Nike Portland XC Recap: Rodriguez, Nitzschke post top marks in Portland while Meridian's girls and Woodinville's boys win early morning races
Loading my gear in my trunk in the dark had me paranoid. I had dropped something, but I had packed everything the night before, and after triple checking myself, I decided to just get in the car and start heading to Portland.
A 5am start to what I had built up to be a long and busy day. As I pulled into the Blue Lake Park entrance, I put my car into park just behind another vehicle. Four of us sat idle while waiting for the 7am gate to open. A volunteer pulled up in a golf cart — pushing sign stakes into the ground, directing people — this was my first confirmation that I was at the correct place.
Once the gate magically opened on a timer, I drove slowly into the park, and as I pulled into a gravel lot I saw a long line of portapotties, flags, and volunteers shuffling around gear. Once I was situated, I found the volunteer sign-in, grabbed my media and parking pass, and headed back to the car, where it was warm.
My plan was to take a quick nap, but my nerves were restless. I put my camera case in the passenger seat and began going through my gear. I rarely check settings in the menus before a race, so it felt necessary, and I am glad I did, as I found a few things that had been bugging me.
The Nike Portland XC finish line at Blue Lake Regional Park, roughly 35 minutes before the first gun.
The Gun Goes Off
At 9am the Girls Gold Varsity would sound the official start of the meet. As athletes warmed up in the massive starting area, dew on the ground, steam poured from their mouths, and the sun positioned itself in a way that made the cold temperature disappear.
Maria Carrillo huddles up before the opening race. The team's Joslyn Tribbey went on to win it in 18:18.2.
As the girls from Maria Carrillo (Santa Rosa, CA) dropped their sweats and huddled up, I felt the excitement in the air. Hundreds of athletes were starting to get ready, tents lined the background with parents and coaches lining the invisible barrier that connected the starting area with the actual course.
I watched as Poly (Long Beach, CA), Scappoose (OR), McFarland (CA), Kennedy Catholic (WA), Woodinville (WA), and Holy Names (Seattle, WA) warmed up and settled on the starting line.
McFarland sophomore Jennifer Diaz warms up minutes before the Girls Gold Varsity. She finished 2nd in 18:29.7, a personal best, 11.5 seconds behind winner Joslyn Tribbey.
The cadence for the day was consistent: an official with a megaphone would announce the starting sequence to the line, an ATV would drive by the start line for the live feed, and once it passed and settled, the officials would hold up their flags, whistle, then the pop of the gun.
The Girls Gold Varsity field at the line for the first race of the day. Left to right: Holy Names Academy, Poly (Long Beach), McMinnville, Scappoose, Carondelet and Tigard.
The first race start, paired with the sound of hundreds of feet pounding the ground, sends my adrenaline through the roof. I ran to my next location — the athletes would make several big loops, and this would be my first chance to test out my positioning. I found myself less concerned with where I would be snapping photos and more concerned with the sun. A clear sky, unobscured direct light — the game of exposing for the shadows or underexposing for the light — the light won on Saturday.
Another hurdle I would have to overcome on the day was all of the teams and their uniforms I wasn't accustomed to seeing. While I would focus heavily on the Washington schools, I was there covering the whole race. A few times I found myself shooting athletes that I assumed were from one school, but were from another — a few states away.
Gold Varsity: California and Washington Trade Blows
Maria Carrillo senior Joslyn Tribbey breaks the tape to win the meet's opening race, the Girls Gold Varsity, in 18:18.2, a personal best by 31.7 seconds.
Right off the bat I learned a new name — Joslyn Tribbey (Maria Carrillo), who would win the Girls Varsity Gold race in 18:18.2. McFarland's Jennifer Diaz (18:29.7) and Windsor's (CA) Emily Williams (18:36.8) would round out the top-3. A strong showing for the Golden State right off the bat.
Woodinville sophomore Oskari Vuorela closes on the finish of the Boys Gold Varsity, winning in 15:33.1, a personal best by 22.9 seconds.
The boys varsity gold race would see a different approach, with the Washington kids claiming a couple of top spots. The Woodinville standout Oskari Vuorela would light the course up and finish in 15:33.1. Behind him was Windsor's Corbin Post (15:42.4) and Kennedy Catholic's Dominic Pavone (15:46.3).
The Danner Championship
St. Francis sophomore Alyssa Gutierrez approaches the finish of the Danner Championship, which she won in 17:06.9, 22.4 seconds ahead of second place.
Ellison Williams of St. Francis (left) and Jetta Betts of ThunderRidge run stride for stride late in the Danner Championship. Betts took 2nd in 17:29.3 and Williams 3rd in 17:29.7, both personal bests.
Alyssa Gutierrez (St Francis, Sacramento, CA) entered Saturday's races as the heavy favorite, and she would find herself out front early, eventually breaking away from the front pack and finishing in 17:06.9. Jetta Betts (ThunderRidge, Highlands Ranch, CO) would hold off St Francis' Ellison Williams, with the two finishing 17:29.3 and 17:29.7 after Williams challenged down the finishing chute.
North Eugene senior Ashenafi McKinnis breaks the tape to win the Danner Championship in 14:39.7, a personal best by 3.3 seconds.
North Eugene's Ashenafi McKinnis would finish in 14:39.7, only a few seconds ahead of William Thompson's (La Serna, Whittier, CA) 14:42.1. Marist's Corbin Sage (Eugene, OR) would round out the top-3 in 14:55.2.
Columbia River's Wyatt Nitzschke would lock down the top spot for the WA boys, finishing 4th overall in 14:58.9. Right behind him, Eastmont's Cade Hill posted the second-fastest WA time, taking 5th overall in 15:00.8.
Washington Teams in the Danner Championship
Team finishes in the meet’s top flight, where the fastest teams from six states raced.
Mt. Si raced without Sophia Rodriguez, who ran the J/S JV race while completing her transfer sit-out. Kingston, Yelm, Battle Ground and Eastmont ran individuals in this race.
Team score is the sum of a team’s top five places; lower is better. Only Washington teams that scored are shown.
Strictly WA Athletes
Mt. Si senior Sophia Rodriguez breaks the tape in the junior/senior JV race in 17:15.1, the second-fastest girls' time of the day. Lincoln High School's Ellery Lincoln, a Nike Elite athlete, held the tape as a surprise, and Rodriguez didn't notice until Lincoln chased her down.
Sophia Rodriguez (Mt Si) would come away with the second fastest time on the day and best time by the WA women, finishing in 17:15.1. Rodriguez's teammates Ryan Mclellan and Brighton Dance would hold down the number two and three spots. Mt Si's roster continues to impress, with Blakely Baldwin locking down the 11th spot, and Ellie Baker in 19th overall for the WA girls.
Mt. Si senior Ryan Mclellan took 9th in the Danner Championship in 17:49.2, a personal best by 22 seconds and the top Washington finish in the race.
If anyone was overlooking the Wildcats during the preseason, think again — the road to Pasco is heating up, and their varsity squad is about to get a massive lift with Sophia Rodriguez eclipsing her sit-out period after transferring from Mercer Island over the summer. Junior Varsity rosters breathe a sigh of relief.
Top 25 Washington Girls — 5,000m
Fastest times by Washington girls in any 5,000m heat, Saturday, Sept. 26. Heat shown for each athlete; Rodriguez ran the J/S JV race while completing her transfer sit-out.
| # | Athlete | Gr | School | Time | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sophia Rodriguez | Sr | Mt. Si | 17:15.1 | J/S JV Morning |
| 2 | Ryan Mclellan | Sr | Mt. Si | 17:49.2 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 3 | Brighton Dance | Sr | Mt. Si | 17:56.1 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 4 | Emma Grice | Sr | Kingston | 18:22.6 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 5 | Kate Westfall | Sr | Camas | 18:23.2 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 6 | Lila Hamon | Fr | Eastmont | 18:34.5 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 7 | Kira Nelsen | Jr | Woodinville | 18:41.5 | Gold Varsity |
| 8 | Bria Rempp | So | Meridian | 18:46.3 | Gold Varsity |
| 9 | Layne Dickson | Fr | Meridian | 19:01.6 | Gold Varsity |
| 10 | Ridley Strotz | Fr | Meridian | 19:07.5 | Gold Varsity |
Show ranks 11–25
| # | Athlete | Gr | School | Time | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Blakely Baldwin | Jr | Mt. Si | 19:08.8 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 12 | Airi Thompson | So | Meridian | 19:09.9 | Gold Varsity |
| 13 | Deejay Taylor | Sr | Yelm | 19:10.3 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 14 | Logan Mihailoff | Jr | Camas | 19:16.6 | J/S JV Morning |
| 15 | Sophia Rogers | Sr | Battle Ground | 19:16.8 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 16 | Kyung-Ah Lee | Jr | Puyallup | 19:26.1 | Gold Varsity |
| 17 | Charlie Garrett | Jr | Skyview | 19:28.6 | Green Varsity |
| 18 | Vivian Porter | Fr | Kennedy Catholic | 19:28.7 | Gold Varsity |
| 19 | Ellie Baker | So | Mt. Si | 19:28.8 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 20 | Lily Collett | Jr | Camas | 19:32.4 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 21 | Frances Armerding | Fr | Union | 19:32.9 | Green Varsity |
| 22 | Natalie Estrada | Jr | Camas | 19:33.5 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 23 | Tibian Fadl | Sr | Mount Rainier | 19:33.6 | Blue Varsity |
| 24 | Sierra Retzlaff | So | Skyview | 19:34.6 | Green Varsity |
| 25 | Eva McGeachy | Sr | Camas | 19:45.9 | Danner Championship Varsity |
Kingston senior Emma Grice took 27th in the Danner Championship in 18:22.6, a personal best by 35 seconds.
Rounding out the top-5 for WA girls is Kingston's Emma Grice (27th) who had a personal best day, posting an 18:22.6, with Kate Westfall (Camas) just behind her, having a season best day, finishing 28th in the Danner Championship Varsity race, posting a time of 18:23.2.
Five freshmen cracked the top-25 WA girls, with Eastmont’s Lila Hamon, Meridian's Layne Dickson and Ridley Strotz, Kennedy Catholic's Vivian Porter, and Union's Frances Armerding all going home with personal bests.
Meridian sophomore Bria Rempp finished 5th in the Girls Gold Varsity in 18:46.3, a personal best by 40 seconds.
Freshman Ridley Strotz checks her watch after finishing 9th for Meridian in the Girls Gold Varsity, a new personal best of 19:07.5.
Union freshman Frances Armerding left everything on the course, finishing 4th in the Girls Green Varsity in a personal-best 19:32.9.
Battle Ground senior Trae Copper ran 15:05.6 for 6th in the Danner Championship, a personal best by 27 seconds and third among Washington boys.
The Battle Ground boys had a solid day, finishing as the top WA team on the day and 9th overall out of 32. Trae Copper would lead the way for the Tigers, finishing 6th overall — third-fastest among WA boys. Lord King Nana-Badu-Weah would finish 11th overall, 4th for WA, with Vance Copper right behind him at 12th for WA and 50th overall.
Kingston's boys had a strong showing, with Coen Van Vliet (15:18.9) and Timothy Clark-Johnston (15:30.6) both bettering their school record on the day.
Top 25 Washington Boys — 5,000m
Fastest times by Washington boys in any 5,000m heat, Saturday, Sept. 26. Heat shown for each athlete.
| # | Athlete | Gr | School | Time | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyatt Nitzschke | Sr | Columbia River | 14:58.9 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 2 | Cade Hill | Sr | Eastmont | 15:00.8 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 3 | Trae Copper | Sr | Battle Ground | 15:05.6 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 4 | Lord King Nana-Badu-Weah | Sr | Battle Ground | 15:16.4 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 5 | Coen Van Vliet | Jr | Kingston | 15:18.9 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 6 | Judah TeVelde | So | Meridian | 15:25.4 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 7 | Timothy Clark-Johnston | Sr | Kingston | 15:30.6 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 8 | Marcos Andujar | Sr | Yelm | 15:30.9 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 9 | Payten Jones | Jr | Camas | 15:32.5 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 10 | Oskari Vuorela | So | Woodinville | 15:33.1 | Gold Varsity |
Show ranks 11–25
| # | Athlete | Gr | School | Time | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Reuben TeVelde | Sr | Meridian | 15:41.5 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 12 | Vance Copper | Jr | Battle Ground | 15:46.0 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 13 | Dominic Pavone | Jr | Kennedy Catholic | 15:46.3 | Gold Varsity |
| 14 | Conner Hill | Jr | Toledo | 15:48.3 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 15 | Cade Udy | Sr | Pullman | 15:51.3 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 16 | Tavin Timperley | Jr | Prairie | 15:53.3 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 17 | John Kiernan III | Jr | West Valley (Spokane) | 15:53.4 | Gold Varsity |
| 18 | Charles Wenstrup | Jr | Mt. Si | 16:03.6 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 19 | Colton Valentine | Jr | Meridian | 16:07.5 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 20 | Huckleberry Olson | Sr | Skyview | 16:10.5 | Green Varsity |
| 21 | Mason Strogen | So | Camas | 16:13.7 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 22 | Peter Robbins | Sr | Yelm | 16:18.3 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 23 | Marco Creal | Sr | Mt. Si | 16:19.8 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 24 | Hunter Specht | So | Mt. Si | 16:19.9 | Danner Championship Varsity |
| 25 | Evan McKenzie | Sr | West Valley (Spokane) | 16:19.9 | Gold Varsity |
WA Teams Looking Ahead to Pasco
Meridian sophomore Judah TeVelde (left) closes on the finish of the Danner Championship beside a Franklin runner. His 15:25.4 was a personal best, good for 20th.
Meridian had a field day on Saturday, posting respectable times in 9 heats. Meridian traveled from Bellingham, WA, and falls under WA's 1A classification, where WIAA's average enrollment sits around 370 students grades 9-12. Sophomore Judah TeVelde would post a new personal best (15:25.4), and Reuben TeVelde posted a 15:41.5 in the Danner Championship Race. Their teammate Colton Valentine would crack the top-25 WA boys with a time of 16:07.5.
Meridian senior Reuben TeVelde ran a season-best 15:41.5 for 44th in the Danner Championship.
Meridian's girls would win the Gold Varsity race with 84 points, 41 clear of McFarland, with Puyallup (8th) and Woodinville (10th) both cracking the top 10.
In the boys Gold Varsity race, Woodinville would edge Mountain View (ID) 128 to 131, with West Valley (Spokane) taking 7th.
Mt Si's girls would finish 7th in the Danner Championship Varsity Race amongst a stacked field of teams including ThunderRidge and St Francis — and they did it without their fastest athlete. Run the math with Sophia Rodriguez slotted into that varsity lineup at her actual pace (17:15.1) and Mt Si's score drops from 263 to 163 — good for 4th, leapfrogging La Serna, Timberline and Torrey Pines, and landing just 8 points behind Mountain View (ID) for the final podium spot. The Wildcats didn't just have a decent day running shorthanded. They were one spot and eight points from crashing the podium in a 23-team field.
Add Rodriguez to the Lineup: Mt. Si Jumps From 7th to 4th
Official team scoring rebuilt from the published results, then re-scored with Sophia Rodriguez inserted at her 17:15.1 JV time, which would have been 2nd overall.
Hypothetical. Every scorer behind Rodriguez moves back one place, which adds 5 points to most teams' scores (4 for St. Francis, whose winner finished ahead of her). The model reproduced all 23 published team scores before Rodriguez was added.
Mt Si's freshman boys would win the Freshman JV race, with Puyallup (3rd), Camas (5th), and Central Kitsap (9th) all with strong showings on the day.
Camas had a strong showing in the girls junior/senior jv race, finishing 4th, with Holy Names Academy (5th), Meridian (6th), and Mt Si (7th) all sneaking their way into the top-10.
Washington Team Highlights — 5,000m Heats
Washington's five lowest team scores in each gender's 5,000m heats, listed by finish in each team's own heat.
Team score is the sum of a team's top five finishing places within its own heat; lower is better. Scores aren't comparable across heats or field sizes, so read the finish and field size first.
My First Time Experiencing Nike Portland XC
A beautiful day in Portland watching thousands of runners dart by heat after heat left me feeling dizzy. The sheer number of schools and athletes was difficult to keep up with, but the loopy course gave me a chance to see runners enough times to capture someone I may have missed along the way.
Hats off to what appeared to be a smooth event — with so many schools, that is no small feat.
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