The Vashon High School Pirate Cross Country team found the one clear day last week — Tuesday, Oct. 18 — to race at Port Townsend’s golf course during a week full of smoke.
The fall colors shone in the clear air, allowing multiple Pirates to set personal or season bests over the 5 km course, which consisted of two laps around the golf course, featuring two sustained climbs and a downhill finish.
Christian Kincade finished as the first Pirate for the men, setting a personal record of 19:26 minutes, followed by Captain Hank McSheehy, Oli Nielsen, Dylan Fick and Mike Anderson.
Captain Madeline Yarkin finished in second place in the women’s race, setting a season-best of 20:21 minutes, followed by fellow Pirates Emma Campbell (PR), Lilja Bjarnason, Hannah Coicaud and Delilah Spence.
A special addition to the team this year is Junior Hannah Coicaud, an exchange student from Nantes in western France, on her first school-associated sports team.
Hannah, who played field hockey in France, has found a new sense of belonging on the cross country team, where she has been warmly welcomed by her teammates and coaches — and is appreciating the diverse social experiences at Vashon in addition to the athletic challenges.
Her island hosts, Anne Barnhart and Jim Forsman, enjoy hosting and seeing Hannah being accepted in our small community. Hannah’s hometown, Nantes, is a large city of over 300,000 in Brittany, on the Loire river, near the Atlantic coast of France, where sports are generally not associated with a school, but rather with clubs outside the school experience.
On the cross country team, Hannah is valued for her eagerness to push herself, and for accepting any challenge without complaint with the Gallic attributes of boldness, bravery, and strength. Hannah’s efficient and fluid running style is most evident in her finishing kick.
Next up for the Pirate Harriers is the District Championship races at Chambers Bay on Oct. 29, where it will be determined which runners will qualify for the State Championships the following week. To qualify, the top 14 women are chosen, and the top 21 men – the numbers flip for the 2023 season.
— Bruce and Lisa Cyra coach cross country at Vashon High School.
