Washington Girls 3A Champ Wins Showdown With 4A Champ

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Loren Orr

With a week to reflect and re-plan, Ethan Coleman of Olympia learned from his mistakes and reversed the order on Isaac Teeples of Brave Souls (Kamiakin WA) for the Nike Cross Northwest regional title on Saturday at Eagle Island State Park in Idaho. 

Coleman charged up the final hill and worked the downhill side to build a five-second lead on Teeples that he was able to maintain through the finish line. His winning time was 15:09.0 to 15:16.7. 

"I had a terrible race a week ago," Coleman said. "Overcoming that mental block and racing my race was (my biggest challenge). 

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"I have such great respect for Isaac. Since Day 1 of his freshman year, he's been the king of Washington."

GRIT XC (US#15 Rocky Mountain ID) won the boys team championship, becoming the first Idaho school to win the NXR Northwest regional. 

Unlike previous editions of NXR Northwest, many of the top Oregon, Washington and Idaho athletes chose to skip this weekend's race and will run at the Northwest XC Championships next weekend at Arlington, Wash. 

However, 1,700 high school athletes did compete and have a culminating event on a picture-pefect day at Eagle Island State Park. 

IFXC Tigerstripes (Idaho Falls ID), which finished second to GRIT in the Idaho 5A finals (40-56) also finished second at the regional meet. GRIT XC scored 101 points and IFXC was next with 193 points. Brave Souls (Kamikin WA), the Washington 4A champion, was third with 202. 

In a showdown of the Washington 4A and 3A champions, US#18 Macy Marquardt (Kennewick WA) won a head-to-head race with US#21 Ella Borsheim (Bellarmine Prep WA) in their only meeting this fall. 

Marquardt grabbed onto the lead early and Borsheim was content to run off her shoulder through the middle of the race. Borsheim tried at least twice to pass and Marquardt responded each time. 

Borsheim dug into the final ascent of the course's hill, but then Marquardt retook the lead on the downhill and added to her lead in the sprint to the finish. 

Marquardt won the girls championship race in 17:27.8 and Borsheim was six seconds back in 17:33.9. 

"That was really hard," Marquardt said. "The last mile, Oh my God, I wanted to be done. 

"It was really cool (to race Borsheim). Ella's awesome and I really wanted to race her."

Sammamish Wolfpack (Eastlake WA), the Washington Class 4A team champion, added to the group's season laurels by capturing the NXR Northwest title with 87 points. GRIT XC Club (Rocky Mountain ID) finished second with 119 points. 

Idaho 4A individual champion Nelah Roberts (Skyline ID) finished third in the race with 17:50.1.