State cross country preview: Wesco 3A loaded with talent

Throughout this cross country season, a slew of talented Wesco 3A boys runners have posted some of the state’s best times while battling one another for top finishes in league and district meets.

Now, it’s time to see whether a season’s worth of rugged competition in the Snohomish County area helps translate to podium spots in Pasco.

If performances to date are any indication, expect the Class 3A boys state championship meet Saturday at Sun Willows Golf Course to have a decidedly Wesco flavor.

“In the state of Washington, you’ve got little pockets where cross country and distance running is a real important thing,” Arlington coach Mike Shierk said. “And Snohomish County just happens to be one of those just really wonderful places. … Snohomish County just seems to produce.”

Heading into the state meet, eight of the 14 fastest runners in the 3A boys classification this season are from Wesco 3A, according to Athletic.net. Wesco 3A also is home to 12 of the top 24 boys runners in 3A, and 17 of the top 35.

“It’s unbelievable how good this conference is,” Edmonds-Woodway coach Al Bonney said.

“There’s phenomenal runners out here,” Warriors senior Deyago Peraza said after beating a talented field to win last week’s 3A boys district title. “Everyone’s putting in the work week in and week out.

“Having these great guys that are also working hard and pushing themselves each week, that definitely helps us run faster. That’s a blessing to have guys that are just as talented, or even better, to run with every week.”

The league’s strength begins at the top with a pair of ultra-deep teams in Edmonds-Woodway and Arlington. Both are making their fifth consecutive team appearances at state, and both enter as two of the leading contenders for the 3A boys team title.

The senior-laden Warriors have three top-10-ranked 3A runners and return all seven racers from last year’s squad that placed fourth in state. The Eagles, who placed ninth in state last season, have eight of the top 41 runners in the 3A classification.

Needless to say, the Edmonds-Woodway and Arlington teams have squared off in some highly competitive races this season.

“You’ve always gotta have somebody that you’re gunning for — a good rivalry,” Shierk said. “When you have a real strong rivalry with someone and you’re always trying to battle with them, they make you better. They make you hungry, they make you want to go for it. That’s what Edmonds has been for us.”

Earlier this season, the Warriors finished ahead of Arlington in the team standings at several big meets — the Carl Westling Invitational, the Twilight Invitational and the Hole in the Wall Invitational.

The Eagles then beat Edmonds-Woodway two weeks ago to claim the Wesco Championships team title, but the Warriors returned the favor last week to claim the 3A district crown. Bonney said the second-place finish to Arlington in the league championships was a major motivating factor for his team during last week’s district meet.

“When they got edged (by Arlington), it was kind of like, ‘You know what, we don’t belong here and we’re going to make it up,’” Bonney said. “And that’s exactly what they did. They were on a mission, and they carried out the mission.”

The Warriors are led by Peraza, a second-year distance runner whose season-best time of 15 minutes, 14.2 seconds ranks second in the state’s 3A classification and sixth in the state regardless of classification.

“Deyago is one of the most talented guys I’ve ever worked with,” Bonney said after Peraza’s district title last week. “He’s only been in the sport for two years. … It’s very impressive.”

Edmonds-Woodway’s Lucas Lacambra (ninth) and Dylan Hartono (10th) also are ranked among the top 10 runners in 3A. The senior trio of Peraza, Lacambra and Hartono lead an experienced Warriors team whose top seven runners enter Saturday with a combined 11 state appearances.

“We’ve got so many seniors that are really running well,” Bonney said. “They’ve had a really good four-year buildup.”

Arlington, meanwhile, has a tightly packed group of eight runners whose top times this season are all within 46 seconds of one another.

“We’ve got a pretty good intra-squad rivalry,” Shierk said. “The best teams are when there’s not a real well-defined number-one guy and a number two and a number three. As long as their roles can be fluctuated back and forth, and you have guys beyond your seventh runner that are vying for some of those spots and pushing them and keeping the pressure on them, that’s the best situation.

“We’ve got all of these guys that are just extraordinary on each individual level,” he added, “and they just all come together and put together this phenomenal team.”

Quincy Fankhauser, a sophomore, holds the fastest time on Arlington’s team and is ranked eighth in 3A.

The Eagles’ senior trio of Noah Loftis, Favian Villanueva and Blake Landry also are ranked in the top 25 of 3A, along with sophomore newcomer Vincent Loftis. Vincent, who joined the team this season after playing tennis last fall, is the younger brother of Noah and provides a friendly sibling rivalry.

“That kid can run, and he’ll push his older brother,” Shierk said. “Noah is going to do everything he can not to let Vincent beat him. It’s been a very positive thing, because it motivates Noah. … He is not going to let his brother beat him, and he hasn’t all season.”

Snohomish senior Nick McIver owns the 11th-fastest time in 3A and helped the Panthers claim the district’s third and final state team berth.

“They’re workers, they’re grinders and they’ve earned every accomplishment that they’ve had this season,” Panthers coach David LeWarne said of his team. “They could’ve gone one of two ways, and they kind of accepted the challenge of putting in some offseason work and making this happen for themselves.

“I couldn’t be more proud of those guys, because they are a self-made team.”

Shorecrest is sending a pair of highly ranked seniors to state in Erik Luu and Spencer Thurman. Luu holds the fifth-fastest time in 3A and Thurman is ranked 14th. Both have improved their times dramatically from last season, with Luu cutting nearly 70 seconds off last year’s best time.

The downside to having so many talented runners in Wesco 3A and just three state team berths available is a strong team like Shorewood being left out. The Thunderbirds have three of the 60 fastest runners in 3A, but finished 13 points behind Snohomish for the district’s final state berth.

“Shorewood is one of the best teams in the state of Washington, but they don’t get to go,” Shierk said. “(This district) is just cutthroat. It’s brutal.”

But for the Wesco 3A runners and teams that advanced to state, the hope is that battling through such a juggernaut district will pay dividends Saturday.

“Iron sharpens iron,” LeWarne said. “Coming out of a tough district, we should be better prepared for state.

“I’m hoping the best for all the Wesco teams, because it’s been a challenge to make it to the state meet,” he added. “And it sure would be neat to see some hardware coming back over to the west side.”