Twilight XC — Meet Complete · Coverage in the Books
Nike Twilight
Invitational 2026
Ten races, ten illuminated arches, one unforgettable sunset. Lanese went sub-15, and Holt and Hennen dead-heated the girls' varsity race in a photo finish — both PBs. The full story is in the gallery.
Official Results
Under the lights,
the results are in
The 18th annual Nike Twilight delivered on its new home — a photo-finish dead heat in the 3A-4A girls' race and the first sub-15 of Quenton Lanese's career in the boys'. Full results: athletic.net ↗
| Race | Winner | Mark | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3A-4A Girls' Varsity · 6:30 PM | Jaya Holt (Glacier Peak) & Leah Hennen (Olympia) | 18:03.3 | Photo-finish dead heat — both PBs, placings decided by the camera |
| 3A-4A Boys' Varsity · 5:25 PM | Quenton Lanese (Olympia) | 14:59.3 | PB — first sub-15 of his career, wire to wire |
| 1B-2A Girls' Varsity · 5:55 PM | Grace Walsh (Manson) | 18:23.5 | Won on the golf-course turf as the light faded |
- Event
- Nike Twilight Invitational — High School Cross Country
- Date
- Location
- Legion Memorial Golf Course, Everett, Washington
- Photographer
- Russell Moore — Editorial sports photographer, Pacific Northwest — full-day coverage Oct 3
- Coverage
- Full-event documentary coverage — every race, every team — published as a curated post-race gallery (live now)
Notice of Operations — 2026 Season
The lens followed the race,
not the roster.
I was on site for the full event — every race, every team, from the first gun to the last chute. But I'm done shooting volume galleries. No 2,000-frame dumps, no bib-searchable archives, no promise of a photo of every athlete who toed the line. That model produced a lot of files and very few photographs worth keeping. Covering the meet as a whole is not the same as photographing every individual in it.
What I shot was the meet itself — editorial, free-range, for the culture. The leader committing at the hairpin. The freshman closing on tired legs. The chute at the moment form gives out — and, this year, a dead heat decided by the camera. I went where the story went, and the story didn't check start lists.
Ninety programs. Ten high school races that ran past sunset — the last two varsity races in the dark, under ten illuminated arches. This was the PM half of the day: I opened at Chambers Creek in the morning for the John Payne, then drove north for the lights.
The documentary photo gallery from this meet is a curated set of selects. Your athlete might be in it. That's the honest deal.
- EditorialCoverage followed the narrative of the race — no roster obligations.
- CuratedA tight set of selects, not a volume archive. Every frame earned its place.
WIAA-credentialed · SafeSport certified · $1M liability insured · filed for DyeStat & WestcoastXC.
The Compass
Race Intel
01 — Schedule
| Gun | Race | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02:45 PM | Serious "Open Race" — Men & Women | 5K | Open entry, all comers |
| 03:15 PM | JV Frosh/Soph Boys | 5K | 10 entries per school |
| 03:45 PM | JV Frosh/Soph Girls | 5K | 10 entries per school |
| 04:20 PM | JV Junior/Senior Boys | 5K | 10 entries per school |
| 04:50 PM | JV Junior/Senior Girls | 5K | 10 entries per school |
| 05:25 PM | Varsity 3A-4A Boys | 5K | 7 per school · Lanese won — 14:59.3 PB |
| 05:55 PM | Varsity 1B-2A Girls | 5K | 7 per school · Walsh (Manson) won — 18:23.5 |
| 06:30 PM | Varsity 3A-4A Girls | 5K | The sunset race — Holt & Hennen dead heat, 18:03.3 PBs |
| 07:00 PM | Varsity 1B-2A Boys | 5K | The show — full dark, under the arches |
| 07:30 PM | Twilight 2K | 2K | Costume fun run — free, glow encouraged |
| 08:15 PM | Awards | — | Glow medals at the finish |
02 — Know Before You Go
| Item | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Admission | $8 adults & students · $5 ASB / seniors / kids | Cash or check only — no cards |
| Official results | athletic.net ↗ | Full meet results and team scores |
| Entries | Varsity limited to 7 · JV limited to 10 | Meet filled by the end of April |
| Parking | At a premium around Legion Memorial | Overflow pointed toward Everett CC / WSU |
| Dogs | Not allowed | — |
| Swag | Glow-in-the-dark shirts — $30 short / $40 long / $60 crew | Sold out again; glow medals for award winners |
The Field — 2026
Ninety programs.
One glowing loop.
- Anacortes
- Archbishop Murphy
- Arlington
- Auburn
- Bainbridge
- Bellevue
- Bellevue Christian
- Blaine
- Bothell
- Brewster
- Burlington-Edison
- Bush
- Cascade (Everett)
- Cascade (Leavenworth)
- Cedar Park Christian (Bothell)
- Cedarcrest
- Centennial
- Central Kitsap
- Chelan
- Chief Sealth
- Cleveland
- Connell
- East Jefferson
- Edmonds-Woodway
- Elma
- Evangel Classical
- Everett
- Evergreen (Seattle)
- Forest Ridge
- Foster
- Franklin
- Franklin Pierce
- Glacier Peak
- Highline
- Ingraham
- Interlake
- Jackson
- Kamiak
- Kentlake
- Kentridge
- Kentwood
- King's
- Kingston
- Lake Stevens
- Lake Washington
- Lakeridge
- Lewis and Clark
- Liberty Bell
- Lindbergh
- Lynden
- Lynden Christian
- Lynnwood
- Manson
- Mariner
- Marysville-Getchell
- Marysville-Pilchuck
- Monroe
- Mount Baker
- Mount Rainier
- Mount Vernon Christian
- Mountlake Terrace
- Newport (Bellevue)
- Nooksack Valley
- North Creek
- Oak Harbor
- Olympia
- Orting
- Overlake
- Pope John Paul II
- Prosser
- Rainier Beach
- Renton
- Royal
- Sammamish
- Seattle Academy
- Shorecrest
- Skyline
- Snohomish
- Southridge
- Squalicum
- Stanwood
- Steilacoom
- Sultan
- The Northwest School
- Toppenish
- Tyee
- University Prep
- Wahluke
- Washington
- Woodinville
The 2026 meet is complete — relive it in the documentary gallery →
Race-Night Headliners
The last two races
ran in the dark
How the headliners delivered on race night. For season context, see my State Watch board and Project 29.
- Jaya Holt Won the 6:30 PM 3A-4A girls' race in a photo-finish dead heat with Leah Hennen — both 18:03.3, both personal bests. Twenty seconds faster than her season mark when it mattered most.
- Leah Hennen Waited all season for her first PB — and got it in the biggest race of the fall: 18:03.3, inseparable from Holt at the line, decided by the camera. Her first personal best of 2026.
- Quenton Lanese 14:59.3 — a personal best and the first sub-15 of his career, winning the 5:25 PM 3A-4A boys' race wire to wire on fresh legs after skipping Bob Firman.
- Dahlia Zener Her front-two partnership with Holt set up the Grizzlies' 1-2 punch — and it was Holt's night in the dead heat, with Zener's rookie season still tracking as one of the state's best.
- Taylor Rush His three-way battle with Chief Sealth's Ziko Kraft (16:15.10) and Lynden's Luke Schouten (16:16.00) shaped the 7:00 PM 1B-2A boys' race — the final varsity heat, run in full dark under the arches.
- How the night actually went Every headline result, race by race — plus the photo finish that decided the meet's best duel. See the Results →
Already Covered
The field, already in frame
Race-night frames from Oct 3 are up top — the full documentary gallery is live →
Course Notes
New site,
same glow
After years at Cedarcrest, the Twilight moved to Legion Memorial Golf Course on the Everett waterfront — and the sport's best under-the-lights show kept its soul.
- The MoveNew site for 2026: Legion Memorial Golf Course in Everett, after years at Cedarcrest. Golf-course turf, big sightlines, and room for the show — the meet's third decade started on new ground, and it delivered.
- The LightsTen illuminated arches lit the course as the sun went down. Sunset came around 6:45 PM — the 6:30 girls' varsity race finished at dusk in a photo-finish dead heat, and the 7:00 boys' 1B-2A race was a full night race under the arches.
- State-Meet FeelThe course was flagged WIAA state-meet style — the meet's own billing was that it simulates Pasco. Directional flagging, a real chute, and championship energy in early October.
- The GlowGlow-in-the-dark shirts ($30 short / $40 long / $60 crew) sold out again, and the medals glowed too. The 7:30 Twilight 2K costume fun run was free and open to everyone — glow encouraged.
- SpectatingGolf-course access meant you could get almost anywhere on course, with a restaurant on site. Gates opened 1:45 PM sharp; coaches meeting at 2:15.
- LogisticsAdmission was $8 for adults and students, $5 for ASB cardholders, seniors, and kids — cash or check only, no cards. No dogs. Parking around Legion Memorial was at a premium, with overflow pointed toward Everett CC / WSU. And coaches: this meet filled by the end of April.
Post-Race
The Documentary Gallery
Gallery live — curated selects published
Photos from the 2026 Nike Twilight Invitational are live — a curated set of selects telling the story of the meet as I found it, from the first open race to the awards under the arches. This is not a bib-searchable volume archive, and inclusion was never guaranteed. Personal use licensing; media and commercial use by arrangement.
View the Gallery →Missed this meet? See the rest of the 2026 season →
Straight Answers
FAQ
Will there be photos of every athlete at this meet?
No. I covered the full event — every race, every team — but coverage was editorial and followed the story of the race, not the roster. That's documentary coverage of the meet as a whole, not a guarantee of individual photos of every athlete.
Where are the photos from this meet?
The curated documentary gallery from the 2026 Nike Twilight Invitational is live — tap "View the Gallery" at the top of this page. Personal use licensing; media, school, and commercial licensing is available on request.
Can I use the photos commercially?
Gallery images are licensed for personal use. Media, school, and commercial licensing is available — get in touch through the main site.
What happened at Nike Twilight 2026?
The 18th annual meet debuted its new home at Legion Memorial Golf Course in Everett, and the lights delivered. Quenton Lanese (Olympia) won the 5:25 PM 3A-4A boys' race in 14:59.3 — a personal best and his first sub-15. The 6:30 PM 3A-4A girls' race ended in a photo-finish dead heat: Glacier Peak's Jaya Holt and Olympia's Leah Hennen both clocked 18:03.3, both personal bests, the placings decided by the finish-line camera. In the 1B-2A races, Manson's Grace Walsh won the girls' race in 18:23.5, and the 7:00 PM boys' race ran in full dark under the ten illuminated arches.
Who won at Nike Twilight 2026?
3A-4A boys: Quenton Lanese (Olympia), 14:59.3, a personal best. 3A-4A girls: a dead-heat photo finish — Jaya Holt (Glacier Peak) and Leah Hennen (Olympia), both 18:03.3, both personal bests. 1B-2A girls: Grace Walsh (Manson), 18:23.5. Full results at athletic.net.
