WOODLAND — Run a course four times and it becomes second-nature.
The lessons Tenino High School’s Carter Mounts jotted down after each race at Lewis River Golf Course aided him the following season. There’s some hills throughout the 5,000-meters and flat areas to take advantage of.
More importantly, the strategy of getting comfortable in a position pays off.
“This course is a big boost in I guess ego and confidence,” Mounts said. “I’ve always been really good at this course.”
In his final Class 1A District 4 Championships, the Beavers senior went out with a bang.
For the first time in his prep career, Mounts crossed the finish line in under 17 minutes and by the hair on his chinny chin chin, posted a time of 16:59 and placed fourth to secure his spot at the state meet next weekend in Pasco.
Mounts improved his time at districts every year and punctuated it on Thursday afternoon.
“It is five years in the making,” Mounts said. “It’s been my goal the entire season and I’m so happy I finally found it.”
Nerves have gotten the best of Mounts in his quest for a sub-17 minute time. He came close at districts a year ago and got even closer in three consecutive meets this season. He hugged into the fourth spot of the lead pack, tailing Hoquiam’s Ryker Maxfield.
While Montesano’s Ben Anderson and Elma’s Frank Thunderstorm-Roberts broke away, Mounts never let Maxfield out of sight. They were neck-and-neck down the straightaway until Maxfield clipped him by two seconds.
Once the official results popped up, Mounts was swarmed.
“I used (the nerves) to run faster,” he said. “I felt they went out at the speed I thought they’d go. It was rough sticking with them, but really happy that I did. That was the best case scenario, honestly.”
The Beavers also sent Josiah Marzolf and Sevrin Mickelson to state, placing 26th and 28th. Mickelson’s PR of 18:20 earned him the final individual spot. They finished sixth in the team race with 129 points, missing a second straight team trip by 28.
Still, Mounts won’t be alone and with one race to go, he isn’t taking the opportunity for granted.
“We’ve been running like we never ran before and I'm so proud to be the captain of this team,” he said. “I’m not a well-versed veteran of the state course yet. This year, I’m going to go into it with the hope to have fun with it.”
Rochester sophomore Kian Christiansen set a new PR himself at 18:01 to register a 15th place finish. He was 35th at districts a year ago, missing a state berth by seven spots, but was comfortably in the top-20 all race this time around.
Class 2A: Tumwater trio take pack-running to heart, all place top-15
The theme of the season for the T-Birds has been the top-three of Tyler Clark, Zane McAferty and Hayden Newman running as a pack. True to form, they accomplished that on Thursday and will make the trek to Pasco together.
Clark, a freshman, got the better of his two teammates with a PR of 16:44 to take ninth. McAferty followed in 16:55 (12th) and Newman rounded out the trifecta in 16:59 (15th).
“It is not about the competition between us, we’re trying to push ourselves and each other,” Clark said. “I’ve always been told to push the hills and I never really push them. May as well sprint down the hills.”
The strategy naturally happened when Clark and Newman wanted to stay with McAferty, the elder statesman who will run in Pasco for the third time. They all took turns beating each other in various meets, but the end goal was always to better the team.
Tumwater was clipped by Hockinson 84-90 for the third and final state team spot.
“Defeintly hurts to see, but we left it all out there,” McAferty admitted.
Newman believes the strength in numbers will carry them to stout finishes next weekend. No matter who beats who.
“Just go out and compete, have fun for the last race of the year,” Newman said.
Centralia’s Ethan Weiher and Evan Thummel placed 27th and 28th, both just missing a state berth. Black Hills’ Seth Thomasson was 39th while W.F. West’s Connor Clary placed 38th behind a new lifetime best of 17:58.
