By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Evergreen Wolverines twins Marques and Matthew Chacon received their blue and red first and second place medals to drape around their necks from Ray Prentice's hand, following the Seamount League Championship meet races for girls and boys cross-country teams on Evergreen's 3.2-mile course Saturday.

For girls, the only area top 10 finisher there was Kennedy's Lily Grassley, a freshman, taking fourth, one away from getting a red, white, or blue medal. And Tyee's Hector Dominguez, a senior, finished eighth.

This was not an elimination meet so all the Seamount schools' runners go on from here to the Fort Steilacoom Course for sub-districts this coming Saturday. The top 11 teams and 55 individuals go on to the West Central District meet the following weekend. And then it's on to state after that, in early November, for a select few individuals and teams.

Prentice's name was wanted, for a photo he was in.

"Oh, I'm a nobody," said Prentice, packing up things into his car, after the Seamount meet, talking to Tyee cross-country coach Chuck Cushman. All this was following the awards ceremony that took place inside the Evergreen gym. "I guess, you can call me a meet helper. My son, Ryan, was a three-time state champion, so I am just giving back to the sport."
Three-time state champion.
Ryan Prentice attended Mount Rainier High School a few years ago. But, a little more on Ray still, he's given back to the nearby Des Moines community in other ways, too, mentioning having helped spearhead a campaign to get a nice rubber track in the backyard of the Rams' school a few years back.
And back to Ryan, he in 2007 and 2008 won the "triple crown," of high school running, having taken first in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter races in spring track, in 2008, as a senior.
Here's where the Chacon twins should stand up and take notice, because what the Chacons are going after, at least, maybe, Marques, the stronger of the two runners, is close to what Prentice accomplished as a senior.
Ryan was cross-country state champ in 2007, being the completed leg of that triple crowning.
So, that's who the Chacon's presenter was of their medals, the dad of one of a great Seamount cross-country runners of the past.
That's some understanding there of Ray Prentice, the Seamount League awards ceremony presenter, a heart to help out the sport that helped his son to get a full ride scholarship to Oklahoma State in 2008.
And Evergreen's Matthew Chacon mentioned what's been in the back of his mind ever since running at state last November.
"When I made it to state last year, it's been my motivation ever since," said Matthew Chacon, a junior at Evergreen, who finished the Seamount meet race second in 16:54.10 to twin brother Marques' winning time of 16:30.03. "Hopefully, at state, we make it to the podium this time. Top eight."
Top eight in the state! And being only juniors this season makes that possibility a lot more compelling.
Matthew and Marques are young, so really easily, with more hard work running/training a lot, past this Fall season into winter, spring and summer into next Fall's season, after all is said and done, one of these two could stand at the top of the podium. Who knows? Maybe both could stand there.
"They've done amazing in high school," said Dan Matthias, who coaches the Evergreen cross-country team."They have that natural competition. If one takes off, the other one takes off, too."
Neither Matthew nor Marques came out to run cross-country as freshmen.
"Couldn't get them to come out their freshmen years," said Matthias.
Cross-country season came their sophomore years. They did pretty well at sub-districts, Marques taking fifth and Matthew 10th. Then, at districts, Marques took seventh and Matthew eighth. Then at state Marques took 18th and distanced himself from his brother a bit in that one, with Matthew taking 41st.

"We are a lot faster now. We've both already beat our state times from last year," said Marques.

"We're a lot better than last year," said Matthew.
Playing off that "natural competition" wording from their coach, Matthias, didn't Matthew really, really, really wish he was 18th at state?

"Yeah," said Matthew, both laughing.

There's a natural competitive fire in twins and these two are no different.
In the Seamount race, Marques didn't feel any different from others.
"Felt like any other race, really, I just ran my own race, really," said Marques.

Marques won by 24 seconds over his brother, but both trailed a Lindbergh Eagles runner through the first mile race. And that's where Marques took off to lead, and Matthew followed. And neither looked back.
Marques won by a lot of seconds, of the two, but acknowledged his brother's presence helped him.

"He was pushing me, that's what competition does," said Marques. "Me and him keep pushing each other every day. He's usually right behind me the first two miles."
Matthew added, "He pulled away at the end. He has a nasty kick."
"But, when he gets in front of me, I want to catch him," said Matthew.

So, ever since that motivation of making state last year, both Matthew and Marques have been pushed to start really running this past year.

"Me and Marcus really got better over this past winter. We've been running every day in the winter," said Matthew.

A fellow cross country runner came up to Matthew and Marques after the boy's race.
"What did you get," said Edwin Arroyo, coming up to Matthew.

"Nice, good job," said Arroyo, hearing Matthew's time, and, being complimentary upon hearing Marques' time, too.

As Arroyo left, Matthew said, "Sometimes, our friend wants to run with us in the winter, too, Edwin."
And, what are goals for these two?
"My goal is to get 15:30s, or 40s," said Marques.

"My goal is to, at least, get under a 16:20, 16:10 and I think I can do it, hopefully. I got a 16:50 and this course is the hardest in the Seamount League."

So, time only to improve and get better for the Chacons on what sounded like they're saying the other courses to be run won't be as rugged and up and down as Evergreen's. More good reasons why that podium top is in reach, and noting Prentice won the Seamount championship in 2007 in 15:55 at this same Evergreen course prior to winning state three weeks later.

Coach Matthias helps the Chacon twins, too.

"He sets up practices. He's the one who sets up runs, some crazy runs for us to go on," said Matthew.
By 'crazy,' one can guess, he means a lot of hills and rugged terrain to get through.
"He mixes tempo a lot," said Matthew. "Sometimes, he has us run race pace, as if it's a regular race."
"He's usually there on the runs with us, it pushes everybody on team," said Matthew.

"He usually tells Matthew to, like, stay with me," said Marques.
"Yeah, he divides us into groups, people who will push others," said Matthew. "Me and Marques are in the top group so we push each other."
"Sometimes, I will push Matthew to go fast," said Marques.
"Yeah, we switch off," said Matthew.

"I have pressure to remain in front," said Matthew. "And, he has pressure to catch me."
"Me and my brother are just natural competitors, like, even if we have to, like, share stuff, like for sharing food. I have to get the bigger slice and he has to get the smaller slice, you know, basic twins competition," said Marques.
Sounds like a lot of fun.

"Yeah," they said, laughing.
As long as you're the twin getting the bigger slice?
Both laughed more.

Besides Matthias' help, and their own help to each other by competing against one another, who else inspires the Chacon brothers?
"I think our parents," said Matthew. "They've instilled a hard work ethic in us."
"Yeah, definitely," said Marques.

"They tell us to be successful, things like that," said Marques.

"Our dad was a state wrestler back in Utah," said Matthew. "And, our mom was pretty athletic herself."
But, what about it all ,the core of this kind of success, as juniors, too, in cross-country, with a lot of room to run to future success?

"I think, it's in our blood, just, to not give up," said Matthew. "I think, just being twins, we hate losing to each other and that's what's carried on. What pushes us."

Mentioning Henk Ufkes, a senior on the Evergreen team who is injured, Matthew said, "Henk ran last year and pushed us a lot this year."

"Thanks for the shout-out, bro," said Henk, hearing those words, as he was walking by Matthe, after the race.
Coach Matthias, too, said it's too bad Ufkes got hurt because he would have made it so the Wolverines could have pushed for a Seamount team crown, which Lindbergh got, with Renton and Hazen behind them. And, Evergreen's third runner did not come in until the 35th runner, overall, and, all the Renton and Hazen and Lindbergh top five, who get the points in this sport, were already across the line.
"We lost Henk, he was a senior and one of our better runners," said Matthias. "Since the beginning of his cross-country here, he's been a workhorse. If we had him, we would be competing with the Renton schools for the title."

Tyee's Dominguez, in the Seamount League race, was eighth out of 53 runners, and he was having fun with teammates afterward, showing a teammate, Eddie Ruvalcaba, a small bag of munchies, Cheetos 'flamin' hot style. He was telling Ruvalcaba, and anyone else that would listen to him, like junior, Alexis Sata, who took 12th, overall, for the girls of the Totems, "This is optimal running food."

Dominguez said he didn't run his best, but there were reasons why that was so.

"Wasn't my best, but it was my best for this weather and this course," he said.

Cloudy skies and sprinkling rain kept the course soggy and slippery for the runners on this day, and Dominguez' time, by the way, was 17:49.13.
For the Totem girls, Sata ran well, for an underclassmen runner, finishing in 22:51.33.
"It went pretty good," said Sata. "I had a better time this year than last year."

Highline's top boys runner was senior Kelvin Herbruger, 18th overall, and the girls best for the Pirates was senior Marisela Botello.

"We had a bigger freshman turnout than we've had in a while, and a bigger girl turnout," said Pirates coach Rex Post, naming a postiive of this 2-5 season. "Most of the team are first-year runners."

Foster's team is coached by Bill Napier and his runners were not in the top 20, boys or girls, but he said that Alejandra Silva, a senior girl, did well, for herself, though not a top time, getting 27th overall.

"We've been working on quick turnover with feet and she did an excellent job with it," said Napier, who said, since this meet was with no qualification to it, held out his number one runner, Shackila Omar.
"She's an excellent 400 meter runner in track, she's using cross-country for training," said Napier. "And, she's doing really well, too."

Napier also wanted to mention a couple kids, junior Eric Tang and senior Ismael Mohamud, who run on the boys team. They are not stars, by any stretch, in the winning races sense, but in their own right of helping with carrying equipment and helping with team things.
"Those guys lead the way when it comes to that," said Napier. "Not one of our top six runners, but they take responsibility."

And, a girl runner for JV should be mentioned, too. Amber Nicholas, who was being supported on one side each by two Foster friends after her race.
"I felt nauseous and dizzy," said Nicholas.

But you kept racing hard with a great kick at the end of the race, even.
"I didn't want to stop, I kept racing," said Nicholas.

Kennedy's coach, Jim Vandenberg, spoke of his team, which was not out en force to this meet.
"Two-thirds of our team was at a band retreat. We hope to be at full strength next week," said Vandenberg. "Lincoln Moreno, my No. 1 boys runner, was sick today."
Brendan Myrick was first among Lancer runners, getting 22nd overall in 18:44.65.
Grassley, who took first for the girls team and fourth overall, is the No. 1 runner on the Lancers. She ran a time of 21:44.31, not too far behind the winning time of 20:44.18 by a Renton runner.
"Lily is a great runner," said Vandenberg. "She's a really strong freshman."
Grassley gave her take on the Evergreen cross-country course.
"It's hilly, so, it makes you work harder," said Grassley.
Also, last, but not least, Evergreen coach, Matthias noted a girl runner of improvement, as senior Lisa Nguyen took 17th in 24:27.60.
"She made huge strides this season, dropped two minutes off her time," said Matthias. "Wish I had her one more year."