Sealth-Westside match did not come to pass

By John Leonard

West Seattle and Chief Sealth high school girls were on the same cross country course, but the anticipated neighborhood match did not materialize when Chief Sealth was able to field only an incomplete team of four runners.

Had they figured in team scoring, however, the threesome of Claudia Jacob, Rachel Cermak, and, on the latter's heels, Alejandra Barajas, would have placed 6th, 8th, and 9th, respectively.

Without Sealth in the mix, the meet became a dual affair between Ingraham and West Seattle, with Ingraham winning decisively, 19 - 43. Only junior Sarah Austin, in second place, proved competitive for West Seattle. Scoring the rest of the team's points were Mel Frey, Alyssa Harris, Vanda Szabo, and Corinne Kleeberger.

Harris, a sophomore, ran a stunning race. Her finish as the number three runner on her own team produced her first varsity points.

The West Seattle boys' team, with 29 points, handily won its triangular meet against Ingraham, 49, and Chief Sealth, 54. In a surprisingly strong team performance, West Seattle runners took seven of the first eleven places.

Kyle MacDonald was individual victor on the Upper Woodland course for the second time this season in a personal record 17:44.4. Cooper Sinai-Yunker finished a strong fourth. Then followed every cross country coach's dream: five West Seattle High runners poured across the finish line in succession, and the race was won. Jack Hilton (7th) led the parade, Ryan Burt, in a break-out performance, was 8th, Eli Swedlow, 9th, and as non-scoring "displacers," Nick Barnecut, 10th, and Lars Stromberg, 11th. They were all within 25 seconds of each other.

Acquitting themselves very well with personal course records for Chief Sealth were Bryce Rainwater, second place in 18:23.9, and freshman-to-watch Daniel Perrine in sixth.

West Seattle and Chief Sealth run in a six-way meet on Wednesday, Oct 10, at Lincoln Park.

John Leonard may be reached via wseditor@robinsonnews.com