Twin sisters lead Washougal to a middle school cross country championship

All season, Washougal had two reasons to cheer at the finish line.

Eighth-grade twin sisters – Anava and Joela Grundy – on their school’s Panther cross-country team won every meet between them. When one twin was sidelined by an injury, the other stepped up and kept winning. Then, just in time for the district championship, her sister made it back to the starting line.

At the championship, held Thursday (Oct. 15) at Washougal’s Motocross MX Park course, the twins finished first and second, helping lead the Panthers to the district title.

It was a storybook finish to their final middle school season.

Their middle school season may be over, but the twins’ running doesn’t stop: they begin training for the Junior Olympics now, before heading to high school next year.

Their season has been described as “a celebration of determination, sibling support, and two young athletes who gave their hometown a reason to rally.”