WP Runners Make High Marks At State

PASCO - WP cross country runners went to state this week, setting high scores among over a dozen other schools from all over Washington competing at the Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco on Saturday.

Sophomore Seth Deal placed fourth in the state in the men's varsity 5,000 meter race, with a time of 16: 46.7. Although runners from Lacey, St. George and Republic took the top three spots, Deal beat his own 2009 record for the same race by more than a minute. As a freshman, Deal finished the race in 18:04.

Other WP varsity runners were senior Nick Carpenter, who placed 31st out of 129 competitors with 17:53.2, senior Matthew Montgomery, 82nd place, with 19:19.9, freshman E.J. Meserve, 95th place, with 19:41.3, freshman Erik Sandoval, 101st place with 19:57.9, and freshman Ben Moser, 121st place, with 21:09.4.

Senior Isabel Benito, the only young woman from WP to run at state, placed 32nd out of 69 runners with a time of 22:08.4.

The WP boys team placed 7th out of 16 teams. The girls did not race a team.

This was the third consecutive year the Cardinals have gone to state for cross country, and the fourth time in seven years, said coach Joanna Lanning.