Eastlake girls claim second straight state cross country title, Issaquah boys third

Chalk up another one for the Eastlake girls cross country team. For the second consecutive year, and the second time in school history, the Wolves won a 4A team cross country title.

By Kevin Endejan • November 9, 2009 4:42 pm
Chris Brasino pushes toward the finish line at the KingCo Championships two weeks ago. The senior helped the Eagles take third place overall at the 4A state meet this past weekend.
Chris Brasino pushes toward the finish line at the KingCo Championships two weeks ago. The senior helped the Eagles take third place overall at the 4A state meet this past weekend.

Chalk up another one for the Eastlake girls cross country team.

For the second consecutive year, and the second time in school history, the Wolves won a 4A team cross country title.

Eastlake earned 100 points Saturday at Pasco’s Sun Willow Golf Course, finishing ahead of Tahoma (124) and Stanwood (126). The top-ranked team in the state, Gig Harbor, finished fourth with 136 points.

“The goal was definitely to repeat as state champs,” head coach Troy Anderson said. “We knew it would be very difficult with Gig Harbor having another great team, but our focus all season was having fun, staying healthy, and working hard to win state. It feels both incredible and surreal. Very few teams win state, let alone back to back championships. We feel very fortunate.”

Eastlake not only accomplished the impressive feat for the second straight time, but they did it for the second straight time without a top-10 finisher.

Senior Chelsea Orr placed 15th overall, while junior Katelyn Steen was 17th.

Orr finished 13 seconds faster than last year’s time at 19 minutes flat, while Steen was 35 seconds faster at 19:04.

“If your team doesn’t have one or two standout runners who place in the top five, the only other way to win is to have a tight pack,” Anderson said. “Our key to success the past four years has been developing a core group of girls who love competiting and training together, supporting each other, and knowing how to have fun running.”

Sophomore Morgan O’Connor (26th), senior Erin Blodnick (50th) and senior Alie Dorsey (54th) rounded out the field for the Wolves. They averaged a time of 19:21, and were only separated by 45 seconds.

Garfield’s Anna Dailey won the individual state title in 17:58.

Eastlake will graduate three of its seven top runners, returning a solid core for next season. With a group of talented newcomers expected work their way up, a three-peat is certainly not out of the question.

“We definitely are shooting for another state championship,” Anderson said.

Issaquah boys take third

The Issaquah boys cross country team concluded a record-breaking season in an impressive fashion Saturday afternoon.

The Eagles earned the second highest state finish in school history, placing third with 150 points. Only Ferris (68) and Jackson (100) placed higher. The Issaquah boys previously finished third in 1987 and 2007, and were second overall in 2002.

Chris Brasino led the Eagles with an 18th place finish at 15:53. Dennis Leigh (33rd), Isaac Robinson (51st), Turner Wiley (52nd), Jon Wallis (53rd) and Kevin LeMond (55th) helped Issaquah finish in an average time of 16:15, with 34 seconds separating them.

Skyline junior Kyle Branch finished 13th overall in 15:50. Shane Moskowit of Central Kitsap won the race in 15:06.