While Toledo’s Conner Hill picked up his second victory of the young season in 17 minutes and 37 seconds, it was the Rainier High School boys who came away with the team win by virtue of strength in numbers at the Oak Grove Meet at Toledo High School Thursday.
Five Mountaineers finished in the top seven runners, including three of the top four behind Hill. Seniors Zach Hamilton and James Morrison placed second and third, and junior Jake Hanson put forth his best cross country outing of his career with a personal best of 19 minutes and 13 seconds to finish fourth.
Rainier freshman Shane Parker also neared his personal record but fell two seconds shy in a sixth-place run, and junior Caleb Stover crossed the finish line in under 20 minutes for the first time this season to place seventh.
Winlock, which earned third in the team scores, was led by Jacob Trodahl and Oscar Silvestre’s top-10 finishes.
Toledo took home the girls title, as sophomore Braelyn Nyberg continued her impressive debut varsity season with her second straight sub-22 race to place third at 21 minutes and 59 seconds. Junior Onica Chase, fifth; sophomore Lilly Cooper, seventh; and junior Peyton Holter, ninth; rounded out the top 10.
Rainier senior Jazzlyn Shumate won the race in dominant fashion in 20 minutes and seven seconds — 65 seconds before the second-place finisher. Junior Kinsley Barlow earned fourth, and Mossyrock senior Joan Wedam came in sixth.
