. Maton leaned forward at the last second, lost his balance and tumbled across the line. Kline stayed upright and finished first in 15:11.3. Maton settled for second place by two-tenths of a second.

“I just gave it all that I had. There’s nothing else I could really do,” Maton said. “It’s nice to know these guys are there for me no matter what. I just want them to use this as a learning experience and be hungry for next year.”

Connell capped off his senior year for Camas with his best race. He finished in 25th place with a time of 15:55.5. Twyman, Floyd, Geiger and Utheza excelled in their first state races. The fourth place finish by the Papermakers ties the 2007 team for the best boys finish in program history.

“We wanted to do better, but we have a young team. A lot of these guys had never been to the state meet before. They have more experience now, and they’ll be motivated to keep going,” Connell said. “We ended on a good note. I can’t complain.”

Pullen places third at state for Washougal

Just a junior, Washougal’s Amelia Pullen proved she could hang with the best runners in the state at the 2A level Nov. 4 in Pasco.

The Panther clinched third place with a time of 18:36.3. This gives Pullen an opportunity to compete at the Nike BorderClash event Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Nike World Headquarters, in Beaverton, Oregon. The race starts at 10:45 a.m.

“I was hoping for top five, so top three is exciting,” Pullen said of her performance at state. “I’m really excited to go to BorderClash.”

Gabriel Dinnel also made his way onto the podium for Washougal at state. He finished in 14th place with a time of 16:11.1. Dinnel, Troy Prince-Butterfield, Tanner Lees, Jonathan Wells, Koy Chaston, Ian Palmer and Warren Henderson carried the Panther boys cross country team to 10th place at state.

Pullen, Meryl Keeler, Annabelle Palmer, Alexis Maniscalco, Morgan Stinchfield, Brooklyn Bausch and Bekah Shilling helped the Washougal girls finish in 11th place at state.

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