By Oliver Lazenby
Blaine’s cross country team may be inexperienced, but its leaders are hanging with top runners from other schools this season.
Blaine’s Jamie Good ran for a personal best in the 5K on September 23, at the Mount Baker Invitational at Silver Lake.
She finished in 21 minutes and 9 seconds, making her the top Borderite at the invitational and the sixth girl to finish the race against athletes from eight schools.
As a team, the Blaine girls placed fifth out of the five scoring teams (those with at least five runners). The boys’ team finished eighth out of nine teams, beating Everett’s Mariner High School.
Blaine cross country runners head toward the finish line during a September 20 race at Lake Padden. Photo by Oliver Lazenby.
Good, a leader of the Borderite cross country team, ran all summer and has smashed her previous best times this season. Her personal best at Silver Lake was more than seven minutes faster than her time on the same course last year.
She’s near the top 10 in the district and will have a shot at qualifying for state, Blaine head coach Fryth Rasar said.
In his first race of the season, Dylan Grimme was Blaine boys’ top finisher as he crossed the line in 18 minutes and 31 seconds.
“He didn’t run last year so he’s got a bit of catching up to do, but he ran all summer,” Rasar said at the beginning of the season. “I expect him in the end to blow everybody away.”
Liam Lyons, Blaine’s second boys finisher at Silver Lake, finished in 19 minutes and 5 seconds. Both Lyons and Grimme will be in contention for making it to state this season.
The rest of the team, including many who have never run cross country before, is also improving, Rasar said.
“They’ve been working real hard and their times are starting to drop,” Rasar said. “They’re such hard workers and we’re all having a really good time.”
Taylee McCormick also ran for a personal best at Silver Lake, finishing in 23 minutes and 37 seconds.
Also last week, in a September 20 meet at Lake Padden against Squalicum and Sedro-Woolley, Good finished fifth for the girls and Lyons came in sixth for the boys. The Blaine teams placed third behind bigger teams from Squalicum and Sedro-Woolley.
Blaine’s next race is the Twilight Invitational on Saturday, September 30, at Cedarcrest Golf Course in Marysville.
