The Vashon Island boys cross country team captured the WIAA 1A District 3 championship title at the Westside Classic on Saturday.

The Pirates outperformed eight other teams in their district to claim the title, racing on a soggy course at Chambers Creek Park in University Place. Annie Wright and East Jefferson finished in second and third and will also advance to compete at the state championships in Pasco this coming Saturday.

This victory marks a significant milestone for Vashon, as it is their first district title in more than two decades.

Josh Healey led the team with a second place finish overall in a close battle with last year’s state champion, Will Carroll, of Annie Wright. Healey and Carroll exchanged leads for the first two miles of the race, with Carroll pulling away for the win in the final mile.

Freshman Leif McBennett had a strong showing, coming in 8th, followed by Oskar Cobb Maigetter in 12th, with Cash Nowicki (17th) and Harrison Decker (22nd) also scoring for the Pirates. Felix Cobb Miegetter (25th) and Max McLachlan (39th) were the 6th and 7th runners for the Pirates, and they could displace other runners and break ties if necessary.

In the girls race, co-captains Cecelia Guenther and Emily Harrington also qualified to compete at state in Pasco.

Guenther, who finished third, ran a gritty race, battling with Bellevue Christian’s Courtney Van Hise for most of the course — with Guenther moving away for good in the final mile. Emily Harrington finished in 7th place, also making the selection for state. Junior Emma Campbell set a lifetime best in the 5k, finishing in 21st place on a tough, wet course that saw very few personal bests. Freshman Bridget Simmons finished just behind Campbell in 22nd, with Alia Davis in 34th and Stella Nikos in 35th.

The girls team placed 4th overall, and only two teams — Klahowya and Cascade Christian — advanced to the state championships.

As the team prepares for state at the Sun Willows Country Club in Pasco, they will focus on fine-tuning their skills and aiming for a strong performance against the top 1A runners in the state.

James Batey is the head coach of Vashon High School’s cross country team.

Girls team co-captain Cecelia Guenther took third in her race. (John Decker photo)

The Vashon Island boys cross country team takes off from the starting line in this photo from the district championship race. (John Decker photo)