NIKE Hole in the Wall | Lakewood High School, Arlington, WA
The Pacific Northwest played host to one of the most anticipated cross country meets of October. Heading into the weekend, the men's field promised a top-10 battle, with No. 5 Coeur d'Alene looking to defend its history at this meet and Jesuit of Oregon presenting a deep, national-caliber challenge. Coeur d'Alene had not raced its full lineup in over a month, leaving questions about how the team would perform. Meanwhile, the women's race featured in-state favorites Sehome of Washington, who relied on their trademark pack-running style to dominate the field and extend their reputation as one of the Northwest's premier programs.
When the dust settled in the women's elite 5K, Adrianna Buitelaar of MEI Secondary located in Canada set the tone, finishing in 16:48.0 to claim the win as the only runner under 17 minutes among 139 competitors. Sloan Dickson followed in 17:11.8, and Kjirsten Ludeman of Sehome placed third in 17:19.3. Team depth proved decisive for Sehome, as the Mariners captured the team title with 55 points. Jesuit was second with 133 points, and Eagle finished third at 144 points.
The men's elite 5K was equally competitive. Cohen Butler of Camas crossed first in 14:36.9, holding off Dylan Rowell of Anacortes, who finished in 14:43.3. Mana Voss of Central Kitsap took third in 14:50.5. Coeur d'Alene's balanced team performance earned the top team honors with 43 points. Jesuit finished second at 67 points, while Mead rounded out the podium with 139 points.