Montesano’s Haley Schweppe won a state cross-country championship as we review a weekend full of state and district-title contests.
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PREP CROSS COUNTRY
Monte’s Schweppe wins state title
For the second consecutive season, a Twin Harbors-area student-athlete has won a state cross-country championship.
Montesano’s Haley Schweppe overtook Meridian’s Logan Ignacio with approximately a half-mile left to win the 1A State Girls Cross Country Championship on Saturday at the Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
Schweppe ran a time of 18:44.70 to best Ignacio (18:53.60) by nearly 10 seconds and shave nearly 13 seconds off her fifth-place state finish time from a season ago.
“It fills me with so much joy knowing that of all the girls out there, I was able to come out on top,” Schweppe said. “Every single one of those girls has put in so much work and it feels so great to be able to race amongst them and then end up coming out on top.”
Right at the second mile marker, Ignacio passed Schweppe, who kept pace and made her move to regain the lead with approximately a half-mile left in the 5K race..
Schweppe wouldn’t be caught as the Bulldogs super-sophomore crested the final hill and had nothing but green grass and the finish line in front of her, claiming the second-consecutive girls cross-country title for a Twin Harbors runner after Hoquiam senior Jane Roloff won the same race last year.
Montesano Bulldog Haley Schweppe is now a State cross-country champion. https://t.co/Aopzc4fe3d
— Daily World Sports (@DW_GHSports) November 10, 2024
Schweppe was joined by older sister Samantha Schweppe in the state’s top 10 as the Bulldogs senior placed ninth overall with a time of 19:33.40.
Monte’s Zoe Ray (20:06.60, 21st), Aiden “Phoebe” Bowe (20:07.00, 22nd) and Anna O’Conner (23:50.10, 130th) rounded out Montesano’s team score of 135 points to place third overall behind Cedar Park Christian (102 points) and Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) with 133 points.
In the 1A boys race, Elma sophomore Frank Roberts placed 11th with a time of 16:28.80 with Monte’s Benjamin Anderson placing 14th overall with a time of 16:33.20.
PHOTO BY DENNIS NELSON Elma’s Frank Roberts (right) competes in the 1A State Cross Country Championships on Saturday in Pasco.
Aberdeen’s Ailyn Haggard placed 15th in the 2A girls race with a time of 19:20.40 and Bobcats senior Henry Nelson finished 27th with a time of 16:33.20.
In the Unified race, Aberdeen’s Dillon Grove, assisted by senior Kyler Haggard, placed second in the state with a time of 13:42.00.
PHOTO BY DENNIS NELSON Aberdeen’s Ailyn Haggard (middle) placed 15th in the girls race of the 2A State Cross Country Champinoships on Saturday in Pasco.
Full results available at wiaa.com.
State placements for all Twin Harbors athletes are as follows:
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Local Results
2A State Championships
Boys: 27, Henry Nelson, Aberdeen, 16:33.20. 80, Cecil Gumaelius, Aberdeen, 17:18.80.
Girls: 15th, Ailyn Haggard, Aberdeen, 19:20.40.
Co-ed Unified: 2, Aberdeen (Dillon Grove, Kyler Haggard), 13:42.00.
1A State Championships
Boys: 11, Frank Roberts, Elma, 16:28.80. 14, Benjamin Anderson, Montesano, 16:33.20. 28, Ryker Maxfield, Hoquiam, 16:45.90. 148, Colton Sweet, Montesano, 19:52.20.
Girls: 1, Haley Schweppe, Montesano, 18:44.70. 9, Samantha Schweppe, Montesano, 19:33.40. 21, Zoe Ray, Montesano, 20:06.60. 22, Aiden “Phoebe” Bowe, Montesano, 20:07.00. 64, Georgie Burkhart, Elma, 21:42.80. 129, Braelyn McGinn, Elma, 23:48.70, 130, Anna O’Conner, Montesano, 23:50.10. 134, Emily Anderson, Montesano, 23:57.10. 143, Alice Nelson, 24:39.80. 144, Destiny Whipple, Elma, 24:39.80.
2B State Championships
Boys: 124, Jeremiah Eastman, North Beach, 20:50.80. 128, Sawyer Reither, North Beach, 21:05.70. 132, Kenneth Frank, North Beach, 21:21.20.
2B/1B State Championships
Girls: 77, Kaitlyn Ganzel, Willapa Valley, 23:25.90. 95, Jasmine Solso, Willapa Valley, 24:18.10. 115, Lorelei Smaciarz, Willapa Valley, 26:37.60. 129, Denahli Hoylman, North Beach, 27:54.40. 134, Anna Perkins, Willapa Valley, 28:32.70. 136, Jayna Britt, North Beach, 28:51.60. 142, Ellie Zielesch, Willapa Valley, 35:10.00. 143, Reagan Seely, Willapa Valley, 39:19.20. 144, Darby Richter, Willapa Valley, 44:21.50.
1B State Championships
Boys: 45, Colton Kempton, Willapa Valley, 19:23.40.
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SUBMITTED PHOTO The Willapa Valley Vikings pose for a photo after placing second in the 1B District 4 Volleyball Tournament after a 3-2 loss to Taholah on Saturday in Oakville.
PREP VOLLEYBALL
Taholah 3, Willapa Valley 0
Taholah raised a 1B District 4 Championship trophy after defeating Willapa Valley in straight-sets on Saturday in Oakville.
The Chitwhins (16-3 overall) defeated the Vikings (13-6) by scores of 25-21, 28-26 and 25-13 to win the district title at Oakville High School.
“Although feeling a lot of confidence and momentum coming off a big win Thursday evening to secure a state berth, tonight we struggled to play as a team,” Valley head coach Chelsea Kempton said. “Volleyball is tough, sometimes the momentum is there and sometimes it’s not. We left the door open a few too many times against a really good Taholah team. At the same time, we have accomplished so much together to get to this championship match. … I want them to know how proud of them we are for working so hard to place second in the district. We’re excited to experience state playoffs again this year and have high expectations for what we’re capable of doing.”
Taholah enters the 1B State Tournament as a No. 6 seed and will face No. 11 Neah Bay at 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday at the SunDome in Yakima.
Willapa Valley is the No. 12 seed and will face No. 5 Darrington at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Yakima.
Willapa Valley 21 26 13 – 0
Taholah 25 28 25 – 3
Leading players: Willapa Valley – Barnum (4 aces, 4 digs, 2 kills); Channell (2 aces, 3 kills, 2 blocks, 7 assists); Hodel (ace, 6 digs, 2 kills); Neva (8 digs); Ruddell (7 digs); Matlock (5 digs, 7 assists); Keeton (2 digs, 2 blocks); Hurley (7 kills, 2 blocks, dig); Sheary (assist).
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Other games
1A District 4 elimination game
Kalama 3, Montesano 2 (Montesano eliminated)
