Lakewood boys place seventh at state

A look of astonishment crossed Lakewood senior Lacey Nation’s face as she passed the finish line and entered the chute at the girls state cross country contest at Sun Willows Golf Course.

A week before, the senior had been somber, after learning that the teammates she had practiced and paced with all season long would not go on with her to the state meet in Pasco.

But running on her own in the Nov. 8 contest, Nation shattered her personal best in the 5k — and possibly set a new school record — with a 19:32 time that was 30 seconds faster than any other race she’d run. She was the 21st girl across the finish line.

Personal records were in vogue with Lakewood seniors apparently, as senior Nick Devier had a season-best good for ninth-place in the boys contest, with a 16:15 time. Devier had only been faster once before, at the South Whidbey Invitational his junior year.

While junior Taylor Guske didn’t break his season-best time at state, he did improve over the times he’d turned in at leagues, where he’d won, and districts, where he placed third. With a time of 16:24, Guske almost matched his Hole in the Wall-championship effort and placed 16th at state. Devier and Guske helped pace the boys to a seventh-place team finish, not far behind the Selah squad that produced the meet champion.

Chad Skiles and Byron Gouette ran close together, finishing in 63rd and 65th place respectively, in times of 17:25 and 17:26. Junior Nick Howe rounded out the scoring set for Lakewood, placing 95th in a time of 17:45. Sophomore teammate Trent Tresch finished right behind him in 96th.

With a time of 18:17, senior James Mattson also represented Lakewood in the meet.

On the boys’ side, district rivals Sehome, Burlington-Edison and Squalicum finished 1-2-3 in the standings. On the girls’ side, Sehome, Cedarcrest and Squalicum went 1-2-3 while Bellingham, who held off a Lakewood girls’ berth to state, finished in eighth place overall.

Contact Marysville Globe Sports Reporter Danielle Szulczewski at dszulczewskir@marysvilleglobe.com or 360-659-1300.

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