Freshmen Propel Rams To 2Nd Place

2A

It’s getting to be a familiar sight, seeing those Riverside Rams accepting a cross country trophy.

Bouyed by a talented gaggle of freshman, the Rams claimed second place at the State 2A Cross Country Championships at the Sun Willows Golf Course on Saturday.

In the last four years, the Rams have placed second twice, third once and fourth once. The top four teams earn trophies.

Katie Prichard led the way for Riverside, finishing ninth with a time of 20 minutes, 32 seconds on the windy 3.1-mile course.

Prichard, a junior, has placed in the top 10 the last three years, but her performance has dropped slightly each time. Her freshman year she was fifth, and last year she was seventh.

“I was hoping to do a little better than this,” said Prichard, who battled a vicious wind the entire race. “During the backstretch, I was already tired. That’s where (the wind) affected me the most.”

The Rams’ four freshman - three finished in Riverside’s top five - added the depth needed for the second-place finish.

“I knew if I could get them in shape, we’d have a chance,” said Riverside coach Bill Kemp. “The freshmen made a tremendous impact.”

Kemp admitted his team performed a little better than he thought they would: “I was figuring probably third.”

Mount Baker won the girls title for the second straight year with 51 points. Riverside had 82 points. Woodland’s Tara Wood (19:42) grabbed the girls title, edging Grace Coulter of Blaine by 2 seconds.

The boys title came down to a tiebreaker. Cross country scores are based on a team’s top five placers. In a tie, the sixth runner is used as the tiebreaker.

East Valley of Yakima was awarded the title, breaking a 113-113 tie with South Whidbey.

East Valley’s No. 3 runner, Arman Mohsenian, collapsed in the final 200 yards. Mohsenian, after a lengthy struggle toward the finish line, was finally helped off the course. If Mohsenian had finished, East Valley would have won without the tie-breaker.