WARDEN — The Warden Cougars Cross Country team competed in the Eastern Washington Athletic Conference’s week three event at Apple Ridge Cross Country course in Yakima. Cougars head coach Karla Banks said the team had multiple runners set new personal records at the meet.

“They all had lots of determination,” said Banks. “I was really impressed, they showed off their talents and their skills, and they did it with a big smile on their face.”

Aiden Castro led the Cougars boys team in the three-mile race with a time of 22:59.99. Coming up next was Soren Clausen with 23:12.54 and Enrique Gutierrez with 35:42.45 on the course.

Cougars assistant coach Kristina Martin said Castro had pre-planned his strategy for the race, looking at what he ran last time at Apple Ridge and determining where he needed to put in more speed for specific sections.

“He ran a solid race,” said Martin. “He had a pretty aggressive start, ran up front with some kids I don’t think he has really run with before, and he maintained that pace for a good portion of the race.”

The Cougars girls team was led by Kiley Huber who finished the course with a time of 27:03.92. Anna Marcus was next up with 28:14.72 followed by Kyla Tate with 30:48.97 and Rylie McGhee with 34:56.26.

“Kiley came in well below what her 5K time is,” Martin said. “If we do the math, I think she still would have PRed if it was a true 5K distance,” said Martin.

There was also an impressive performance by the middle school boys in the 1.5-mile event with Jace Hernandez, Carlos Hernandez and Casey Cox taking the top three spots with times of 10:52.68, 11:18.37 and 11:28.34. Brantley Wall took fifth with a time of 11:41.25. For the girls Amree Caballero took sixth with a final time of 13:05.98.

Banks said the biggest challenge on the course for the Cougars was the big hill they had to conquer twice at the meet. With this hill in mind, the team had been practicing running up and down inclines this season.

“The athletes really know how to drive their knees, they know how to use their arms and really power themselves up this hill,” she said.

Martin said the team left the meet encouraged by their performance as many of the athletes are starting to overcome illness and injuries over the last week. Learning how to warm up and cool down before and after a race will be something that will be essential for the team as they head into the final weeks of the season.

The Cougars are two weeks away from the 2B/1B District Championships and are preparing diligently for the upcoming Big Cross meet on Thursday. Banks said Big Cross will be another hilly course that the team will have to build their strength back up for.

In the time leading up to their Big Cross EWAC League Championship meet, the Cougars will see the return of boys team captain LJ Beavers, who had been out with injury the past week.

“We’re hoping that he comes back really strong on Thursday at Big Cross,” said Banks.

The Cougars will head to the EWAC League Championship Meet at Big Cross in Pasco on Thursday at 4 p.m.

    Cougars runner Kyla Tate runs along a row of trees at the Apple Ridge XC course. Tate finished the meet with a time of 30:48.97 in the three-mile.
  

    Enrique Gutierrez from the Cougars keeps up high spirits as he makes his way along the path at Apple Ridge. Gutierrez finished the three-mile with a time of 35:42.45.
  

    Soren Clausen with the Cougars cross country team runs past a field at Apple Ridge. Clausen finished the three-mile event with a time of 23:12.54.
  

    Carlos Hernandez from the Cougars makes his way along the path at Apple Ridge XC course. Hernandez finished second in the middle school event with a time of 11:18.37.