Chandler Dennison races to state

By John Leonard

"I'm so happy."

With the depth of those three words, West Seattle High's Chandler Dennison released the tension of an entire cross-country season. She had just qualified to compete in the state 3A high school championship meet.

The qualifying event was the SeaKing District meet last Thursday at Lower Woodland. Dennison was the only girl in the Metro League to advance to SeaKing without a team. She started in her own lane, alone, among 87 girls.

For this one all-important race Dennison had to suppress the gladiator within, and run instead with her head. This was a race for place, not for time. She simply had to finish in the top 20. This was doable.

Dennison ranged between eighth -13th place through a mile and three-quarters. Then as usual she lost ground on the torturous hills - this day a lot of ground. Five-time world cross-country champion Doris Heritage counted Dennison in 19th place at the top of the first camel hump. Had Dennison fallen from "doable" to "done"?

Her teammates have a name for Dennison. They call her The Cheetah. In 19th place, with only three-quarters of a mile to go, The Cheetah began to move. By the top of Soapbox Derby Hill, she had devoured four runners. In the flat last half-mile this Wildcat consumed three more.

Chandler Dennison crossed the finish line in 12th place. Her time? Perhaps because she wasn't racing for time, she set a personal record anyway - 19:55. Her other season goal was to break 20 minutes. Dennison was happy indeed.

Three members of the boys' team also set personal records in this season-ending meet. Responding to a gentle pre-race suggestion that it was time he broke 20 minutes, junior Lars Stromberg did just that with a 19:48. That forced freshman teammate "Wick" Wickham to "PR" also, as he once again beat Stromberg by a stride with a 19:47. Not to be outdone by Stromberg's 33-second improvement, sophomore Jesse Tarabochia cut 41 seconds from his best with a 19:50. Motivated season-long by senior Kyle MacDonald, and including juniors Cooper Sinai-Yunker and Eli Swedlow, this 2008 team thus became the only West Seattle HS team within memory to place six runners across the finish line in less than twenty minutes.

Finally of note senior Bryce Rainwater, one of only two Chief Sealth runners in the race, climaxed his cross-country career with a half-minute improvement to 17:23. He finished a commendable 40th place out of 90 runners.

The state high school cross-country championships for all classifications will be held in Pasco on Saturday, Nov. 8.