When the butterflies in the stomach become B-52 bombers.
When the legs fidget faster than a fiddle.
When the adrenaline is pulsing in those final moments before a big race, that’s when Silas Griffith loves running the most.
“That’s where you feel the rush, just wanting to start and waiting for the gun to go off,” Griffith said. “That nervousness is my favorite feeling.”
Maybe that’s why Griffith is so good in big races. The Ridgefield junior placed fifth in the 2A state cross country championships. His time of 15 minutes, 44 seconds in the 5,000 meter race was the fastest of any Clark County runner across all classifications.
For his achievements, Griffith is The Columbian’s All-Region boys cross country runner of the year.
Griffith entered this season with high hopes. As a sophomore, he finished 16th in state in his first season of cross country. The following spring, he placed fifth in the 3,200 meters at the state track and field championships.
He began the summer by ramping up his weekly mileage beyond what he’d ever tried. Some days he ran twice, up to 15 miles per day.
But his plans suffered a setback when a calf strain sidelined him a few weeks before the cross country season.
“I wanted to work really hard to get faster and get more mileage,” Griffith said. “But in that process, I tried so hard that I hurt myself. That really frustrated me. I went to meets where I couldn’t run. I had to sit on the sidelines. That didn’t feel good.”
Griffith emerged a wiser runner.
“I learned that frustration doesn’t help you,” he said. “I didn’t have that big base that everybody had. I was trying to make up for it in a short amount of time.”
Griffith returned to full health in late September. He was rarely challenged during the league season, winning the 2A Greater St. Helens League championship by 34 seconds. He then won the 2A district title, leading Ridgefield to the team championship.
At the state meet, Griffith challenged for the lead for much of the race, but was passed by three runners in the final stretch.
That race earned him a spot in the Nike BorderClash last weekend, where he placed 37th in a race featuring 80 of the best high school runners in the Northwest.
He has started to attract interest from college coaches.
In the early summer, he attended a running camp in Montana that featured instruction by legendary coach Pat Tyson.
“I never thought that running could get me this far,” he said. “It was only something that I started in high school. To know that I have the potential to be where people are.”
For his college hopes, Griffith knows there will be a lot riding on his junior track season and senior cross country season.
The butterflies will be swarming, but he wouldn’t want it any other way.
“The pressure is definitely on me,” he said. “People know what I’m capable of. They expect me to be at that level all the time. I guess that helps me tell myself I can’t let them down. I need to do what I’m capable of doing.”
The rest of the All-Region team
Chanse Gilbert, Skyview
Hampered by injury, Gilbert rallied to finish fourth at the 4A district meet and win the bi-district Westside Classic.
Yacine Guermali, Camas
The 4A district champion had a 5K personal best of 15:25 at Ash Creek XC Festival. Placed 8th at Nike Portland XC.
Zeke Oien, Skyview
Fifth at 4A district meet and runner-up at season-opening Run-A-Ree. Ran 16:15 at Nike Portland XC.
Kyle Radosevich, Ridgefield
Came on strong at the end of his freshman season, placing 22nd in state in a personal-best time of 16:21.
Adam Ryan, Camas
Senior captain of district team champ Camas. Top local finisher at 4A state, where he ran 15:53 to place 21st.
Mason Scheidel, Skyview
Third place at 4A district meet, 10th at Westside Classic, 31st at state. Ran a 5K personal best of 15:50 this year.
