Cross country runners book tickets to state

Rose Melville of Lamont, running for the LRS Broncos, places second overall with a 19:39.

Left: Gavin Merritt of Tekoa/Rosalia stretches for the finish line in an attempt to close the gap with Garret Willey of Mary Walker. Above: A total of 51 girls start the regional run Saturday at the Colfax Golf course.

A total of 138 runners converged on the Colfax Golf Course in ideal conditions Saturday to compete for entry in the state run next Saturday at Pasco. The meet offered 28 state tickets each in the boys and girls races and state entries for the first four teams on each side.

Tyler Shea of Northwest Christian continued his domination of the boys side with a win margin of more than 11 seconds over the number-two Eli Engledow of Asotin. The boys race drew 87 entrants.

Gavin Merritt of Tekoa/Rosalia placed fourth in the boys race at 16.31.52, three-tenths of a second back of Garret Willey of Springdale.

Maia Dyksta of Asotin, who finished fourth in the NE league race last week at Harrington, turned on the power Saturday at Colfax for a regional win at 19:11, 28-seconds ahead of Rose Melville of Lamont.

Anais Mills of Garfield/Palouse was the top qualifier for the county girls with a fifth-place finish at 19:57, and Catherine Treis of SJE qualified 16th at 21:57.

Amy Benett of Garfield/Palouse also qualified at 25th with a 22:43

Three qualifiers for Colfax girls were Tayma Vanek, 18th at 22:02; Rebekah Huber at 24th at 22:43 and Alicia Knee 28th at 23:01.

Colfax girls booked a fourth-place team finish which will put all the Colfax finishers in the state race next week. Coach Jaime Kinley noted it has been years since the Bulldogs have had a girls team entry at state.

The Colfax girls team placed fourth with 68 points behind the 40-point win posted by Asotin. Other team finishes were St. George’s 46 and Northwest Christian 59.

Other finishers for the Bulldog girls were Isabelle Erickson at 34th at 23:51, Emma Miller at 42nd at 25:17, Kiah Miller at 43rd at 25:22 and Riley Martin at 44th at 25:25

Ryley Griffiths of Colfax placed 17th at 16:59, and Chase Baerlocher placed 19th at 17:07 to make the cut for the top 28 boys, Other finishers for the Bulldog boys were Carson Cloaninger, 54th at 19:19, and Josh Huber, 74th at 21:51

Tekoa/Rosalia had two other qualifiers with Issac Leighton, 23rd at 17:12.08, and Jaedyn Norwood, 24th at 17:13.17.

Also finishing for TR was Zane Neill, 41st at 18:29.08.

SJE freshman Trae Anderson finished right behind Neill with an 18:35 clocking, and Dominic Treis of the Eagles finished 56th at 19:46.

Garfield/Palouse was the lone county school to book a team score on the boys side. They placed eighth with a 235.

St. George’s took the team win with a 41, and Asotin placed second with a 61.

Finishing for the Vikings were Dawson Dugger, 37th at 17:59; Logan Diets, 65th at 20:17; Ethan Cook, 69th at 21:08; Eddie O’Neal 75th at 21:53; Daniel Kramer, 76th at 22:03, and Christian Burt, 86th at 27:24.

Other finishers for the SJE girls were Ellie Tollett, 35th at 23:52, and Guinevere Richmond, 51st at 29:17.

Zane Neill of Tekoa/Rosalia and Trae Anderson of SJE charge for the finish.

Clockwise from above left: Ryley Griffiths leads finishers for Colfax. Tayma Vanek leads the Colfax team finish at 16th place. Catherine Treis leads the Eagles with a 16th place in the girls race. Maia Dyksta of Asotin takes first in the girls run. Tyler Shea of Northwest Christian continues his domination of the boys race