As the fall sports season kicks off, the Cascade High School cross-country (XC) team is in full stride. After a summer and pre-season of diligent preparation and training, the squad has opened the season by running well and earning a spot as one of Washington State Division 1A’s top teams.
Leading the charge on the course are boys’ and girls’ team captains, respectively, seniors Benjamin Jerome and Cruz Martinez, and Alice Farrell and Caroline Menna. From the sidelines are head coach Dayle Massey, assisted by coaches Eric Wulfman and Megan Lewis, all of whom are dedicated to helping their athletes achieve full potential this season.
“I like cross country primarily because of the team environment,” remarked Menna. “I have continued to run every year thanks to the unwavering support from my teammates and coaches, as well as the camaraderie we share.”
Camaraderie and a tradition of success are hallmarks of the CHS XC team, with all the harriers continuously pushing their teammates and themselves to reach individual and team goals.
Camaraderie and a tradition of success are hallmarks of the CHS XC team, with all the harriers continuously pushing their teammates and themselves to reach individual and team goals.
On Saturday, September 7, at the Ellensburg Relays, the squad highlighted teamwork and strong performances. This was most exemplified by the relay team comprised of Jerome, Menna, Martinez, senior Grace McDevitt, and freshman Lane Bedard. Their 6th place finish marked one of the best results at the Relays in CHS history. “Ellensburg was a great way to see how I would do this season. It was the first time I tasted success in my whole career. I became fourth all time for the Ellensburg relays,” said Jerome.
At the Kodiaks’ next race, the Quincy Invite, on September 12, nerves and expectations were high in anticipation of the first full 5k of the year, but once again, the Kodiaks had impressive results. Menna and McDevitt finished 2nd and 4th, respectively, to lead the girls’ team to an impressive 2nd place overall at the Invite. The boys also finished 2nd, led by Jerome in 4th.
At the Manson Invite on Saturday, September 14, both teams again excelled, securing 1st place overall with numerous top 5 finishes. McDevitt ran to first place individually for the girls, followed by Farrell in third. Jerome also took first place for the boys with Bedard grabbing an impressive second and the veteran Martinez cruising to fifth.
The following week, the Kodiaks traveled to Whidbey Island to race against some of the best teams in the state. The race brought the team four podiums: Menna placed 3rd, McDevitt 4th, Farrell 7th, and Jerome 12th. Several runners, including Farrell, ran personal bests at the meet. Overall, the girls' team placed 2nd and the boys' team placed 5th.
Next up for the team was a home meet at Ski Hill: the Leavenworth Invitational. On a course that many runners have been competing on since middle school, Cascade once again had a historic result: the boys’ team took first, the best result ever for the team at the invite, led by Jerome in 3rd. The girls’ team also had an impressive showing, placing 2nd, led by Menna in 4th and McDevitt in 5th.
On the evening of October 5th, under the glowing arches of the Nike Twilight XC Invitational at Cedarcrest Park, Kodiak runners dashed to a night full of personal bests. McDevitt and Farrell took 45 seconds and over a minute off of their previous best times, respectively, to break into the top ten all-time list. Jerome dropped over 30 seconds off his time to become the 6th fastest runner of all time at CHS, and Bedard broke into the top 20 with a 35 second personal best. Every runner on the team ran either a season or personal best at the meet.
The following race, the Kodiaks’ senior night, took place at Enchantment Park, a venue many of the runners had been running at since elementary school. Both the boys' and girls' teams won the meet, with Jerome and freshman Kolston Breaux finishing 2nd and 3rd, respectively, and McDevitt and Menna taking the top two spots, respectively, in their race. After the meet, all eleven seniors were honored in a senior night ceremony.
Nine days later, the Kodiaks raced again, this time at the Caribou Trail League Championship in Omak. Both teams overwhelmingly won the League title. In the girls’ race, McDevitt ran a new personal best time to take the league title and move up to 6th place on the all-time list. Menna was 2nd, Farrell was 4th, and freshman Daniella McDevitt was 5th. In the boys’ race, Ben Jerome took the league title and set a new course record. Breaux finished 3rd and Bedard finished 5th.
On Saturday, the Kodiak varsity teams will compete at the 1A District 5 Championships. Jerome, Martinez, Bedard, Breaux, and freshman Ryder Fiano, Cooper Krejci, and Kaesin Elser will compete for the boys' team. Menna, Farrell, both McDevitts, junior Gwen Pehowski, senior Napiqua Gibbs, and freshman Piper Copson will run in the girls’ race. If the teams place in the top five at the meet, they’ll earn their trip to the State Championship the following weekend.
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