SPOKANE -- The Kamiakin girls cross country team is not a brash and boisterous bunch -- not publicly, anyway -- but the statement the Braves made Saturday easily will be heard all over the state.
Stephanie Rexus and Michelle Fletcher finished 3-4 and led a Braves barrage as all five scoring runners placed in the top 15 at the Eastern Washington 3A regional girls meet at Wandermere Golf Course.
Kamiakin finished with just 31 points, less than half the score of two-time defending regional champ Shadle Park (63).
"I'm so proud of this team," Fletcher said. "Everybody stepped up to do what they had to.
"It feels kind of unreal. We're just normal people. Our school has only ever won one other regional title, and that was in 2003. Our goal is to match that team."
Last year, the Braves finished a point behind Shadle for the regional crown and went on to place fourth at state.
Mount Spokane picked up the region's third berth to next week's state meet at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco. The Wildcats got 64 points, one fewer than Southridge.
Suns senior Rachel Dahl, who placed sixth to earn a return trip to state, hoped to bring an entire team with her to cap her high school career.
"I wish I ran better for the team," said Dahl, who finished 19th at state last year. "I was really hoping we would qualify for state. We were really hoping to be the first (Southridge girls team) to qualify.
"We have a good group of hard-working girls, and I was hoping to make it to state with them."
Instead, Dahl must settle for having one teammate at state as freshman Emily Kump placed 10th. Junior Leslie Olsen just missed the cut, finishing 16th. The top 15 individuals and three teams advance.
Rexus and Fletcher were followed by teammates Sydney Blaser (ninth), Natalie Cory (13th) and Brittany Brooks (14th).
"They ran absolutely perfect," Braves coach Shaun Suss said. "It played out exactly what we were hoping for -- best-case scenario."
At Wandermere Golf Course (5K)
Team scores (top 3 to state)--Kamiakin 31, Shadle Park 63, Mount Spokane 64, Southridge 65, Hanford 139, Eastmont 143. Top 15--Katie Knight (NC) 17:57; Kendra Weitz (SP) 18:19; Stephanie Rexus (Kam) 18:40; Michelle Fletcher (Kam) 19:13; Molly Cole (MS) 19:32; Rachel Dahl (SR) 19:45; Brooklin Young (MS) 19:49; Courtney Sherick (U-Hi) 19:50; Sydney Blaser (Kam) 20:03; Emily Kump (SR) 20:08; Elizabeth Smith (U-Hi) 20:14; Ashlie Standow (U-Hi) 20:18; Natalie Cory (Kam) 20:21; Brittany Brooks (Kam) 20:30; Kellie Duchow (MS) 20:32. Kamiakin--3, Rexus; 4, Fletcher; 9, Blaser; 13, Corey; 14, Brooks; 29, Erica Colvin 21:35; 47, Samantha Meadows 22:46. Southridge--6, Dahl; 10, Kump; 16, Leslie Olsen 20:33; 19, Michaela McCune 20:39; 33, Annie Samuelson 21:49; 46, Jamie Callahan 22:45; 48, Morgan McCune 22:49. Hanford--30, Beverly McCarthy 21:37; 34, Haley Porter 21:50; 38, Sofia Sanchez 22:09; 39, Liliana Rasmussen 22:17; 44, Phenix Kline 22:43; 45, Bethany Dorian 22:43; 49, Bailey LePage 22:56. Kennewick--57, Joanna Martinez 24:08; 58, Chelsea Winden 24:09; 59, Zoe Lucke 24:20; 61, Crystal Mejia 26:19. Pasco--36, Andrea Bonnington 22:02; 62, Cassandra Perez 26:31. Sunnyside--53, Kayla Gonzalez 23:11; 54, Betsy Reynoso 23:21; 60, Aidee Cisneros 24:56.
Team scores (top 3 to state)--Kamiakin 31, Shadle Park 63, Mount Spokane 64, Southridge 65, Hanford 139, Eastmont 143. Top 15--Katie Knight (NC) 17:57; Kendra Weitz (SP) 18:19; Stephanie Rexus (Kam) 18:40; Michelle Fletcher (Kam) 19:13; Molly Cole (MS) 19:32; Rachel Dahl (SR) 19:45; Brooklin Young (MS) 19:49; Courtney Sherick (U-Hi) 19:50; Sydney Blaser (Kam) 20:03; Emily Kump (SR) 20:08; Elizabeth Smith (U-Hi) 20:14; Ashlie Standow (U-Hi) 20:18; Natalie Cory (Kam) 20:21; Brittany Brooks (Kam) 20:30; Kellie Duchow (MS) 20:32. Kamiakin--3, Rexus; 4, Fletcher; 9, Blaser; 13, Corey; 14, Brooks; 29, Erica Colvin 21:35; 47, Samantha Meadows 22:46. Southridge--6, Dahl; 10, Kump; 16, Leslie Olsen 20:33; 19, Michaela McCune 20:39; 33, Annie Samuelson 21:49; 46, Jamie Callahan 22:45; 48, Morgan McCune 22:49. Hanford--30, Beverly McCarthy 21:37; 34, Haley Porter 21:50; 38, Sofia Sanchez 22:09; 39, Liliana Rasmussen 22:17; 44, Phenix Kline 22:43; 45, Bethany Dorian 22:43; 49, Bailey LePage 22:56. Kennewick--57, Joanna Martinez 24:08; 58, Chelsea Winden 24:09; 59, Zoe Lucke 24:20; 61, Crystal Mejia 26:19. Pasco--36, Andrea Bonnington 22:02; 62, Cassandra Perez 26:31. Sunnyside--53, Kayla Gonzalez 23:11; 54, Betsy Reynoso 23:21; 60, Aidee Cisneros 24:56.
Class 4A
In the 4A race, a quartet of Mid-Columbians qualified for state: Richland's Lindsey Bradley (third) and Lauren Perry (12th), and Walla Walla's Rachel Nelson (sixth) and Hannah Hampson (14th).
The Bombers have qualified a runner for state in eight consecutive seasons. They finished in fourth, 22 points away from a team berth despite having just one senior among their varsity seven.
For Nelson, a junior, it is her third top-10 finish at regionals. Her day went exactly as planned.
She was pleased to finally have some company at state with Hampson, who finished 44th at regionals last year but jumped up 30 spots.
"She's improved so much," Nelson said.
Bradley, a freshman, finished a second behind second-place finisher Mayra Chavez of Eisenhower. Fellow Bomber freshman Sidney Bullock just missed a state berth, placing 17th.
For Perry, who played volleyball at this time last year, the trip to state comes after placing third in the 800 meters in track last spring and seventh in the 1,600.
"I wanted to see if I could go to state in cross country also," the sophomore said. "I feel pretty good about how I did. I didn't train at all this summer. I hope to just keep getting better."
* Kevin Anthony: 509-582-1403; kanthony@tricityherald.com
Team scores (top 3 to state)--Eisenhower 68, Lewis & Clark 93, Central Valley 100, Richland 122, Walla Walla 125, Wenatchee 147, Mead 150, Gonzaga Prep 157, Davis 200, Ferris 286, Moses Lake 296, Rogers 340.
Top 15--Kaitlin Kaluzny (Dav) 18:31; Mayra Chavez (Ike) 18:43; Lindsey Bradley (Rich) 18:44; Elise Tello (Ike) 18:45; Cyra Carlson (GP) 19:11; Rachel Nelson (WW) 19:20; Raquel Thody (Wen) 19:31; Alexandria Moore (CV) 19:32; Taylor Cherry (GP) 19:32; Danielle Maldanado (Md) 19:33; Hannah Allen (LC) 19:33; Lauren Perry (Rich) 19:37; Gracie Ledwith (LC) 19:41; Hannah Hampson (WW) 19:48; Alison Keenan (LC) 19:53.
Richland--3, Bradley; 12, Perry; 17, Sidney Bullock 19:57; 44, Aubrey Callahan 21:04; Jamie Taylor 21:05; 47, Kylie Bosch 21:08; 68, Kayla Watson 21:48.
Walla Walla--6, Nelson; 14, Hampson; 19, Catherine Feistner 20:07; 33, Lea Davidson 20:45; 53, Jocelyn Vargas 21:20; 63, Jenny Walla 21:42; 73, Mckelle Willwand 22:33.
Moses Lake--40, Julia Sheremet 20:54; 45, Hannah Marsh 21:04; 65, Gloria Saucedo 21:43; 71, Madeline Wallace 22:109; 75, Vera Monlux 23:34.
SCAC districts
COWICHE -- Wahluke placed second behind Zillah to earn a team berth. Ki-Be's Kyle Turner finished fifth, with the top 10 individual girls advancing to state.
At Apple Ridge
Cowiche (3 miles)
Girls
Team scores (Top 2 to state)--1, Zillah 31; 2, Wahluke 54; 3, Cle Elum 77; 4, Royal 87; 5, Connell 116; 6, Naches Valley 135; 7, Goldendale 180.
Top 10 (advance to state)--1, Olivia Newman (Hld) 20:09.8; 2, Claire McIntyre (Hld) 20:38.1; 3, Criselda Diaz (Zil) 22:02.3; 4, Carina Moreno (Roy) 22:06.5; 5, Kyla Turner (KB) 22:16.0; 6, Jamie Lambert (CE) 22:20.3; 7, Haily Sechser (Zil) 22:22.5; 8, Maria Juarez (Wah) 22:33.7; 9, Anna Skiba (CE) 22:38.7; 10, Britten Ellis (Zil) 22:43.0.
Columbia Burbank--21, Christina Reusenauer 23:51.7; 30, Rachel Roberts 25:00.0.
Connell--15, Haleigh Noyes 23:18.7; 22, Delia Barragan 23:54.7; 25, Rachel Eskildsen 24:24.3; 40, Alexandra Miguel 25:50.1; 45, Brenda Rodriguez 26:12.7; 48, Emalee Loeber 26:42.9.
Kiona-Benton--5, Kyla Turner 22:16.0; 29, Jessica Lewis 24:49.3; 35, Victoria Heninger 25:22.1; 37, Shelby Johnson 25:41.7.
Royal--Moreno; 19, Ana Delos Santos 23:37.0; 24, Sam Eilers 24:20.2; 27, Brea Diaz 24:32.1; 38, Maritza Garcia 25:42.0; 42, Bianca Lopez 25:56.0; 44, Dory Floren 26:07.0.
Wahluke--Juarez; 12, Silvia Herrera 22:57.5; 13, Linda Achelpohl 23:04.2; 18, Thalia Quintero 23:34.7; 20, Mariela Nava 23:37.2; 50, Cristal Reyes 27:25.6.
