By Michael Ko
Seattle Times staff reporter
PASCO — Kenna Patrick had always consoled herself with thoughts of next year. As a junior, she finished ninth in the Class 4A girls state cross-country championships. As a sophomore, eighth.
\"This year, I realized it\'s time to win,\" said the senior at Thomas Jefferson High School in Federal Way. \"This year was my last chance.\"
The urgency powered Patrick up the final hill at Sun Willows Golf Course Saturday, away from the two runners stuck at her hip for most of the race and into a delirious winner\'s circle formed by ecstatic teammates, friends and family.
\"I knew I could do it,\" said Patrick, who won in 18 minutes, 13 seconds. \"But it\'s hard to let yourself believe that you will because if I didn\'t, I wouldn\'t want to be so disappointed. I knew I could do it, but I didn\'t let myself believe it.\"
Patrick credited the win to four steady years of training and this season\'s newfound mental toughness that let her stay calm before the race.
\"She wasn\'t racing during the year to prove, \'I\'m the top girl in the state,\' \" said Jefferson coach Paul Ruston. \"She didn\'t impose a great deal of pressure on herself, and I think that helped.\"
Patrick\'s performance led Jefferson to second behind Gig Harbor for the team title. Eastlake was third, with four freshmen scoring big points: Chelsea Orr (11th), Sara Fester (25th), Erin Blodnick (26th) and Janie Dwyer (59th).
Snohomish was fourth, behind Ellie Bonner (21st) and Kara Sporrong (22nd). Redmond was fifth, behind freshman Devin McMahon (6th) and sophomore Sarah Lord (ninth). Paige Pattillo of Bothell was eighth.
Ferris of Spokane won the 4A boys team title for the fourth consecutive year, again knocking off rival Mead, which won from 2000 to \'02 and finished third in \'03 and second in both \'04 and \'05.
Mead had edged Ferris by a point last week at districts.
\"Off the course, we\'re good friends,\" said Cameron Quackenbush, the Ferris senior who won the individual title in 15:44. \"On the course, we want to stomp each other into the ground.\"
Lake Stevens junior Joey Bywater finished second, and Dak Riek, a senior at Mariner in Everett, took third.
Bywater, who won the state 3,200 meters last spring, said he was motivated by a disappointing fifth-place finish last week at districts.
\"I went out there [last week] and I guess I forgot how hard you have to run to win races,\" Bywater said.
The only other west-of-the-mountains runners to crack the top 14 were Doug Holt of Woodinville, Yonaton Yilma of Edmonds-Woodway and Kyle Van Santen of Lake Stevens.
Lake Stevens won a fourth-place team trophy for the second year in a row, behind third-place Central Valley. Tahoma finished fifth.
\"We saw our kids step up today,\" said Lake Stevens coach Cliff Chaffee. \"We had our goals, we knew what it felt like last year, and we wanted it.\"
Michael Ko: 206-464-5653 or mko@seattletimes.com