The Peninsula boys cross country team won the Class 3A South Puget Sound/Western Cascade Conference sub district cross country race at Fort Steilacoom last Saturday by placing five of its seven distance runners in the top 10.
They won the competition with a staggering 21 points. There was an 89-point separation between first and second-place Auburn Mountainview (110).
The Seahawks qualified for the West Central District competition this Saturday at the American Lake Golf Course with the landslide victory.
Peninsula senior Chris Borg smoked through the 3.1-mile course with a personal best time of 15 minutes, 49.6 seconds. He had been thinking about winning the race all week.
“My goal had been to break 16 (minutes) and I really wanted to at this course,” Borg said. “I just went out and hammered it.”
Not far behind him was teammate David Lee — who improved his 5,000 meter course record by 11 seconds — to place second with a lifetime best 16:04.6.
A trio of Seahawks (Curtis King, fifth,16:31.2, Nick Borg ,sixth, 16:32.8 and Joe Vaughn, seventh ,16:39.1) secured the team’s top finish in the sub district tournament.
The team received a tremendous boost from Vaughn. He PR’d by 42 seconds at the same course just 10 days earlier.
“I don’t even know where that came from,” Vaughn said about his performance. “I just hope I can keep it for the next two weeks.”
Peninsula cross country coach Joel Wingard said the team’s Achilles’ heel has been the gap between the team’s four and five runner.
“Joe is there now and he’s got to stay there,” Wingard said. “That was the big change today.”
Borg said seeing his teammates fall in line with his first-place finish is an even better feeling.
“To see the team do great is the best feeling in the world,” Borg said. “One of our weaknesses going into the meet was four solid guys in front and a gap between. Today, Joe stepped up and closed that gap. We’re looking a lot better with every race.”
The Seahawks placed all seven of its varsity runners in the top 25 with Mik Moore (15th, 17:05.4) and Jon Maurins (23rd, 17:19.3) rounding out the team’s impressive finish.
The Peninsula girls also won the sub district competition — by a far less margin — scoring 66 points and edging Enumclaw (74).
Bonney Lake’s Veronica Stinnett won (18:52.8) but PHS sophomore Addi Johnson placed second (19:13.6). Sophomore Rebecca Paradis (sixth, 19:52.4), junior Kristina Kordy (12th, 20:12.9) and senior Hannah George (13th, 20:20.4) all placed in the top 15.
Johnson landed a season best time but is looking to do even better with the district meet this Saturday.
“I was happy with second,” Johnson said. “Veronica is amazing. I just had to go out and do my best and run my race.”
The girls team lost to Enumclaw by one point during the regular season but should come into the final stretch of the season fully healthy.
Paradis was out for two weeks with a stress fracture in her foot. She contributed to the team’s winning.
“This is my first time back,” Paradis said. “It felt good. I knew I’d get somewhere around second.”
The Peninsula girls may have not ran away with the competition like the boys, but they were surely running away from swarms of yellow jackets.
Sub district crews delayed the boys and girls varsity races to get rid of at least two yellow jacket nests along the course.
The girls’ opening race aggravated the yellow jackets, causing a number of racers to be stung — including one Peninsula runner.
Districts will take place Saturday at the American Lake Golf Course. The Class 4A girls are scheduled to race at 1:30 p.m. Boys are scheduled to race at 3 p.m.
Boys
Senior Chris Borg — first (15:49.6) lifetime best
Senior David Lee — second (16:04.6) lifetime best
Sophomore Curtis King — fifth (16:31.2) lifetime best
Sophomore Nick Borg — sixth (16:32.8) lifetime best
Senior Joe Vaughn — seventh (16:39.1) lifetime best
Senior Mik Moore — 15th (17:05.4) lifetime PR
Senior Jon Maurins — 23rd (17:19.3) season best
Girls
Sophomore Addi Johnson — second (19:13.6) season best
Sophomore Rebecca Paradis — sixth (19:52.4) lifetime best
Junior Kristina Cordy — 12th (20:12.9)
Senior Hannah George — 13th (20:20.4) lifetime best
Freshman Amerlia Lauer — 34th (21:22.4) lifetime best
Sophomore Kelly Egge — 36th (21:53.1) lifetime best
Sophomore Molly Cordy — 50th (22:45.4)
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