Olympia Bears Dominate Team Titles at the 4th Annual Fall Classic
Varsity Girls start at the 4th Annual Fall Classic XC Invitational
Saturday’s 4th Annual Fall Classic was held under perfect running weather. The light overnight precipitation put a damper on the usual dusty conditions at PLU’s disc golf course, creating a firm, fast track. The atmosphere was electric, with the buzz of early morning community races and announcements echoing from the PA. Anticipation peaked with the official's call: "Ten minutes until start!" As the starting gun fired, the ground shook with the stampede of feet.
As I sat on the wet ground, I overheard someone behind me say, "Let's watch from right here. This is where the photographer is, so this is probably a good spot." (Trust me, I have no idea what I'm doing; I'd picked the spot simply because it was less crowded.)
Varsity Boys: A Freshman Record-Setter
Quenton Lanese warms up before the varsity race
From my vantage point, several 4A foes fought for positioning as the wide starting field funneled into a bottleneck at the first turn. Olympia, Battle Ground, Puyallup, and Kentwood would be fighting for supremacy. Lord King Nana-Badu-Weah (Battle Ground) and Quenton Lanese (Olympia) immediately took to the front and set a blistering early pace. While Nana-Badu-Weah (jr) seemed to control the lead, the freshman Lanese was with him stride for stride. After seeing them several times on the looped course, it was clear the youngster was going to push him to the breaking point.
In the chase pack, Caden Durocher (Olympia) battled with Battle Ground's Trae Copper and Brody Anderson of Puyallup. When the dust settled, the finishing order was Lanese, Nana-Badu-Weah, Durocher, Copper, and Anderson, all of whom finished under the 16-minute mark. In a dramatic finish, Olympia's vocal junior Jack McDurmon also cracked the 17-minute barrier, setting a huge personal best of 16:44.0.
Jack Mc Durmon rounds the bend at the 4th Annual Fall Classic XC Invitational
Lanese continues to cement his status as a freshman to watch as the championship season approaches. He set a new course record and personal best on the day, finishing in a stunning 15:09.4. Durocher's strong third-place finish helped the Bears secure 3rd place as a team.
Varsity Girls: Kosa Leads a Dominant Bears Victory
Olympia High School’s Sydney Kosa crosses the finish line in record time.
In the second race of the day, the Olympia Bears were the clear favorites, led by the outstanding Sydney Kosa, who was coming off a season-best performance at the HOKA John Payne Invitational. The individual battle was compelling, with a host of speedy athletes toeing the line. Paeton Poelman (White River), Leah Hennen (Olympia), Sophia Rogers (Battle Ground), and Ruby Henry (Pope John Paul II) would all fight for crucial low scores for their teams.
Paeton Poelman of White River High School finishes in second place
Initially, Rogers (jr) took the lead while Kosa and Poelman stuck together close behind. Throughout the looped course, positions shifted dramatically as Kosa and Poelman pulled ahead, running together for most of the race. Sydney Kosa ultimately broke away to set a new course record and personal best in 18:06.1. Paeton Poelman finished second with an impressive personal best of her own (18:17.7). The Bears' second runner, freshman Leah Hennen, finished third in 18:30.7, helping Olympia clinch the team title with an incredible score of 34. Puyallup finished a distant second with 107.
JV Boys: Depth on Display
Tai Taylor of Olympia High School celebrates a successful race where he took first place and led his team to a victory
While varsity races get the most attention, the junior varsity events showcase the future. In a strategic move to build confidence, Olympia’s Tai Taylor ran with the JV squad on Saturday. Taylor displayed his mettle, placing first in 17:29.2 and firmly making his case to Coach Stevick for a permanent varsity spot. After a couple of challenging races, this is a great boost for the young freshman as he finds his place in the Bears' speedy top seven. With teammate Dylan Shaughnessy finishing third in 17:51.2, the Bears won the JV team title, showcasing the incredible depth of their program.
JV Girls: An Olympia Showcase
Azalea Barksdale (left) and teammate Gretchen Hillier (right) running together as they lead the varsity girls race
The girls' JV race was a showcase for Olympia, with six of their runners making their mark on the course's all-time Top 10 list. Junior Azalea Barksdale set a blistering pace from the get-go, finishing first in 20:15.1, with teammate Gretchen Hillier taking second in 20:47.8. Sofia Dunlap also claimed a personal best while securing fifth place. The Bears dominated the team scores with a minuscule 24 points. This JV performance is undoubtedly a source of pride for Coach Violette and a promising sign for the program's future as championship season gets underway
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2025 Olympia Quenton Lanese 15:09.4
2025 Battle Ground Lord King Nana-Badu-Weah 15:21.9
2025 Olympia Caden Durocher 15:33.2
2023 Steilacoom Caleb Wilcox 15:37.7
2025 Battle Ground Trae Copper 15:41.0
2025 Puyallup Brody Anderson 15:46.7
2022 Enumclaw McCoy Brooks 15:56.7
2025 Pope John Paul II Kevin Hu 16:01.4
2025 King's Nahom Getachew 16:01.8
2023 Emerald Ridge Ben Sauer 16:02.1
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2025 Olympia Sydney Kosa 18:06.1
2025 White River Paeton Poelman 18:17.7
2025 Olympia Leah Hennen 18:30.7
2022 Emerald Ridge Emme Bates 18:39.0
2025 Battle Ground Sophia Rogers 18:42.1
2025 Pope John Paul II Ruby Henry 18:42.2
2022 Bellarmine Prep Alison Whalen 18:44.6
2024 King’s Sophia Inglin 18:47.5
2025 Puyallup Maurin Monaghan 18:47.6
2025 Olympia Carolina Schilter 18:48.6
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2024 Stadium Jonah Neidlinger 17:27.6
2025 Olympia Tai Taylor 17:29.2
2025 Puyallup Charles Layton 17:41.1
2025 Olympia Dylan Shaughnessy 17:51.2
2025 Puyallup Tevyn Hickman 17:52.6
2023 Olympia Tristan Steffen 17:59.9
2023 Emerald Ridge Hunter Skinner 18:00.5
2024 Stadium Roman Miller 18:02.9
2024 Olympia Gunnar Hatlen 18:04.1
2025 Puyallup Dhruva Mukkollu 18:07.1
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2025 Olympia Azalea Barksdale 20:15.1
2025 Olympia Gretchen Hillier 20:47.8
2025 Selah Sadie Durkee 20:58.0
2025 Selah Clare Richards 21:03.4
2025 Olympia Sofia Dunlap 21:13.1
2025 Bellarmine Prep Kerstyn Bocook 21:24.1
2025 Olympia Lucy Clinton 21:31.0
2025 Puyallup Lily Seitz 21:56.2
2025 Olympia Ellen Cummings 21:56.7
2025 Olympia Nina Robb 21:58.8
