Mount Si cross country team battles weather in home opener

Mount Si’s cross country teams braved the elements last Wednesday, Sept. 15, holding their own in the first of two home meets this season.

The Wildcat boys finished third and the girls second in a tri-meet which included Bellevue and Juanita. Mount Si’s boys scored 69 points, behind the Wolverines’ 15 and Rebels’ 52, while the Wildcat girls’ score of 38 to Bellevue’s 21 and Juanita’s 66. In cross country, the lowest team score wins the meet.

For the Mount Si girls, it was a solid showing by three competitors, including two freshmen, who finished in the top ten. Leading that group was junior Kendall Maddux, who clocked a time of 22:17 to take fourth overall.

“I actually perform better when it rains,” she said. “It went really good.”

It was raining through much of the girls’ race, while the boys were able to race under cloudy skies with no rain. Top boys finisher Richard Carmichael said the weather is a factor in races. “Absolutely, but it is for everyone in the race, not just me. You’ve got to bear down and just deal with the conditions,” the junior said.

Carmichael clocked a time of 18:33, good for 11th overall. He was pleased with his efforts.

“It’s not the fastest course in the world, but it was a good day,” Carmichael said.

The course consisted of the campus of Snoqualmie Elementary School and trails east of the school near Mount Si Golf Course. Several freshmen got their first taste of their home course, and they did very well. Leading that group was Abbey Bottemiller, who finished just behind Maddux in fifth overall among the girls competitors with a time of 22:27.

“It’s definitely more challenging than the two mile,” she said. Fellow freshman Bailey Scott finished sixth overall in the girls event with a time of 22:28, one second behind her freshman teammate. Scott said the leadership older runners such as Maddux and sophomore Christina Volken provide is key.

“We really look up to them because they always try really hard,” Scott said. “They always do their best and they always really motivate us.”

Mount Si this week has meets Wednesday at Interlake, and Saturday at Lake Sammamish State Park. They return home for their second and final home meet of the season October 6.

Contact Snoqualmie Valley Record Sports contributing Writer Rhett Workman at rwteam97@yahoo.com or 425-888-2311.

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