PASCO – Bedridden with pneumonia ahead of the three biggest races of the season, Eliisa Marshall worried her Camas high school cross country career would end with a letdown.
Three weeks later, there was Marshall beaming after a sixth-place finish in the Class 4A race at the state championships.
Marshall’s time of 18 minutes, 18.10 seconds was the fastest by any Clark County girl Saturday on the 5,000 meter course at Sun Willows Golf Course.
After gutting out a third-place finish at the District 4 championships on Oct. 23, Marshall began to feel better when she finished second at the Westside Classic bi-district meet.
Saturday’s time was Marshall’s second-fastest of the season and a 43 sec-ond improvement from her 14th-place finish at last year’s state meet.
Marshall’s excitement about her finish was matched only by a sense of relief.
“It hit me hard,” Marshall said of her illness. “I was worried my season would be over after that. I’m so relieved that I was able to race to my full potential today.”
Marshall ran side-by-side with District 4 champion Daphne Evenson. The Skyview senior finished seventh, one-half second behind Marshall.
“Daphne is always a super big help because we’re always around the same pace,” Marshall said. “We’ve been running together for a while.”
Evenson was equally pleased with her race on Saturday. She ran nearly 50 seconds faster than her 15th-place finish last year.
“Going into the race I didn’t want to do what I did at regionals and go out way too fast,” Evenson said. “I feel like I executed the strategy. … I wanted to have another gear to find halfway through the race. I found it. I think that was my best last mile of the season, which is a good way to end.”
Cohen Butler of Camas places fifth
Cohen Butler also overcame a midseason hiccup for a high finish in the Class 4A boys race. The Camas junior put a nagging injury behind to finish fifth in 15:36, the fastest time by any Clark County boy on Saturday.
It was a marked improvement for Butler, who shaved 1:10 off his time last year when he placed 41st.
“I’m very thrilled,” Butler said. “I was trying to get out here and do what I could to race well. Before the race I wasn’t feeling great. But one mile in I was feeling good and knew I could put something out today.”
Battle Ground sophomore Lord King Nana-Badu-Weah was the second-fastest 4A local, finishing 17th in 15:48.
Union senior Bradley Harris, the District 4 champion, finished 45th in 16:16.
Columbia River’s McManus places fifth
One year after finishing second in the 2A boys race, Columbia River senior Jacob McManus had hoped for a state title.
That looked to be a possibility for most of the race as McManus hung with a tight lead pack. But the back-to-back District 4 champ couldn’t match surge over the final mile and finished fifth.
McManus crossed the line in 15:44. Dylan Rowell of Anacortes won in 15:26 with Nick Gargano of Sehome finishing second in 15:29.
“Nick Gargano made a move and I didn’t go with it,” McManus said. “If I’m being honest, I’m pretty disappointed in myself.”
Yet McManus took comfort in River’s sixth-place team finish after the Rapids placed fourth last year.
“I love all my teammates so much so I understand this is bigger than any in-dividual performance I could ever have,” McManus said. “I just hope I showed them that no matter what happens, you don’t remember the races but the people, the teammates and the memories with them.”
Ridgefield senor Davis Sullivan placed 11th for his highest finish at the state meet. That powered the Spudders to a fifth-place team finish.
R.A. Long junior Andres Orozco-Stansberry had a breakout race and finished ninth. His time of 16:01 was a personal best by 28 seconds and was a marked improvement over last year’s 74th-place state finish.
Hockinson sixth in 2A Girls
District 4 champion Hockinson placed its top three runners in the top 33 to claim sixth place in the Class 2A race.
Scarlett Sanders led Hockinson in 29th place. Graysen Aldridge finished 32nd, one place ahead of Lyla Taylor.
Columbia River’s Ainsley Morrisey and Journey Yokum placed 42nd and 43rd, respectively, as the Rapids finished 10th.
Ridgefield’s Danica Allen, the district runner-up, finished 63rd to lead the 14th place Spudders.
La Center boys fifth in 1A
Led by Carter Sherry in 43rd and Lance Cole in 44th, La Center placed its five scoring runners in the top 75 to finish fifth in the Class 1A boys race.
Columbia-White Salmon’s Noah Slayton was the top Trico League runner in 30th place followed by Seton Catholic senior Sam Soto in 34th.
Castle Rock senior Casie Klein finished 10th for the Trico League’s top finish in the 1A girls race.
Shasha Pash finished 25th to lead La Center, which finished 13th in the team competition.
