Tahoma, Auburn-Riverside square off in first XC meet since 2006

Both teams acknowledged they were running a bit leg-weary. So just imagine the possibilities when the Auburn Riverside and Tahoma boys show up on the cross country starting line for what they’re hoping will be the next three weeks – league, district and state – with fresh legs under them.

October 17, 2008 2:28 pm
Auburn Riverside’s Julian-Blake Cowan leads Tahoma’s Phil Lussier and Kelton Sears this past Wednesday at Lake Wilderness park in Covington. Cowan held on for first place
Auburn Riverside’s Julian-Blake Cowan leads Tahoma’s Phil Lussier and Kelton Sears this past Wednesday at Lake Wilderness park in Covington. Cowan held on for first place

Both teams acknowledged they were running a bit leg-weary.

So just imagine the possibilities when the Auburn Riverside and Tahoma boys show up on the cross country starting line for what they’re hoping will be the next three weeks – league, district and state – with fresh legs under them.

Resuming a competitive rivalry that was on hiatus for two years while Auburn Riverside was at the Class 3A level, the Ravens weren’t able to catch up with Tahoma on Wednesday afternoon at Lake Wilderness Park.

Riverside had the first guy to the wire in state title contender Julian-Blake Cowan, but the Bears had four of the next five. At the end of the day, that was enough to help them wrap up an 8-0 record and the South Puget Sound League North Division title with a 25-32 victory.

“It’s fun to come back to 4A and get that Tahoma-Auburn Riverside rivalry going again,” said Ravens coach Bill Sumner, whose team turned back Auburn in the other half of the double-dual, 17-43, to secure second place with a 7-1 record. “It was a fun meet, and we made a good race of it.

“We’ve been working hard all week, so in the back of my mind, I thought they might be a little tired,” Sumner added. “But Tahoma is working hard, too.”

Auburn Riverside’s girls also wrapped up second place. Like the boys, they brought an undefeated record into the regular-season finale, as did Tahoma. But the Bears got a 1-2 finish from Lauren Clawson and Hannah Mittelstaedt, and while Kalee Cipra and Kelsey Loomans took the next two spots for Riverside, Tahoma still prevailed, 23-36.

That gave the Bears a final 8-0 record on the girls side, as well. Auburn Riverside, which earned a 15-45 victory against Auburn, checked in at 7-1.

“I had no idea what to expect, but I never would have expected that,” first-year Ravens coach Kaisa Swenddal-White said of the runner-up finish. “It was a thrill to see that and to see the improvement that every girl on the team had.”

The sub-district meet puts the postseason into motion next Thursday afternoon at Fort Steilacoom Park. The top 10 teams advance to the Class 4A West Central District meet, which is set for Saturday, Nov. 1, at American Lake Golf Course in Tacoma.

As expected, Blake-Cowan led the boys race from start to finish. He completed the 3.1-mile Lake Wilderness layout in 15 minutes, 34 seconds, giving him a 14-second cushion on runner-up Kelton Sears of Tahoma. AR’s Kenny Krotzer was third overall in 15:57, but the Bears had all five of their scorers among the top eight finishers, and that was the ultimate difference in the meet.

Andy Starr led Auburn with a 10th-place finish in 17:14.

Tahoma used its usual pack running to take the girls meet, with all five of its scorers among the top eight. Clawson’s winning time was 19:17. Cipra took third in 19:28, and Loomans was close behind in 19:31. Ravens teammate Rachel Atwood took sixth in 19:41.

Auburn did not have a finisher among the top 10.