By Doug Petrowski

MTHS junior Jack Pearce and freshman Ella Schroth qualified for the WIAA State Cross Country Championships with their finishes at Saturday’s 3A District 1 meet in Lakewood. Pearce finished third in the boys field with a time of 16:16.9 over the 5000 meter course at Lakewood High School; Schroth placed 13th in the girls field with a time of 19:49.1.

Senior Conner Jungkuntz of Ferndale topped the boys field Saturday, finishing the course in 16:13.6, comfortably in front of the second-place runner, senior Carter Osborne from Shorecrest. In the girls field, four of the top five finishers were from Glacier Peak, with Grizzlies senior Amy-Eloise Neale placing first with a time of 17:13.5, almost 50 seconds ahead of her closest competitor.

The Mountlake Terrace boys just missed out on qualifying for the state meet as a team, finishing fourth among the eleven schools competing at districts. The top three teams going to state are Oak Harbor, Glacier Peak and Shorewood. On the girls side, the Hawks placed seventh among the 11-team field; Glacier Peak, Oak Harbor and Stanwood teams qualified for the state championships.

Pearce, Schroth and other state qualifiers will compete for state honors on Saturday, Nov. 3, at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco. The girls 3A field, in which Schroth will be a participant, takes off at 12:30 p.m. Pearce, and the rest of the boys 3A field, will run at 2 p.m. The 3A awards ceremony is scheduled for 2:50 p.m.

The State Cross Country Championships runs all day on Saturday, with the first race, the wheelchair division, starting at 9:30 a.m. The final race, the boys 4A championship, begins at 2:30. Admission for spectators is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors 62 and old, students 5-11, and students 12 and older with valid high school and middle school ASB cards.

District 1 3A Cross Country Championships team results (Lakewood H.S., Oct. 27)
Boys Teams:

1. Oak Harbor  67

2. Glacier Peak  77

3. Shorewood  98

4. Mountlake Terrace  114

5. Stanwood  115

6. Ferndale  135

7. Shorecrest  176

8. Meadowdale  196

9. Everett  211

10. Marysville-Pilchuck  259

11. Marysville Getchell  274

Girls Teams:

1. Glacier Peak  21

2. Oak Harbor  83

3. Stanwood  97

4. Marysville Getchell  126

5. Shorecrest  133

6. Ferndale  168

7. Mountlake Terrace  182

8. Shorewood  212

9. Meadowdale  221

10. Everett  254

11. Marysville-Pilchuck  280