Cheney senior Nia Guest is trailed by several runners after a mile on the state course.
Cheney's Calvin Hilton lead a group of several runners during the state 3A cross country race Saturday, Nov. 5, at Willow Springs Golf Course in Pasco.
Blackhawk runners, from left, sophomore Maggie Boggs, junior Karlee Pope, sophomore Hannah Ward and senior Mika Corneil smile and pose for fans after completion of the girls 5,000-meter race.
Cheney harriers freshman Ethan Martin (652), sophomore Lucas Matos (648) and junior Conor Thomsen hit the 1.25-mile mark.
Cheney's trip down U.S. 395 on Nov. 5 to compete at the WIAA state cross country championships certainly had its high points.
But, perhaps, the biggest takeaway might be what the Blackhawks' showing did for the future?
Most notable was yet another individual championship in the wheelchair division by freshman Caitlin Shaffer in a time of 12 minutes, 58.7 seconds to claim the championship on the 5,001-meter course. She's pointing to follow Isaiah Rigo who, from 2014 to 2017 collected four titles in the division.
The Cheney boys, with 258 points, finished eighth as a team to champ Seattle Prep with 75. Fellow Greater Spokane League teams Mt. Spokane was third (89) and Mead sixth (157).
The Blackhawks' Calvin Hilton was the top Cheney individual in 16th with a time of 16:19.8. Cruize Corvin from Lakes High School won the individual 3A title at 15:30.0.
Brayden Martin (51/17:08.7), Adam Estock (57/17:12.3), Ethan Martin (90/17:36.3), Conor Thomsen (109/17:43.1), Cameron Frenk (132/17:56.1) and Lucas Matos (147/18:06.9) were the other Cheney finishers.
"Calvin Hilton had a strong showing finishing 16th and making the podium as a sophomore," head coach Derek Slaughter wrote in an email.
Cheney's girls landed in 12th with 313 points to team champ Central Kitsap with 70. Again, GSL rivals Mead was seventh (222) and Mt. Spokane 11th (283).
Sam Habegger's 20:34.6 topped the Blackhawks contingent as the 59th finisher. Gig Harbor's Reese Morkert won in 18:24.0. Karlee Pope (67/20:40.3), Hannah Ward (77/20:47.8), Tenaya Belsby (128/21:49.0, Mika Corneil (134/21:55.1), Maggie Boggs (157/22:27.2) and Nia Guest (188/24:15.5 were the other Cheney runners.
"It was the year of getting on the course and getting the kids ready for years to come running at Sun Willows," Slaughter said. Cheney graduates four of its seven girls' runners but only one from the boys' side. "Great things are coming for Cheney XC in the next few years," he added.
While the running side of both teams pleased their coach, what made him most happy was the news that was announced following competition. "They ended the day with both receiving the Academic state championship for all 3A schools in Washington," Slaughter reported. That was a first he said.
Paul Delaney is a retired Free Press Publishing reporter and can be reached at [email protected].
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