Wenatchee Invite – 9/21/2024
Course Length – 5k
General Notes – The course at Walla Walla Point Park is fairly flat, with some long gradual inclines/declines, a few short rises and falls, and one notable hill right at the finish. The footing is mostly grass, with some short pavement crossings. The weather during the races was in the mid 60's to mid 70s, with lots of sun. It generally warmed during the day, with very little wind throughout. There were almost 40 schools present, with lots of big Spokane and Yakima area schools showing up. We also had quite a lot of fans travel out to watch us. Thanks to everyone who made the trip down!
Also, quick shoutout to Dexter, Elliot, and Rick for taking photos!
In the 9th Grade JV Boys race, there were 121 athletes.
In the 10th Grade JV Boys race, there were 110 athletes.
The Varsity Girls team was 6th overall with 227 points. Wenatchee won with 47 points, North Central was 5th with 189, and Southridge was 7th with 235. There were 131 athletes and 21 teams.
The Varsity Boys team was 17th overall with 426 points. Central Valley won with 65 points, Marysville-Getchell was 16th with 408, and Toppenish was 18th with 463. There were 170 athletes and 25 teams.
Liam - One mile: 6:38. Two mile: 13:25. Finish: 20:13, 135th place. Average: 6:31.
Great job Liam! 6:38 for the first mile is no joke, and you backed it up with a 6:47, so you stayed very consistent through the toughest part of the race. This time around was a bit different than at Okanogan, because Orlo was always a few seconds behind you, meaning you didn't always have your running buddy. You still found a way to push, which set you up for a very speedy finish. What's even better is that you felt great the whole way! 20:00 is going to be no problem, given that you ran over a minute faster than last year. You're crushing it!
Calvin - One mile: 10:35. Two mile: 24:45. Finish: 40:00, 110th place. Average: 12:45.
Nice work Calvin! Congratulations on your first 5k of the year! You did a great job keeping yourself going as it got hard, and it was a lot of fun to see you working with your brother in the final portion of the race. I did some digging, and it looks like last year you didn't race until Twilight, which was a whole 2 weeks further into the season, so you're really off to a great start. Keep pushing yourself a little bit further every single day!
Nina - One mile: 7:22. Two mile: 15:14. Finish: 23:10, 55th place. Average: 7:28.
Congratulations Nina on your first 5k! You said you like to race longer distances and it showed. Your two mile split was only 6 seconds slower than your time at Sehome. You slowed down a little in the second mile but picked it up and finished strong. Your pace for the last mile was 7:13! I bet with more race experience you will be able to keep a consistent pace throughout the whole race. I noticed as you got tired your shoulders got tight and you weren’t using your arms as much. We will work on that for next time. Your season is off to a great start - I can’t wait to see what you accomplish this year!
Soren - One mile: 6:03. Two mile: 12:49. Finish: 19:48, 113th place. Average: 6:23.
Way to work hard Soren! That was definitely a tough race. Your first mile was about the same as at Okanogan, which is great! It looked like you didn't have as much in the tank as you would have liked, which is totally ok, given the amount of work we put in this week. Our goal is to have our best races at the end of the season, not the beginning, so we're going to keep working hard and run through the fatigue a bit. That will pay off in a big way down the road!
Maren - One mile: 7:23. Two mile: 15:07. Finish: 22:39, 40th place. Average: 7:18.
Incredible race Maren! Or in your words “Not bad”. And congrats on your first 5k. I don’t think you understand what a great job you did. You looked like an experienced racer - being patient during the first mile and then started reeling people in as you slowly worked your way up. You kept a consistent pace the first two miles and then put on the jets for a strong surge to the finish catching up to your teammates. Every time I saw you, you were relaxed and . Let’s work on keeping your eyes up and think about going out with Ingrid and Alida next time. You proved you are able to run with them. Way to go!
Dexter - One mile: 4:55. Two mile: 10:18. Finish: 15:49, 1st place. Average: 5:06.
Great job Dexter! Your average today was basically just as fast as your opening mile on Tuesday, despite the fact that you still ran the entire race by yourself (after the first 800 at least). You are definitely an incredibly consistent runner from one race to the next, and the fact that you're able to keep performing at this level is phenomenal. Your second mile was a bit slower, however with some more competition I know you'll be able to keep up the pace through the middle part of the race. Good luck in Boise next weekend!
Ingrid - One mile: 7:09. Two mile: 14:54. Finish: 22:35, 38th place. Average: 7:17.
Wow! Ingrid that was such a great race. I’m so happy your leg is getting better and you accomplished your goal to ‘feel good’ during the race. It was so fun to see you and Alida working well together. You slowed down a little in the second mile so that’s something we can work on and for the next race. You ran over two minutes faster than last year at Wenatchee and were only 10 seconds off your 5k PR. That’s incredible! You are in a great place for the rest of the season. The sky is the limit!
River - One mile: 6:15. Two mile: 13:02. Finish: 19:50, 11th place. Average: 6:24.
Congratulations on your first HS race! You got out fast and did a great job staying connected to that front pack. So close to top 10! You did slow down during the second mile which I always think is the hardest mile of the race. I bet with a few more weeks of training and workouts you will have more in the tank to race the middle part and stay consistent the whole race. This is a great starting place for the season. Keep it up!
Orlo - One mile: 6:40. Two mile: 13:29. Finish: 20:08, 127th place. Average: 6:30.
Well run Orlo! That's three really solid races in a row for you, and each one is even more impressive than the last. Your first two miles were 6:40 and 6:49, so you stayed very consistent in the middle of the race, then you absolutely turned it on for the finish, running about a 6:00 pace for the final 1.1 miles. That set you up for a nice PR and a run that was over 3.5 minutes faster than last year. What was really great to see is that you never lost contact with Liam, even though you were just a bit behind him for most of the race. Both of you are going to blow by the 20:00 mark soon!
Crispin - One mile: 6:25. Two mile: 13:40. Finish: 21:06, 29th place. Average: 6:48.
Nice job Crispin! That was a gutsy race. You went out hard in the first mile and you knew it. Even though might have paid for it in the second half of the race you stayed calm and hung in there. That’s valuable racing experience and you never know if you don’t try. You ran over a minute and a half faster than Tuesday - that’s awesome! Keep working hard and your times will keep dropping. Keep it up!
Elsa - One mile: 7:25. Two mile: 15:41. Finish: 24:03, 75th place. Average: 7:45.
Great job Elsa! I know you were worried about being on varsity and having your place matter for the team, but you crushed it! What an impressive first 5k. You went out fast the first mile but you dug deep and hung in there to finish strong. I think with a slightly more conservative first mile you will be able to keep a consistent pace throughout the whole race. Plus, once we have our full team back racing you will have more teammates to run and pace with. This is just a starting point and as we progress through the season, I’m sure you will keep improving on this PR. Keep up the awesome work!
Alida - One mile: 7:09. Two mile: 14:54. Finish: 22:37, 39th place. Average: 7:18.
Amazing race, Alida! That was such a fun race to watch! A PR in your first 5k of the season?! You are ready to run fast this season. You and Ingrid worked well together the whole race and I loved watching you two pass people so decisively. You did a great job of staying calm and running strong. We will work on getting the middle mile a little faster and keeping a consistent pace the whole race. But, you really picked it up the last mile and finished strong. Next week you get to crush some hills at your favorite course, Leavenworth. Keep up the great work!
Finn - One mile: 7:36. Two mile: 16:06. Finish: 24:36, 86th place. Average: 7:56.
Great run Finn! Today you looked much more like yourself, which was very exciting to see. I can tell that Tuesday was just a fluke, and you have very quickly returned to form. You got out pretty quick to the mile mark, striding through the long stretch along the river. You did slow down a bit for the second mile, but you dug deep and kept pushing through. Plus, you were about a minute faster than last year! You're off to a great start on the season, and with some more work you'll be able to bring your second mile down quite a lot. Keep going!
Sam - One mile: 6:15. Two mile: 13:05. Finish: 19:53, 120th place. Average: 6:25.
Well done Sam! You got out very fast, and you held on to the mile. Having Soren to chase probably helped you, especially during the second mile. You did slow down a bit, but you really kept battling with your pack. You did a great job keeping your eyes forward and staying in control during the middle of the race, and then you turned it on for the finish, ending up just a bit shy of your PR but still almost a minute faster than last year at Wenatchee. That's great! You have some gains in the middle of the race that we will work on. Keep running with your pack!
Tristan - One mile: 6:02. Two mile: 12:32. Finish: 19:05, 84th place. Average: 6:09.
Wow! Tristan, that was a phenomenal race this weekend. I could tell at the halfway mark that you were going to do something big, because you were fast and you looked calm, and a 13 second PR is definitely something big. Plus, you were over 1:30 faster than last year at Wenatchee. 6:02 is an excellent first mile (definitely faster than at Okanogan), and you did a good job running through the second mile. You definitely have some gains to make in the middle mile, because you really picked it up to the finish, and that's something we'll build on over the rest of the season. I'm so excited to see what you can do!
Elliot, Holden, & Benji -
Thank you all for coming along and supporting our team! Taking pictures, splits, and cheering are all very important parts of our program, and you performed admirably. It's definitely a bummer that you all weren't quite up for racing, but trust me, we would rather have all of you at the end of the season. It can be frustrating to not run due to injury, sickness, etc., but it's better to miss one race than an entire season. I hope you all had fun getting to run around and feel the atmosphere! Plus, Chipotle and froyo are always a nice treat.
