By Michael Ko
Seattle Times staff reporter
Eastlake High School girls cross-country coach Troy Anderson had no idea who would step up this fall for departed star Jessica Pixler. Now at Seattle Pacific, Pixler had finished second at the Class 4A state meet last year and won the 800 meters during track season.
Meet the Super Six.
A group of six freshmen is running fast times and surpassing expectations at the Sammamish school and around KingCo 4A. Chelsea Orr, Erin Blodnick, Janie Dwyer, Sara Fester, Ellie Murray and Allie Dorsey make up six of the school\'s top seven runners. The seventh is sophomore Ashley Horton.
The freshmen have led Eastlake to a No. 5 ranking among 4A girls, according to the latest state coaches poll, as well as first Saturday at the Kodiak Invitational in Leavenworth, and a fourth place two weekends ago at the Sunfair Invitational in Yakima, the state\'s most prestigious in-season cross-country race.
The Sunfair result came despite Eastlake scoring just the six freshmen. Horton missed the race at the last minute.
Blodnick says she was \"definitely scared\" before the season began, adding, \"I had heard so much about cross-country and how intense it is. But we\'ve just bonded together, and it\'s kind of nice to be able to run together.\"
Fester says most of the girls \"didn\'t expect to win at all. I was totally fine with being on JV, so I\'m really surprised.\"
Anderson describes the freshmen as \"gutsy and completely fearless.\" Most of them ran while training for soccer, but have little cross-country experience.
Orr and Blodnick each have run sub-20 minute races this year.
The coach changed the team goals midseason: from squeaking into the state tournament to winning a KingCo 4A team title and maybe even placing in the top five at state.
\"They\'re all good friends and they\'re extremely competitive,\" Anderson said. \"In the next three years, who knows what they can do?\" he said.