Last Thursday the Vashon Pirates kicked off the cross country season at a fun and informal jamboree meet in Bellevue.

At the jamboree 14 cross country teams — nine from the Nisqually League and five from outside the league — competed not against each other but against their own predictions.

Five-person coed relay teams completed a 1.75-mile loop through Kelsey Creek Park, and before the race the teams predicted their own finish times. The team that completed the relay closest to its predicted time would win.

In the end a team from University Prep took the day, finishing just two seconds off from the time it predicted. Bellevue Christian took second with a 44-second difference.

Vashon High School had two coed teams in the relay. Team Vashon Island finished with a 6:29 difference from what it predicted, and Team Pirates had a 6:33 difference.

On Thursday the team will travel to Fort. Steilacoom along with Life Christian and Seattle Christian for a meet hosted by Charles Wright. Then on Saturday the Pirates will compete with about 65 other teams at the Fort Steilacoom Invitational at the same location.

— Kevin Ross is a Vashon High School cross country coach.