Basin teams heading to state XC meet

MOSES LAKE – This weekend, four Basin schools will be represented in the WIAA state cross country meet across three different levels. In 1A, the Royal Knights are sending two runners, freshman Akleigh Hebdon and senior Carlos Barajas.   

“It's such a fun experience to be a part of – it's an honor to be a part of. Key for this weekend is to get out well — we can't get buried in this field — and to run calmly that first half, just really trying to focus on position. Then really be gritty that second half and go with groups that are at your ability or even slightly above, and just give everything they've got,” the Knights head coach Ben Orth said.   

Orth said Hebdon made an impressive comeback in the district championship race to qualify for the state meet. In the final quarter-mile stretch of the race, she was 31st and needed to reach 28th to qualify. The runner in that position was about 50 yards ahead and Hebdon managed to make up that distance by the end of the race and secure the 28th-place finish and a time of 21:14.58.   

Orth said her mentality seemed to make a difference for her.   

“She really wanted (to qualify). There's a different mentality than, ‘I hope I don't mess up, or I'm nervous,’ versus she even said it to her parents, ‘I want to go to state, I really want this,’” Orth said.   

Barajas finished 22nd at 17:29.99 to qualify for the boys race. Orth said his consistency has played a role this year as it is his fourth straight year qualifying for states. 

“I just hope he gives a great last run that he feels really good about, and about his efforts,” Orth said.   

The Mavericks qualified full teams for the boys and girls after a successful district championship showing. The Mavs will send seven runners from both the boys and girls teams to the 4A state meet after they each finished second in both races at Districts. Head Coach Larry Dagnon said this is something the team has been working toward all season.   

“We're feeling pretty darn good. Getting in there with both teams was a goal we had at the very beginning of the season, and we accomplished that and then getting there and doing better. Trying to eclipse what we did last year is really what we have our eyes on right now,” Dagnon said.   

In the process of qualifying for state, Aspen Hoenes and Liam O’Shea each set all-time school records with their individual performances. Hoenes’ 18:49.10 beat the old school record by 10 seconds. O’Shea ran a 16:05.50 to cement his legacy as the fastest Maverick ever, Dagnon said.   

“Both of those runners have a lot of natural ability, but they also work extremely hard,” Dagnon said. “Both of them are extremely team-oriented athletes, and they don't want to just make their own goals. They're trying to elevate their teammates to be better runners as well.”  

The Ephrata Tigers finished third for both the boys and girls teams in the Central Washington Athletic Conference district tournament on Saturday. The results of this meet qualified six runners from their team with three boys and three girls.  

“Our kids did great, really stepped up,” said Tigers head coach Lyndsy Roberts. “We were hopeful to get a team to go, but we fell short of that just by a little bit, but it wasn’t for a lack of great performances. We had lots of kids that got personal records across the board.”  

For those six athletes who get to move on to the state tournament, Roberts said it’s a good mix of veteran runners and those who will be participating for the first time.  

On the boys' side, the Tigers will be sending Maddox Iverson, Caleb Fitts and Niko Diaz. Iverson, who is a senior this year, is making his fourth trip to the state meet, which Roberts said was an impressive feat for the program to have a player qualify all four years.  

The Tigers girls runners consist of Hannah Malone, Savannah Harper and Rebecca Wiser. Malone, a junior on the team, will be entering the state for the third time in a row, Harper will be making her second appearance in her sophomore year, and Wiser will be entering in for the first time as a sophomore.  

Roberts said while the team is celebrating and enjoying the moment of qualifying for state, the main goal for the Tigers will be to compete their hardest on the course and leave no regret behind.   

All teams will be competing at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco this Saturday, starting at 8:30 a.m.  

2025 State Cross Country Runners:  

Name, School  

Boys:  

Alejandro Birrueta, Quincy Jacks  
Juan Ferreyra, Quincy Jacks
Jonaz Rodriguez, Quincy Jacks
Carlos Barajas, Royal Knights
Lane Christensen, Moses Lake Mavericks
Noah Demchuk, Moses Lake Mavericks
Harrison Holt, Moses Lake Mavericks
Maxwell Jolley, Moses Lake Mavericks
Colton Lucero, Moses Lake Mavericks
Liam O’Shea, Moses Lake Mavericks
Liam Roseburg, Moses Lake Mavericks
Jonathan Sandoval, Moses Lake Mavericks
Parks Whitaker, Moses Lake Mavericks
Niko Diaz, Ephrata Tigers
Caleb Fitts, Ephrata Tigers
Maddax Iverson, Ephrata Tigers  

Girls:  

Akleigh Hebdon, Royal Knights  
Emily Bong, Moses Lake Mavericks
Alexis Feller, Moses Lake Mavericks
Aspen Hoenes, Moses Lake Mavericks
Sarah Humphreys, Moses Lake Mavericks
Rachel Nofziger, Moses Lake Mavericks
Amelia Olascon, Moses Lake Mavericks
Kaytlyn Russell, Moses Lake Mavericks
Natalie Vehrs, Moses Lake Mavericks
Emma Wallace, Moses Lake Mavericks
Savannah Harper, Ephrata Tigers
Hannah Malone, Ephrata Tigers
Rebecca Wiser, Ephrata Tigers 

    Savannah Harper, Rebecca Wiser, Hannah Malone, Caleb Fitts, Niko Diaz and Maddox Iverson stand together following the CWAC District Championship meet. Each of these runners qualified for the state tournament on Saturday.
  

    Akleigh Hebdon runs downhill during the Knights race at the league championships in Walla Walla. Hebdon is a freshman and qualified for the girls 1A state meet race.
  

    Liam O’Shea, left, and Max Jolley, right, sprint down a steep hill at Blue Heron Park during a Big 9 league meet in October. In addition to seven boys qualifying for the state meet, O’Shea set the all-time record for a boy's time.
  

    Tigers senior Maddax Iverson follows behind a runner from Selah during the CWAC District Championship over the weekend. Iverson finished 14th to make his fourth state appearance.
  

    The Knights boys take off for their 5k race earlier this season. Carlos Barajas qualified for the boys 1A state race.