Day of seconds

Second was the word of the day as three of Ballard's four teams finished in the runner-up positions as the Beavers hosted Garfield, Inglemoor, Juanita and Mercer Island in a five-team meet at Lower Woodland Park.

Ballard finished second behind Mercer Island as the Islanders won the boys' team race with 42, while the Beavers had 63, followed by Inglemoor's 67, Garfield 68, and Juanita at 112.

The varsity girls was more of the same as Mercer Island scored 30, with Ballard at 69, Inglemoor 76, Juanita 85, and Garfield at 101.

In the girls' junior varsity race it was Mercer Island with 25, followed by Ballard 38, then Inglemoor at 72, and Garfield 105. Juanita didn't have five finishers.

Mercer Island completed the sweep of all four team races by winning the boys' junior varsity race with 36 points. Inglemoor had 66 points, followed by Ballard at 76, Juanita with 79, and Garfield at 92.

In the boys' varsity race, senior Nahom Workie was Ballard's top finisher, running his best race of the season in placing seventh in 16:59 over the 5-kilometer course. Junior Aaron Hamilton was ninth in 17:03, followed by senior Kramer Fry in 14th place at 17:29, while freshman Alex Bowns finished 16th in 17:34, and sophomore Blair Scott rounded out Ballard's five scorers in 17th, one second behind Bowns.

Senior Lauren Hammerle finished fourth in the girls' varsity race, running 20:08, followed by junior Erin Philbeck in 7th at 20:25. Sophomore Natalie White was 18th at 22:05, with freshmen Alyson Fromm and Catie Perry finishing 22nd in 22:50, and Perry one place behind in 22:57.

Freshman Hannah Murphy (left/photo by Paul Merca) earned the victory in the girls' junior varsity race in a time of 22:41. In the boys' junior varsity race, junior Michael Gore was the top finisher in third place in 18:56.

The next meet for the Beavers is Wednesday October 15 at Lincoln Park in West Seattle, as Ballard will run against Garfield and Roosevelt in the Seattle All-City meet.