Tigers sweep CWAC finale with 35 personal bests; districts Saturday
Despite chilly rain on Senior Night, 35 Tigers ran personal bests as Ephrata's No. 6 girls and No. 10 boys swept both races in its last tuneup before districts.
Updated
Ephrata’s Rebecca Wiser and Zoie Grubb run past assistant coach JoElle Malone and head coach Lyndsy Roberts at Lakeview Golf and Country Club on Oct. 22. Grubb finished third in 20:10.4 and Wiser fourth in 20:15.8, both personal bests. Photos by Casey Devine
Ephrata's cross country teams won both races in their final Central Washington Athletic Conference meet of the season Thursday at Lakeview Golf and Country Club.
On Senior Night, the Tiger squads beat Grandview and Toppenish in their last tuneup before district competition gets underway. Despite chilly, rainy conditions, all but two of Ephrata's 47 runners improved their times from racing the same course two weeks earlier, on Oct. 8, when skies were clear with 75-degree temperatures.
Both teams finished second in the conference at 7-1, with Ellensburg handing them their only league losses.
"While we had high goals of winning league, we are still incredibly proud of the second-place league finishes by our boys and girls team," EHS head coach Lyndsy Roberts said. "The CWAC is not an easy conference as we currently have three boys and three girls teams ranked in the top 10 in state. A second-place finish is something to celebrate. However, we still have high goals for districts and state moving forward."
Senior Abigail Chamberlain led the Ephrata girls with a winning time of 19 minutes, 42.8 seconds. It was a dominant outing by the Lady Tigers who finished with a team score of 16 — one point off a perfect score — while taking the first four places and six of the top seven. Grandview was second with 52 and Toppenish third with 75.
Abigail Chamberlain crosses the finish as longtime Ephrata cross country supporter Joe McManus cheers at Lakeview Golf and Country Club. Chamberlain won the girls race in 19 minutes, 42.8 seconds.
Following Chamberlain, junior Savannah Harper was second in 19:59.5, an improvement of 47.3 seconds on the earlier meet. Freshman Zoie Grubb was third in 20:10.4, a cut of 39.6, and junior Rebecca Wiser fourth in 20:15.8, down 45.6. Toppenish freshman Zoey Horn broke up the group in fifth, and senior Hannah Malone completed Ephrata's scoring in sixth in 21:30.4.
Freshman Gracee Neff was seventh in 22:26.4 and sophomore Annabelle Adams 11th in 22:57.3, each nearly a minute and a half quicker than two weeks ago.
The Tiger boys won with 20, taking first, third, fourth, fifth and seventh. Grandview scored 50 and Toppenish 66.
The starter’s smoke hasn’t cleared as the boys field breaks at Lakeview Golf and Country Club. More than half the 59 runners were Tigers.
Junior Caleb Fitts won in 15:59.5, the only runner to finish under 16 minutes. Fitts was 11.2 seconds quicker than his winning time on the same course Oct. 8. Grandview senior Brendan Kramer was second in 16:11.7.
Ephrata's other four scoring runners were junior Niko Diaz, who took third in 16:54.3; freshman Seve Molitor fourth in 16:56.2, an improvement of 37.4 seconds from Oct. 8; and sophomores Caleb Schooler, fifth in 17:15.5; and Louden Leenhouts, seventh in 17:33.3, who shaved off 37.1 seconds from two weeks earlier.
Rounding out the squad, freshman Mike Jimenez was eighth in 17:40.5, a 39.4-second improvement, and junior Mitchell Johnson ninth in 17:44.0, improving by 51.4 seconds, the largest among Ephrata's top nine boys.
Mitchell Johnson runs at the Tigers final CWAC race on Oct. 22. The junior placed ninth in 17:44.0, a personal best. His 51.4-second time cut from the Oct. 8 meet was the largest among Ephrata’s top nine.
Overall, 35 Tigers set personal bests — 28 of the 33 boys, six of them in the top seven, and seven of the 14 girls.
"Couldn't be more proud of the performance by our team," Roberts said. "They set goals for this race and across the board athletes responded to the challenge. Many athletes cut 30 seconds or more from their personal best times."
It was the last race on the home course for 10 Ephrata seniors: Abigail Chamberlain, Hannah Malone, Evangeline Springs and Kai Ray ran for the girls, and Grant Adams, Nathan Wolther, Adrian Negrete, Zane Sieg, Isaias Perez and Abel Hernandez Alencaster for the boys.
Junior Cale Fronsman gives his all behind senior Nathan Wolther at the finish line. Wolther was 11th in 17:57.5 and Fronsman 12th in 17:57.9, four-tenths of a second apart.
"So thankful to have coached this group of seniors," Roberts said. "We are a strong successful program because of their work and consistency. Additionally, a big thank you to their parents and families as they have been supportive throughout the entire journey. This group will be missed."
The Tigers run at the District 5 and 6 2A Championships on Saturday at Apple Ridge in Yakima. The varsity girls go at 12:30 p.m. and the varsity boys at 1:15 p.m., on the three-mile course. The combined district sends the top four teams and the top 28 individuals in each race to the state meet. Sixteen schools are entered, with nearly 400 boys and about 180 girls.
Qualifiers advance to the WIAA state championships Nov. 7 at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
Heading into districts, the Lady Tigers are ranked No. 6 and the Tiger boys No. 10 among Class 2A teams in the latest Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association poll. Both Ellensburg squads are ranked second, while Selah’s girls are eighth and its boys ninth. Among the Greater Spokane League teams in the combined district field, North Central’s boys are ranked No. 1 and West Valley (Spokane) sits just outside the top 10 at No. 12, and Pullman’s girls are 10th.
"North Central and Ellensburg boys teams have been ranked first and second in state pretty much all year," Roberts said. "They will be the heavy favorites to grab the top two spots. After that there are a few teams that will be vying for the final two qualifying places. To be honest it is very close and will come down to who races well on Saturday. It could go a variety of different ways, but I have a ton of confidence in our young runners. They have put in the work and I think they are ready for a breakthrough performance."
Fitts has won six of his eight races this season, and no 2A runner has beaten him. The two he did not win came against 3A and 4A fields: Apple Ridge, where a Kennewick runner took it, and Sunfair, where he was 10th.
The Lady Tigers have already won at Apple Ridge this fall, taking the invitational there Sept. 19.
"The big question is how close we can keep our top five pack of girls together," Roberts said. "If they run as a team and for each other, there is no limit to how high they can place. Our girls know this course incredibly well and I believe they are ready to make a run to the state meet."
Admission to the district race is $11.30 for adults and $6.15 for students, senior citizens and military. Gates open at 10 a.m., an hour before the first race. Tickets are sold online through GoFan.
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Tigers sweep CWAC finale with 35 personal bests; districts Saturday
Despite chilly rain on Senior Night, 35 Tigers ran personal bests as Ephrata's No. 6 girls and No. 10 boys swept both races in its last tuneup before districts.
Ephrata's cross country teams won both races in their final Central Washington Athletic Conference meet of the season Thursday at Lakeview Golf and Country Club.
On Senior Night, the Tiger squads beat Grandview and Toppenish in their last tuneup before district competition gets underway. Despite chilly, rainy conditions, all but two of Ephrata's 47 runners improved their times from racing the same course two weeks earlier, on Oct. 8, when skies were clear with 75-degree temperatures.
Both teams finished second in the conference at 7-1, with Ellensburg handing them their only league losses.
"While we had high goals of winning league, we are still incredibly proud of the second-place league finishes by our boys and girls team," EHS head coach Lyndsy Roberts said. "The CWAC is not an easy conference as we currently have three boys and three girls teams ranked in the top 10 in state. A second-place finish is something to celebrate. However, we still have high goals for districts and state moving forward."
Senior Abigail Chamberlain led the Ephrata girls with a winning time of 19 minutes, 42.8 seconds. It was a dominant outing by the Lady Tigers who finished with a team score of 16 — one point off a perfect score — while taking the first four places and six of the top seven. Grandview was second with 52 and Toppenish third with 75.
Following Chamberlain, junior Savannah Harper was second in 19:59.5, an improvement of 47.3 seconds on the earlier meet. Freshman Zoie Grubb was third in 20:10.4, a cut of 39.6, and junior Rebecca Wiser fourth in 20:15.8, down 45.6. Toppenish freshman Zoey Horn broke up the group in fifth, and senior Hannah Malone completed Ephrata's scoring in sixth in 21:30.4.
Freshman Gracee Neff was seventh in 22:26.4 and sophomore Annabelle Adams 11th in 22:57.3, each nearly a minute and a half quicker than two weeks ago.
The Tiger boys won with 20, taking first, third, fourth, fifth and seventh. Grandview scored 50 and Toppenish 66.
Junior Caleb Fitts won in 15:59.5, the only runner to finish under 16 minutes. Fitts was 11.2 seconds quicker than his winning time on the same course Oct. 8. Grandview senior Brendan Kramer was second in 16:11.7.
Ephrata's other four scoring runners were junior Niko Diaz, who took third in 16:54.3; freshman Seve Molitor fourth in 16:56.2, an improvement of 37.4 seconds from Oct. 8; and sophomores Caleb Schooler, fifth in 17:15.5; and Louden Leenhouts, seventh in 17:33.3, who shaved off 37.1 seconds from two weeks earlier.
Rounding out the squad, freshman Mike Jimenez was eighth in 17:40.5, a 39.4-second improvement, and junior Mitchell Johnson ninth in 17:44.0, improving by 51.4 seconds, the largest among Ephrata's top nine boys.
Overall, 35 Tigers set personal bests — 28 of the 33 boys, six of them in the top seven, and seven of the 14 girls.
"Couldn't be more proud of the performance by our team," Roberts said. "They set goals for this race and across the board athletes responded to the challenge. Many athletes cut 30 seconds or more from their personal best times."
It was the last race on the home course for 10 Ephrata seniors: Abigail Chamberlain, Hannah Malone, Evangeline Springs and Kai Ray ran for the girls, and Grant Adams, Nathan Wolther, Adrian Negrete, Zane Sieg, Isaias Perez and Abel Hernandez Alencaster for the boys.
"So thankful to have coached this group of seniors," Roberts said. "We are a strong successful program because of their work and consistency. Additionally, a big thank you to their parents and families as they have been supportive throughout the entire journey. This group will be missed."
The Tigers run at the District 5 and 6 2A Championships on Saturday at Apple Ridge in Yakima. The varsity girls go at 12:30 p.m. and the varsity boys at 1:15 p.m., on the three-mile course. The combined district sends the top four teams and the top 28 individuals in each race to the state meet. Sixteen schools are entered, with nearly 400 boys and about 180 girls.
Qualifiers advance to the WIAA state championships Nov. 7 at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
Heading into districts, the Lady Tigers are ranked No. 6 and the Tiger boys No. 10 among Class 2A teams in the latest Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association poll. Both Ellensburg squads are ranked second, while Selah’s girls are eighth and its boys ninth. Among the Greater Spokane League teams in the combined district field, North Central’s boys are ranked No. 1 and West Valley (Spokane) sits just outside the top 10 at No. 12, and Pullman’s girls are 10th.
"North Central and Ellensburg boys teams have been ranked first and second in state pretty much all year," Roberts said. "They will be the heavy favorites to grab the top two spots. After that there are a few teams that will be vying for the final two qualifying places. To be honest it is very close and will come down to who races well on Saturday. It could go a variety of different ways, but I have a ton of confidence in our young runners. They have put in the work and I think they are ready for a breakthrough performance."
Fitts has won six of his eight races this season, and no 2A runner has beaten him. The two he did not win came against 3A and 4A fields: Apple Ridge, where a Kennewick runner took it, and Sunfair, where he was 10th.
The Lady Tigers have already won at Apple Ridge this fall, taking the invitational there Sept. 19.
"The big question is how close we can keep our top five pack of girls together," Roberts said. "If they run as a team and for each other, there is no limit to how high they can place. Our girls know this course incredibly well and I believe they are ready to make a run to the state meet."
Admission to the district race is $11.30 for adults and $6.15 for students, senior citizens and military. Gates open at 10 a.m., an hour before the first race. Tickets are sold online through GoFan.
Lakeview results:
Girls (first, 16 points; Grandview 52, Toppenish 75): 1. Abigail Chamberlain 19:42.8; 2. Savannah Harper 19:59.5; 3. Zoie Grubb 20:10.4; 4. Rebecca Wiser 20:15.8; 6. Hannah Malone 21:30.4; 7. Gracee Neff 22:26.4; 11. Annabelle Adams 22:57.3.
Boys (first, 20 points; Grandview 50, Toppenish 66): 1. Caleb Fitts 15:59.5; 3. Niko Diaz 16:54.3; 4. Seve Molitor 16:56.2; 5. Caleb Schooler 17:15.5; 7. Louden Leenhouts 17:33.3; 8. Mike Jimenez 17:40.5; 9. Mitchell Johnson 17:44.0.