Mwaura pushes below 15 minutes (14:48) to defend 3A title

Kamiakin ends North Central's 11-year run of 3A boys titles; L&C sweeps 4A

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

James Mwaura is aiming for something special on the first Saturday in December at Nike Cross Nationals.

The senior from Tacoma's Lincoln High successfully defended his Class 3A title Saturday at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco and sped through 5,000 meters in 14:48.

A year after Mwaura put together a great three-week stretch of races from state to NXR Northwest to BorderClash, he has re-calibrated in an effort to make his best race his last one. 

"I'd say this year I'm a lot stronger," he said. "I'm not racing (hard) so much. I'm being more conservative. The season is kind of long because of NXN, so I'm not trying to push too much."

Among the top guys in the country, Mwaura emerged with the top performance of the weekend. 

His 14:48 was about 16 seconds shy of Tanner Anderson's course record from 2014. But whereas Anderson had John Dressel pressing him the entire way, Mwaura was racing the clock, and at times, the utility vehicle (gator).

"I was not really going for it," Mwaura said of the record. "I knew it would need two people (pushing one another) to take it down. I was trying to break 15 minutes and go as far (under) as I could."

The other big news out of the Class 3A boys race was that Kamiakin ended North Central's 11-year winning streak by scoring 55 points. North Central's dynasty lasted two years longer than the famed Mead run of the 1990s.

Kamiakin had placed second to NC four times in recent years.

In Class 4A, Lewis & Clark of Spokane produced a sweep of the team titles with a pair of nail-biting victories. The boys edged Central Valley, 86 to 87. And the girls beat Camas 74-83.

It was L&C boys' first state title in 51 years and the girls had never won before.

"We're a team that, people don't overlook us, but we've never done it," said boys coach Michael Lee, a member of the 1994 state champions at Mead. "This puts us in a new category. The monkey's off our back and maybe we can get a few."

Central Valley's Ryan Kline outkicked Camas' Daniel Maton for the win in the boys race, 15:11.3 to 15:11.5.

L&C's Katie Thronson dethroned Lake Stevens standout Taylor Roe for the girls title, 17:35 to 17:37.6.

In Class 3A, although the North Central boys settled for third, the school's girls won for the first time. With three sophomores and a freshman all crashing into the top eight, NC scored 42 points. 

Sehome swept the Class 2A titles. Kristen Garcia of Sedro-Woolley, a 2015 Foot Locker finalist, won the 2A girls race in 17:52.9. Cade Brown of Bellingham ran 15:26 to win the boys title.

It was more good news for Eastern Washington in Class 1A. The Medical Lake boys and Colville girls collected the team hardware. Kenneth Rooks of College Place ran 15:18 to win the boys race by 17 seconds. Alyce Harlan of Nooksack Valley took the girls win in 18:06.9.

In Class 1B/2B, Austen Apperson of Adna won the boys race in 15:59. Sophomore Novie McCabe led a 1-2 finish for Liberty Bell and won the girls race by 36 seconds in 18:30.2.

RESULTS - Class 4A | Class 3A | Class 2A | Class 1A | Class 1B/2B

Team Champions

Class 4A Boys - Lewis & Clark 86 points

Class 4A Girls - Lewis & Clark 74 points

Class 3A Boys - Kamiakin 55 points

Class 3A Girls - North Central 42 points

Class 2A Boys - Sehome 94 points

Class 2A Girls - Sehome 101 points

Class 1A Boys - Medical Lake 78 points

Class 1A Girls - Colville 114 points

Class 1B/2B Boys - NW Christian (Lacey) 84 points

Class 1B/2B Girls - Liberty Bell 23 points