Inglemoor boys tie for first with Issaquah in 4A KingCo cross-country meets

By Andy Nystrom • October 12, 2017 4:30 pm
Inglemoor, Bothell and Mount Si boys runners compete on Oct. 11 at Mount Si Golf Course. Evan Pappas/Reporter Newspapers
Inglemoor, Bothell and Mount Si boys runners compete on Oct. 11 at Mount Si Golf Course. Evan Pappas/Reporter Newspapers

Inglemoor High’s boys cross-country runners stick together on and off the course.

They’re a close-knit team, said coach Kelly Richards, and she’s impressed at how they’ve performed this season by finishing the 4A KingCo regular season tied for first with Issaquah. Both teams sport 7-1 records and Issaquah beat Inglemoor by just four points at the start of the season.

The Viks’ top seven runners “have been working hard all season long,” said Richards, who added that they attended the White Pass Running Camp over the summer and were named the camp’s outstanding team.

Leading the way are senior Ray Vernon, whose top time in the 5K races is 15 minutes, 55 seconds; and sophomore Cooper Laird and senior Brayden Schultz, who both sport best marks of 16 minutes, 20 seconds. Other top runners are seniors Liam Elias, Bryce Lane and Andrew Vernon and junior Jonathan Tinker.

Richards said that Inglemoor’s top five runners are all within 40 seconds of each other.

“We have a strong pack of runners who have been very consistent in their training,” Richards said. “Nobody wants to be the superstar. They all just wanna work together.”

Tops in the leadership department are four-year varsity runners and captains Schultz and Elias.

The KingCo championship meet is Oct. 21 at Lake Sammamish State Park.

North Creek’s Banga running strong

Another top Northshore runner on the boys’ side is North Creek junior Amrit Banga, whose best time is 16:23, which he notched at the Wenatchee XC Invitational. In KingCo action, he nailed a 16:34 in his victory against Inglemoor and Skyline.

Bothell boys finish 6-2 in league

Bothell’s boys finished 6-2 in league and are led by Tyler and Brandon Schenck, Brandon Simmons, Shane Barringer, Dylan Lennon and Zack Chupik.

Simmons has run a 16:48 and Tyler Schenck and Brandon Schenck have notched 17:10 and 17:20, respectively, but have yet to run their best races, according to coach and dad Shelby Schenck. The brothers have been hampered by injuries this season.

The Cougar coach said that if they’re healthy, Tyler Schenck and Simmons could unleash their best races and run under 16:30 at the KingCo meet and qualify for state.

Northshore girls’ top runners

On the Northshore 4A girls’ side, Bothell’s Monserrat Lopez is tops with a 19:20.5 and Liza Yusem follows with a 19:50.4. For Inglemoor, Olivia Wisont leads the Viks with a 19:41.2. For North Creek, Mallory Longdon’s top time is 23:34.

For Cedar Park Christian on the 1A side, Grant Gorc is the Eagles’ top runner with a 17:59.9 and Analia Johnson has a 21:08.1 for the Eagles girls’ top time.