Boys try for champion berth
By John Leonard
Coach Christopher Silvernale's West Seattle High School boys' cross country team is ready to make its run for a district-qualifying finish in Thursday's Metro League Championship, 3 p.m. at Lower Woodland.
His team confirmed its credentials in last Thursday's final regular-season meet at the same venue. Led again by solid performances from senior Kyle MacDonald (7th) (17:18.7) and junior Cooper Sinai-Yunker (14th) (18:37.8), the most emphatic statement was provided by number three runners, junior Eli Swedlow (22nd).
Swedlow's time of 19:24.6 was a personal course record by 28 seconds, but more important for the team was his overtaking the two Ingraham runners whom he trailed most of the first two miles. West Seattle beat Ingraham 100 to 122 to finish fourth.
"Wick" Wickham managed to hold on to team position number four when teammate Lars Stromberg slipped as he powered off a mud patch just meters from the finish. Their respective times of 20:22 and 20:23 were good for a team-tight 28th and 29th placing.
Chandler Dennison rewarded West Seattle fans with another strong performance in the girls' race. Running third for most of the race, she was overtaken by one competitor in the hills two miles into the course, but stayed close. With less than 150 meters to go, Dennison easily retook third to finish in a time of 20:13.2, a personal course record by 20 seconds.
Personal records were, in fact, the hallmark of the day for West Seattle's runners, highlighted by Marielle Reeves' eye-popping two-minute, three-second improvement as she advanced to the number three position among the girls. Peaking just in time for a run at the post season, sophomore Jesse Tarabochia claimed the seventh and final varsity position with a wrist-to-shoulder cast on his right arm. He set a personal record by 48 seconds. MacDonald, Stromberg, Ian Keithly, Paul Tenge, and Tony DeJoria also set personal records in their tune-up for Metro, as did Sam Mashburn and Vanda Szabo for the girls.
John Leonard may be contacted via wseditor@robinsonnews.com
