Union-Bulletin

DAYTON - Waitsburg-Prescott's Seth Deal ran a mile-and-half Wednesday before the District 9 all-league cross country boys race here Wednesday.

Deal then when out and won his race, completing the 5,000-meter course in 16:58.79.

And afterwards, he went for another run.

"He was treating it like a workout," W-P coach Joanna Lanning said. "He pretty much just cruised. He followed the Tri-Cities Prep leader and then took over."

All eight teams in the league were at the meet, as well as middle school athletes from W-P, Liberty Christian, Asotin and Dayton. Several school don't have enough runners to qualify for team scoring.

"The weather was excellent and many athletes seem well-prepared for a season of great running," Dayton cross country coach Dan Nechodom said of the meet.

Deal's winning time was followed by seven Tri-Cities Prep harriers. W-P's E.J. Meserve was ninth in 19:00.9, followed by Trent Hafen in 19:49.

Pomeroy's Bryan McGreevy was 12th in 20:27.55, Dayton's Micah Yeater 15th in 20:48.92, and Pomeroy's Riley Bott (17th, 21:27.99) and Colsen Mayfield (19th, 22:05.26) rounded out area boys harriers' top 20 finishes.

On the girls side, St. John-Endicott's Heather Siegel won in 22:35.9.

Walla Walla Valley Academy's McKenzie Cosaert finished third in 23:39.23. Her Knights teammates Jessica Arnzen was fourth in 24:00.41, Cassie Mason sixth in 24:27.66, Christine Lomeland 13th in 26:24.59, and Lauren Spickelmier 20th in 27:01.32.

Other boys finishers included Pomeroy's Micheal Wade (22nd, 22:13.91) and Tyler King (23rd, 22:44.28), Dayton's Jacob McCleary (25th, 23:24.51), Pomeroy's Stevie Fletcher (30th, 24:23.82), Tyler Maki (34th, 26:01.49), and Jacob Hirsch (36th, 26:34.1) and Walla Walla Valley Academy's Ryan Hepker (39th, 29:36).

Also for the girls, Dayton's Anita Jackson was 21st in 28:56.8, and Bulldog teammate Samura Miller was right behind her in 29:20.65.

For Pomeroy, Shelby Fuchs finished 24th in 32:54 and Elizabeth Hopkins 26th in 47:28.25.