Before Saturday’s WIAA State Championship girls cross country race at the formidable Sun Willows Golf Course track in Pasco, Hoquiam head coach Dave Beeler had some fortuitous words for his star senior Jane Roloff.

“I told her this morning, ‘Only one person is going to PR on this course today, and that’s going to be you,’” he said to Roloff, who entered the meet with the fourth-best time in the 1A class this season and fresh off a second-place finish at the district championships nine days prior. “It’s not a personal-best course, unless you’re Jane.”

Beeler’s words proved to be prophetic as Roloff conquered the hilly course by sticking to her game plan, running a personal-best 18:28.00 while smiling with tears in her eyes as she broke the tape to win the 1A state championship.

The strategy, according to Beeler, was for Roloff to “go out a little conservative” and stay with the lead pack for the first two miles. Then, if the opportunity presented itself, leave the field in the dust.

“I went up to her (just before the start of the race) and said, ‘Here’s the deal: Be competitive for the first two miles. If you feel good at two miles, take off,’” Beeler said. “That’s exactly what she did. She ran really tough.”

Roloff was in the hunt with the lead pack that included Montesano freshman phenom and 1A District 4 champion Haley Schweppe through the first mile, sitting around fourth to fifth place.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Montesano’s Haley Schweppe (1298) and Hoquiam’s Jane Roloff (1243) stay with the lead pack during the first mile of the 1A State Championship girls cross country meet on Saturday in Pasco. Roloff would go on to win the state championship with Schweppe placing fifth overall.

At the two-mile mark of the 5K (3.1 miles) race, Roloff found herself in first place with about a one-second lead over Port Townsend’s Aaliyah Cassidy Yearian, who entered the race the favorite with the top 1A-class time in the state.

With approximately a half-mile to go, Yearian and Roloff were in a stride-for-stride dead heat approaching the final hill. That’s when Roloff turned on the afterburners to leave Yearian in her wake.

“Jane hit that last hill and barrelled it,” Beeler said. “Yearian had no response for her.”

After cresting the hill with about 200 meters left, Roloff gazed upon the finish line adorned with unbroken tape and realized she was in the lead and on the verge of becoming a state champion.

“She just started smiling and crying,” said Beeler, who added his enthusiasm over the moment got the better of him. “I was running along the fence in the infield and I actually tripped and fell. My phone went flying and I ended up taking a picture of the grass. I get up to get my phone and a lady goes, ‘Are you OK?’ because I’ve got tears running down my eyes. I was just extatic.”

By the time Beeler reached his newly-crowned state champion, Roloff was as relaxed and humble as she has been throughout her impressive prep career.

“Jane was calm,” Beeler said. “She was over there giving an interview before I got to the finish line.”

Roloff’s splits were 5:51 for the first mile, 6:02 for the second and 6:35 for the third to win by 10.8 seconds over Yearian. She was the only competitor among the leaders to run a personal-best time, proving Beeler’s words earlier in the day to be prophetic.

Competing in her first state-championship meet, Schweppe placed fifth overall with a time of 18:57.50.

Montesano’s Samantha Schweppe placed 18th overall for the district-champion Bulldogs with a time of 20:11.00.

Montesano took fifth overall as a team with 172 points and an average time of 22:09.6.

Contributing to Monte’s overall team score was Zoe Ray (21:24.20, 47th), Asha Harris (22:06.30, 78th), Alayna Olson (22:22.80, 97th), Alice Nelson (24:13.80, 137th) and Aurelia Martens (25:51.80, 147th).

Full race results can be viewed at wiaa.com/tournament-xcc.

Other Twin Harbors athletes competing in their respective state-championship races are as follows:

SUBMITTED PHOTO Ocosta senior Rebekah Stone (1145) placed 30th overall at the 1B/2B State Championship girls cross country race on Saturday at the Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.

Local Results

1A Boys: 35, Benny Anderson, Montesano, 17:21.30. 64, Frank Roberts, Elma, 17:49.80. 95, Jesse Anderson, Montesano, 18:10.10.

2A Boys: 34, Henry Nelson, Aberdeen, 16:54.90.

2A Girls: 20, Ailyn Haggard, Aberdeen, 19:58.50. 30, Mia Hallak, Aberdeen, 20:24.00.

1B/2B Boys: 97, Atticus Pullius, North Beach, 19:30.50.

1B/2B Girls: 30, Rebekah Stone, Ocosta, 22:11.80. 53, Kaitlyn Ganzel, Willapa Valley, 23:54.40. 55, Jasmine Solso, Willapa Valley, 23:57.30.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Aberdeen’s Ailyn Haggard, left, and Mia Hallak placed 20th and 30th, respectively, at the WIAA 2A State championship girls cross country race on Saturday in Pasco.