Eatonville Girls Finish Second, Punch Ticket to State in Pasco

The Eatonville High School girls cross country team battled the elements and a crowded field at Chambers Creek on Saturday, finishing second overall out of 16 teams at the Westside Classic district meet to punch their ticket to the state championships.

Following their second place overall finish at the Westside Class meet, the Eatonville girls cross country team stopped to pose for a photo. Photo: Geoff Olson

Despite cold, muddy conditions that Head Coach Geoff Olson described as "tough," the Lady Cruisers delivered a dominant performance, securing one of the top four team spots required to advance to Pasco next weekend.

"The kids ran really well," Olson said. "The boys battled in really tough conditions—wind, rain, mud—they endured it all."

The girls team was led by a trio of top-15 finishes. Senior Grace Coonrod finished second overall in the 5,000-meter race, crossing the line with a blistering time of 20 minutes, 35.9 seconds. She was closely followed by senior Bridget Stumph, who took 13th place with a time of 22:21.0, and junior Hannah Bieker, who finished 14th in 22:24.2.

Completing the scoring for Eatonville were sophomore Audrey Mullins (31st, 23:48.1) and freshman Jenny Lowe (36th, 24:00.0). All five scoring runners will compete at the state meet.

On the boys' side, the grueling conditions led to an individual triumph for senior Colton Rush. Rush finished 13th overall in a field of 93 runners, clocking a time of 18:05.1. With the top 28 individual finishers advancing, Rush secured his spot at the state meet.

Other notable performances for the Eatonville boys included Gabriel Kolsrud (34th, 19:10.3) and Titus Lowe (53rd, 19:46.1). While the boys did not qualify as a team, Rush will represent the Cruisers in the state competition.

The WIAA State Cross Country Championships will take place Saturday, Nov. 8, in Pasco, Wash., where the girls team and Colton Rush will compete against the state’s best.