XC teams battle at Battle Point

By Nicholas Zeller-Singh Kitsap News Group • October 5, 2023 1:30 am

The Bainbridge Spartans cross country teams continue their reign in Olympic League meets, winning the fourth one at Battle Point Park Oct. 4.

The boys began the meet with all of the school’s top runners competing for the top spot.

However, Kingston’s Lucas Lenz dominated with with a time of 16 minutes, 38.6 seconds, 24 seconds faster than the next runner. His teammates Luke Whalen and Emmanuel Moes finished fourth and 10th with times of 17 minutes flat and 17:49.5. The Bucs boys finished second with 64 team points.

The Spartans won the race with 58 points. Bainbridge had seven runners finish in the Top 20. Their first three runners were Laird Ferrel getting seventh with 17:09.1, Marcus Stroman eighth with 17:29.8 and Ignacio Llorens getting 12th with 17:58.

Olympic finished third with 75 team points. Trojan Samuel Bonsell came in second overall in 16:52.5. Joshua Turner ended in sixth place at 17:01.9 and Justin Jaramillo finished ninth with a time of 17:47.8.

Bremerton fell into sixth place out of the eight teams with 135 points. Knight Dallin Anderson finished third in 16:55.7 while Asher Stewart and Joshua Leuders tied for 15th in 18:06.9.

North Kitsap fell shortly behind the Knights with 143 team points. Yet, Quinny Stuart finished fifth in 17:00.8. Miles Bearden and Liam Johnson finished 37th and 38th with times of 19:19.1 and 19:20.

In the girls competition, the Spartans won by a landslide with 21 team points. The Spartans had five girls place in the Top 10, including the top two spots. Evelyn Shutske won in 20:08.5 while Sabine Hartenstine finished in 20:18.9. Elise Gonzales was fourth in 21:04.8.

Olympic squeaked into second with 74 team points while Kingston ended up third with 75.

Trojans Brynn Fulton finished fifth with 21:20.9, Sophia MacDonald ninth with 22:40.1 and Cassia Whittier 21st with 24:42.4.

Kingston’s Emmie McGrew snuck into 10th place with a time of 22:41.2. Her teammates Isabell Hunt and Arland Forbes-Prater finished 15th and 16th with times of 23:30.9 and 23:43.6.

North Kitsap ended in fourth place with 84 team points. Viking Kendall Becker finished seventh in 22:10.5, Corinne Aala finished 14th with 23:13.9 and Eliora McDaniel 20th with 24:42.

Bremerton ended up in fifth place with 117 team points. Although the Knights came in last, Salleen Mattivi earned third place in 20:26.4. Knights LaVon Thompson ended 38th with 27:12.2 and Alli Smith ended 58th with 32:42.4.