“I really liked the hills, it was kind of like my dream course,” Chase Anderson, of Chelan, after winning the boy’s varsity race at the Connell High School Invite, in Connell, WA. “I think I got a 16:05, around that.” Chase, a four-year varsity runner, likes working his way up in a race, catching the runners in front of him, one by one. “I just like to listen to music before I run,” he says. As for any special preparations, “I drink a half-cup of distilled coke and a half-cup of water the morning before a race just to get the sugar going, but without the carbonation.”
The winner of the girl’s varsity race, Marisa Vander Malle, doesn’t like running alone. “I like to stay behind the person in front and catch them near the end,” she says, after winning her race in 19:39. “It was hard running by myself, but I just focused on getting a good time,” and she did, running a 30 second PR. The junior, from Pasco High School, was injured last cross country season, but just came off a great track season and hopes to get into the 18:30’s this year, an excellent goal for only her second season running. Maybe the magic is in her shoes—she trains only in Asics.
Jose Marcial, of Kiona-Benton, finished in second with 16:19 and Ty Schoenwald of Kennewick High finished third with 16:31. For the girl’s varsity, Kim Barry, a freshman from Lake Roosevelt High School, finished in second with a time of 19:55; third place was Ying Johnstone, a sophomore from University Prep, in 20:05.
As for team scores, in the 3A/4A Boys Varsity category- 1. Pasco, 118, 2. Hanford, 242, Kennewick Inc.
2A Boys Varsity- 1. Toppenish 127 2. Grandview 240 3. Othello 273 4. Clarkston 277 5. Prosser 512
1A Boys Varsity- 1. Zillah 98 2. Chelan 103 3. Lake Roosevelt 216 4. Kiona Benton 251 5. Royal City 258 6. Cle Elum 260 7. Connell 269 8. University Prep 314 9. Wahluke 404, Granger Inc., Warden Inc.
B Boys Varsity- 1. Riverside Christian 400, Asotin Inc., Yakama Tribal Inc.
3A/4A Girl’s Varsity- 1. Kennewick 136 2. Pasco 176 3. Hanford 187
2A Girls Varsity- 1. Clarkston 149 2. Toppenish 260, Prosser Inc., Grandview Inc., Othello Inc.
1A Girls Varsity- 1. Chelan 111 2. Zillah 151 3. University Prep 185 4. Royal City 236 5. Kiona Benton 239 6. Cle Elum 354, Connell Inc., Granger Inc., Lake Roosevelt Inc., Wahluke Inc., Warden Inc.
B Girls Varsity- 1. Asotin 126 2. Riverside Christian 219, Yakama Tribal Inc.