A Day of Personal Bests for Kodiak XC Team at Nike-Sponsored Race

MARYSVILLE – The Cascade High School cross-country team joined ninety-seven other teams from across the Pacific Northwest at Cedarcrest Golf Course in Marysville last Saturday evening, October 5, for the 17th annual Nike Twilight XC Invitational.

The eagerly anticipated, festive 5,000-meter race is held as the sun begins to set in the October sky. Light towers adorn the course, and runners finish the last hundred yards through ten glowing, inflatable arches. Adding to the atmosphere was the knowledge that the course, on the golf course’s rolling terrain, is laid out to produce fast times. 

And fast times it did produce. Every member of the Cascade team raced to a personal or seasonal record (PR or SR).

Senior Grace McDevitt shed 45 seconds off her previous best mark and broke the twenty-minute barrier for the first time. “Twilight is one of my favorite meets,” remarked McDevitt. “It was incredible to run so well alongside my teammates.” 

One of those teammates, senior Alice Farell, ran more than a minute faster than her prior personal best with a time of 20:12.70. “I knew I had it in me for at least a 20-second PR,” recalled Ferrell, “but it was a real surprise to get by over a minute!”

Senior Caroline Menna finished two tenths of a second after Ferrell for a season-best 5K and, rounding out the girls’ varsity squad, senior Napiqua Gibbs and freshman Daniella McDevitt both PRed, and Gwen Pelowski and Harper Baker crossed the line for their fastest times this season. 

The Kodiak boys were equally impressive. Senior Ben Jerome led the team once again, dropping his 5K time by more than 30 seconds and breaking the 17-minute barrier. Next in for CHS, freshman Lane Bedard cut 35 seconds off his quickest time. Then, senior Cruz Martinez dashed to a SR; freshmen Ryder Fiano and Cooper Krejci ran away with PRs; sophomore Colton Khun a SR. 

Jerome also moved up to sixth in the CHS boys’ 5K record books, and Bedard joined him in the top 20, now ranked 18th. Grace McDevitt and Ferrell took over the seventh and ninth spots, respectively, for CHS girls. (Menna is ranked 5th.)

The record-breaking crew races next on October 15 at the team’s annual senior night, dual meet against Eastmont held at Leavenworth’s Enchantment Park.

Caroline Menna is an intern for Ward Media and a senior at Cascade High School. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Cascade High School Publications Group.