X-C AT SEAPORT INVITE

CLARKSTON - WP X-C runners raced the 3 mile Seaport Invite at Clarkston's Beachview Park on Saturday. The course includes one mile on the grass, a second mile on a packed trail with a gradual decline and a big hill for the finish.

Landon Callas was the first WP mens runner in with a time of 20:10.34, followed closely by Skylar Wood with a time of 20:14.88. Callas placed 37th out of 72 runners and Wood placed 39th. The boys placed 7th and 8th among 2B runners. The remainder of the boys' team packed together with Tom House finishing in 21:45.98 at 57th, Robert Walsh in 22:06.03 at 59th and Joe Leamy in 22:41.25 at 62nd. The entire boy's team made PRs on the course.

"For the guys, we'd somewhat arbitrarily set the goal of 10 seconds per mile faster than last week, even though it was a longer course. Each of them put in a great effort, some working through sickness and niggling calf trouble, and most either met or exceeded the goal. It was fun to watch Joe get a glint in his eye, even as he struggled up the last hill, when I told him he might get to have eagle for lunch. (He was about 25 feet behind a St. John runner). He hit the gas and beat him by 20 seconds!" said coach Dan Nechedom.

Emily Adams ran the course in 21:05.48, placing second to Asotins Lucy Eggelston (19:10.84) among 2B runners and eighth overall. Eggelston placed first, overall. "Emily ran about the same time as last year on this course, and at a faster pace than she did last week. She hung at about 15th place for most of the race, then charged the quarter-mile hill at the end, passing several runners. She gunned it to catch a fellow District 9 athlete, racing her all the way to the finish and diving across the line to beat her for 8th place, and 2nd among D9 runners," said Nechedom.

WP X-C will race next at Johnson Park in Richland on the 24th and at Lewiston Orchards on the 27th.