The latest from a Clark County high school cross country season that is already at its midpoint:
Who is fast: Five Clark County boys and girls are among Washington’s top 20 in 5,000-meter times posted this fall.
In boys, Camas senior Yacine Guermali has the No. 4 overall time at 15 minutes, 12.5 seconds, produced at the Nike Portland cross country meet at Portland Meadows last Saturday.
Also from that meet, Ridgefield senior Silas Griffith ran a 15:35.8, No. 9 in Washington this season. Chanse Gilbert of Skyview has the state’s No. 14 overall time, running a 15:49.1 at the Meriweather Nationals on Sept. 23.
In girls, Mountain View senior Savanna Craig has the state’s No. 10 time, after running an 18.28.9 5,000-meter race at the Fort Steilacoom Invitational on Sept. 17. Checking in at No. 11 is Camas junior Emma Jenkins, who ran an 18:34.2 at the Nike Portland meet.
Local meets: Many Clark County school engaged in three and four-way team meets on Tuesday.
At Pacific Park, Union beat Battle Ground, Hudson’s Bay and Evergreen in boys, while Union defeated Battle Ground and Hudson’s Bay. Union’s Jarad McKinney was the boys individual winner by 28 seconds, covering the 5,000-meter course in 16:41. The girls winner was Battle Ground’s Lizzye Rybalka, who ran 5,000 meters in 19:17. Union’s Serena Smith led a 2-3-4-5 finish for the Titans.
In a three-way meet at Kelso, the Heritage boys defeated Mountain View and Kelso, while the Hilanders won the girls meet over Mountain View and Heritage. The boys winner was Heritage’s Ryan Cibert, whose 5,000 time was 15:55, while Craig was the girls winner, in a time of 19:01.
Saturday meets: Several Clark County schools are headed out of town to run in large invitationals.
Class 4A schools Battle Ground, Heritage, Skyview and Union travel south to compete in the Harrier Classic at Bryant Park in Albany, Ore.
Up north, Evergreen, Fort Vancouver and Hudson’s Bay compete in the Harvest Classic at Life Works in Longview. (Interesting note: legendary distance runner Alberto Salazar is the course record holder).
Mountain View is the lone Clark County school taking part in the Curtis Invitational at Chambers Creek Properties in Tacoma, while Ridgefield travels to Marysville’s Cedarcrest Golf Course for the Nike Twilight XC Invitational.
