By Bruce Cyra

For The Beachcomber

McMurray Middle School Mustang harriers finished their seasons as Nisqually League champions on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at Titlow Park in University Place.

Mustang boys brought in their top seven in the first nine runners across the line, with Bodie Thomas, undefeated all season, and with a personal best over the 1.5 mile Titlow Park course, leading Harrison Decker, Josh Healey, Cash Nowicki, Briar Guenther, Brent Calhoun, and Oliver Bresnik.

The Mustang boys finished 20 runners in the race to cap off their 2021 fall season as League champions.

The Mustang girls obtained their first perfect score of 15 points, led by Cecilia Guenther, followed by Emily Harrington, Katherine Thompson, Daisy Jones, Sophia Lanphear, Bridget Simmons and Lena Puz.

Eight more Mustang girls followed in quick succession, bringing the Mustang girls the League Championships as well.

Vashon High School Pirates Captain Madeline Yarkin also ran to first place in the league last Thursday as the cross country teams moved through their league championships on their way to the District Championships this coming Saturday.

Yarkin outran girls from eight schools to finish as league champion over the 5k course at Ft. Steilacoom Park, leading her Pirate teammates Atticus Spence and Lilja Bjarnason.

Next up for Yarkin and her team is the District race in Langley at South Whidbey High School, where Yarkin will try to qualify for the State Championships in Pasco.

The Pirate boys raced to seventh out of nine teams at League, led by junior Hank McSheehy, followed by Levi Blasingim, Christian Kincade, Bishop Townsend, Travis Martin, Dylan Fick and Caleb Guadamuz.

The boys travel to Chambers Bay on Saturday for their District races, aiming to qualify runners for State. Both Pirate teams returned to the island, with the coveted trophy, for Vashon’s traditional league pie-eating contest held after the races, represented by the quick-eating skills of Atticus Spence and Christian Kincade.