For the second year in a row, the Running Club from Brier Terrace Middle School did some ash kicking at a 5K adventure run in southwest Washington.

The group competed in the 5K Ash Kicker Run last month at the Toutle River Resort near Castle Rock, a fundraising event for the United Way of Cowlitz/Wahkiakum Counties. Adorned in “Wolfpack — Team Carl” T-shirts, the students, a BTMS staff member and a few parents braved a course complete with barriers to climb, ice-cold water to crawl through and mud pits to navigate.

The T-shirts had special meaning for the group: Wolfpack refers to the BTMS cross country team and gives a nod to the school’s mascot, the bulldog; Team Carl is in honor of Carl Hess, son of BTMS staff members James and Heidi Sullivan. Carl is currently recovering from a battle with leukemia. “The BTMS Running Club was proud to wear his name on our uniform and honor his fight with cancer,” said Ryan Treadway, BTMS Cross Country and Running Team Coach.

The BTMS Running Club had competitors finish in the top 10 in both the females ages 13-19 and the males ages 13-19 categories in the adventure run. Olivia Olson and Marika Jamtaas placed third and fourth respectively, with times of 36:52 and 37:03 over the 5K course. Kendall Yackley posted a time of 34:40 and placed tenth.

Other BTMS students completing the course were Graeme Hafford, with a time of 36:58, and Nicky Reeb, with a time of 42:46.

“Everyone had a great weekend and is looking forward to next year,” Treadway noted.