As the Mountlake Terrace boys and girls cross country teams head into the final weeks of their 2014 season, coach Todd Weber is anticipating some strong results from his squads.

“From a progression standpoint, I feel we have arrived to this part of the season in top form and are ready to crank out some huge races in the next two to three weeks,” Weber said. “It’s going to be exciting seeing some great team and individual efforts.”

The Hawks will be running in the Wesco 3A Championships this Saturday, Oct. 25, at Lakewood High School in north Snohomish County. Races begin at 10a.m.

The girls team enter the league championship meet coming off an Edmonds District Meet win Oct. 16 where the squad placed five runners in the top eight finishers.

Weber has high hopes for the girls at the Wesco Championships on Saturday.

“I think the girls are co-favorites, along with the defending state champs Glacier Peak,” he said. “It should be a lot of fun to see how it unfolds. We are healthy and have a good game plan; I expect good things from the gals.”

The league championship is expected to be a showdown between Glacier Peak and the Hawks. Terrace has one win over the Grizzlies this season when they slipped by Glacier Peak by just four points at a four-team meet at Mountlake Terrace High School on Oct. 9. The most recent 3A prep coaches cross country poll has the Grizzlies holding down the No. 3 ranking in the state; Terrace is ranked at No. 4.

It’s been a topsy-turvy year for the Terrace boys, but Weber believes the squad can hold their own against some strong Wesco teams this weekend.

“The varsity boys have been running a little like a roller coaster the past few weeks, a lot of ups and downs, but if the Edmonds Championships are any indication of the next couple of weeks I think our boys can place in the top six of our league,” Weber said.

The Wesco meet features two boys squads with top ten rankings in the state prep coaches poll (Glacier Peak  No. 4 and Arlington No. 9) and an Edmonds-Woodway team that ran away from the competition at last week’s Edmonds District meet.

Weber liked the way Terrace boys team ran against the Warriors in that Oct. 16 meet.

“The varsity boys upped their intensity and made E-W sweat the first half of the race.” Weber said.

No matter the outcomes at the League Championship meet, the Hawks will be competing the following Saturday, Nov. 1, in the Northwest District Championships at South Whidbey High School in Langley. The top three teams and top 15 individual runners at districts qualify for the state championships Nov. 8 in Pasco.

– By Doug Petrowski

Edmonds District Cross Country Championships, Oct. 16 (2.8 mile course, Lynndale Park)

Girls team results
Mountlake Terrace              23
Edmonds-Woodway             50
Lynnwood                            55
Meadowdale                        86

Boys team results
Edmonds-Woodway             24
Mountlake Terrace              50
Meadowdale                        70
Lynnwood                            90

Top MTHS individual girls results
2. Katherine Gustafson       18:27
3. Katherine Walter             18:31
4. Jessica Ong                    18:55
6. Ella Schroth                    19:08
8. Marika Jamtaas               19:24
19. Maddie Dellinger           22:00

Top MTHS individual boys results
4. Daniel Medhane              16:02
7. Nick Leidig                       16:13
9. Braeden Sims                  16:25
14. Taron Castleton             16:42
16. Jaden Yackley                16:44
18. Conrad Bratz                  16:48

MTHS next meet: at the Wesco Championships, Saturday, Oct. 25, Lakewood High School, 10 a.m.