Top athletes are always looking for an opportunity to best themselves. But given the conditions on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at the Westside Classic District III IV Championship, “the best” meant simply finishing. Rain had fallen all day Friday and overnight, greeting athletes at Chambers Bay with heavy winds and a downpour. The ground was soft, everything was soaked, and the wind was relentless. This race would not be about setting personal bests but about showing true grit.
Kevin Hu and his Pope John Paul II High School (PJP II) teammates lined up first at 9 a.m. under a dark sky. Hu took the early lead right from the gun and continued to extend it over the entire 5000-meter course. He ran like a man on a mission – a mission that ends at the WIAA State Championship in Pasco the following Saturday. Hu went on to win, with his teammates finishing impressively in second, third, fifth and sixth. Their ticket is punched, the PJP II boys can start packing their bags for State.
Later in the morning, Ruby Henry, and her PJP II teammates lined up to take on the same course the boys’ team had conquered earlier. Ruby got out early and maintained her lead throughout the soggy, challenging race. Teammates Lily Warne-McGraw finished third, Isla Valpiani fifth, Chloe Summers sixth, and Amy Kondrat in ninth, carrying the girls to a dominant championship victory and securing their own state championship berth.
By the time the Olympia High School teams headed out later in the day, the course had endured eight separate races, leaving behind treacherous and questionable footing. A silver lining to their late start was that the rain had finally passed, leaving mostly sunny skies, though the 20+ mph winds continued to howl.
The 4A girls’ race featured a tough field, with the Bears lining up against season-long powerhouses Camas, Tahoma, and Curtis. The Bears’ freshman-senior duo of Leah Hennen and Sydney Kosa immediately joined the lead group, just behind Bonney Lake’s Latham West. As the race progressed, Kosa began to slow, but Hennen continued her pursuit, eventually capturing a brilliant second-place finish. Kosa held on for eighth place in a field of 122 girls. Strong finishes from Gemma Stevick (11th), Carolina Schilter (12th), and Eliza Johnson (29th) secured second place overall for the team, guaranteeing their trip to compete for a state championship.
The Olympia boys’ team took on their 4A foes in the final race of the day. For Olympia’s freshman Quenton Lanese, the season was already a success. “My goals were to stay healthy and have fun,” Lanese shared, noting he’s struggled with injuries after setting age-group world records in the mile and two-mile at age 12. “The season has been so much fun…so I’m really, really happy.”
That focus paid off in a strong fifth-place finish, securing his individual spot at State. His performance was even more remarkable considering he was recovering from a 100-degree fever just two nights earlier. He credited his experience for handling the torn-up course. “Lots of people ran around the mud but I went through it,” he said. “I had… a fever two nights before the race, though, so the mud took more out of me than I was expecting it to.”
Caden Durocher finished right behind him in sixth place, also punching his ticket to Pasco. “Caden had an incredible race and closed very strongly,” Lanese said of his teammate. “He’s a great runner and friend and I have been very lucky to have him on the team as mentor and training partner.”
Capital High School also had a historic day, booking their team’s trip to the state championship for the first time in 10 years. In the 3A boys’ race, Jae Walz finished 13th as the first Cougar to cross the finish line. Isaac Zwiefel (26th), Abram Montermini (29th), Quin Walz (35th), and George Southworth (44th) followed close behind, securing the Cougars’ State berth. The boys’ team will be joined by their standout freshman Escher Arslanian, who was the lone athlete from the girls’ team to advance.
