Cedarcrest High School’s cross country track team was the only westside team to cross the mountains Sept. 19 for the Apple Ridge meet, in an apple orchard west of Yakima.

The meet features three courses of increasing difficulty. The top two runners from each race count toward each team’s overall score.

“This meet is our smallest invitational with ‘only’ 26 teams,” Cedarcrest Coach Bruce McDowell said.

In the first, flattest race, three CHS boys made the podium, Ben Benson at second, Vincent Dams fourth and Ryan LaTurner seventh.  In the girls race, Kate Vergillo was sixth and Courtney Tobin seventh.

The second course, often used for championship league and district courses, sent four boys to the podium. They were Cameron Hammontree in third, Chase Bolin fourth, Grant Van Valkenburg fifth and Emmett Klaiber eighth. Two girls also placed, Lily Krueger in fourth and Madi Shinn fifth.

Cedarcrest claimed both first-place finishes in the final, most hilly race of the day. Ian Fay and Alicia Krivanek  were joined at the podium by Simon Fraser seventh, Gunnar Schultz eighth, Mary Cate Babcock fourth and Megan Reid fifth.

On Sept. 12, the squad competed at the Tahoma Relays, which required runners to race through knee-deep lake water, then down a single-person trail, which created a hazard for faster runners, having to lap slower competitors.

Cedarcrest’s fastest team was “The A-Team,” Hammontree, Benson, Fay, Krueger and Krivanek. They finished 11th overall. Also making the top 20 were the “Killer B’s,” Dams, Van Valkenburg, Schultz, Ruby Farias and Babcock.

On Sept. 9, the squad competed at the Conference Preview, a gathering of all eight teams in its conference, running on the 3000-meter course that will host the conference championships in late October.

“We showed some good running up front as well as good depth,” said McDowell. Although the meet was a jamboree and scores weren’t kept, McDowell said both Cedarcrest teams would have placed first.

Top finishers for the girls were Krivanek in second, Madi Shinn sixth, Krueger seventh, Babcock 10th and Anna Christensen 12th.  For the boys, Ian Fay was third, Cameron Hammontree fifth, Ben Benson sixth, Vincent Dams eightth and Gunnar Schultz 11th.

Athletes of the meet were Caleb Chung, Josh Klingsheim, Patrick McCabe, Anna Christensen and Katie Bell.  Caleb, Josh and Anna were all running their first race for Cedarcrest and each ran very well.  Both Caleb and Anna were the highest-placing freshmen, among all the schools.