From Zero to Heroes, Both XC Programs Make Huge MCC Impressions - By Connor Schulz

    The Richland Bomber cross country team showed up to the MCC meet in Kennewick on Wednesday. The boy’s varsity came with a 6-2 record, with Jace Woodard, Jackson Booker, and Crew Martell leading the team. They were running against leading MCC Kamiakin Braves runner Ezra Teeples. Richland would finish 2nd behind the historically dominating Kamiakin distance program.  

Richland boys running off the start line.

    Crew Martell finished the 3-mile race in 15:40.56 with a 4th-place finish. He finished 15 seconds behind the area’s leading runner, Ezra Teeples, and his MCC best time of 15:25.54. Crew had a 1:09.2 PR for his 3-mile race. Jace Woodard finished 8th with a 15:57.96, followed by Jackson Booker in 9th place with a 16:04.11.

    Martell worked his way to finish 4th. In the first lap of the race, he was in 13th, trailing shortly behind Woodard in 10th. By the second lap, Martell had pushed himself up to 9th place while Woodard was in 10th. Booker was a short distance behind in 14th place. The race took a turn, with Martell taking the lead over Woodard in the 3rd lap. Martell sped up his pace and took 6th place, heading into his fourth lap. Woodard fell to 9th, while Booker moved to 12th in the final lap. As the last lap continued, the runners sped up their pace and increased their placings. Booker finished with 9th place and a PR also. He took off 21.7 seconds from his time. Booker was asked what his strategy for the race was and answered, “Nothing fancy. I just want to get out quick, pack up with the boys, then sprint at the end. Most importantly though, I’ll hit the griddy as I cross the finish line.” Booker did just that. He got out quickly, ran with the front of the pack, and sprinted to the end to gain a better position for finishing. 

Crew Martell running through the finish line.

    The Richland boys’ team ended with a 2nd place finish. They tied with Hanford with their top five finishers, Martell, Woodard, Booker, Lucas Wakely (16:43.95), and Evyn McLellan (16:56.02). The tie break came down to the 6th place runner, Matt Morrison (16:59.81). Morrison placed ahead of Hanford’s Ethan Brogoitti (17:17.38), which gave them the 2nd place finish. Booker was asked how he felt about the race and his team. Booker stated, “The race went out a little faster than expected, so we just had to adapt and stick to them. Overall great race, couldn’t be more proud of how our team competes.” This is a drastic change in the program, as last year’s team only beat two teams at the same meet, Southridge and Walla Walla. The 2021 season saw only one boy finish within the top 20 at this meet. It’s safe to say that the coaching has turned the ship and found ways to motivate the boys to win and land within the top two in the league.

    The Richland girl’s cross country team placed 3rd overall at Lawrence Scott Park’s MCC race. The girls came into the race with a 4-4 record. Leading the pack for the girl’s team would be their top two runners: Tyler Wolff and Abby Duncan. Wolff placed 3rd overall with a 19:06.19, following first-place runner Morgan Thompson of Kennewick (18:43.03) and second-place Mia Beightol of Hanford (18:54.13). Abby Duncan crossed the finish line shortly behind Wolf with a 6th place finish and a time of 19:23.78. Lily Robertson finished 11th with 19:51.93 which was a 24 second PR. The Bombers and the Hermiston Bulldogs were the only teams with three runners in the top 15 finishers. 

Tylar Wolff running at the race.

    Wolff led the Bombers throughout the race. Her plan of attack was to stay with the front pack and pick people off until the end. The last time she had run a 3-mile race was a year ago at this exact course. She said, “I just wanted to stay with the fast girls and survive until the end.” Wolf did exactly that. She began the race in 8th place. She quickly moved ahead to 6th place by the start of the 2nd lap. At halfway, Wolff moved her lead to 4th place. She kicked it in at the end of the race and moved ahead to 3rd place, edging out Emma Gis of Chiawana, who finished with a time of 19:11.33. 

    As for Duncan, she had never run a 3-mile race. She had a competitive race and a strong finish for a freshman who has never run this course. She was able to keep with the front of the pack and help the Bomber girls. Alice Williams (21:11.37) and Bella Thompson (21:13.46) finished 32nd and 34th to help the team finish 3rd overall. The girls have improved from last year as well. It would be a tough change for the girls to lose one of the strongest runners in the MCC last year, Natalie Ruzauskas. The team finished 5th in this meet last year. But a strong core of younger runners with Tyler Wolff as their front-runner has shown that these girls are ready to turn some heads. The impressive 3rd and 2nd combined finishes show a clear movement in the right direction for both programs. Next Thursday will be the MCC Championship at Leslie Groves Park in Richland, with the first race starting at 1:45, girls varsity at 3:30, and the boys at 4:30. These two teams will look to make even greater improvements and begin building a dynasty.

Lily Robertson and Abby Duncan running side by side during the race.