Bundled up to stay warm at the District meet in Rainier Saturday were Naselle senior Derek Suomela, cross country coach Amber Frank, eighth-grader Karsen Green and freshman Caesar Garcia. The Comet student-athletes will compete at the WIAA 1B state championships in Pasco Saturday.

RAINIER — Naselle started a new cross country program in late summer with high hopes.

And first-year coach Amber Frank was ecstatic Saturday as she described her student-athletes’ latest successes. “I have never been so proud of kids that aren’t mine!” she enthused. “I’m so giddy.”

Qualifying for the WIAA 1B/2B cross country championships in Pasco next Saturday were senior Derek Suomela and freshman Caesar Garcia.

Traveling with them will be speedy eighth-grader Karsen Green.

All performed well at the District 4 meet in Rainier Saturday.

Suomela, a state track medalist the past two years, placed seventh in a time of 18:13.97, seven seconds ahead of his Ilwaco neighbor Jacob Mathison. The winner, from Adna, finished in 16:27.83.

“Derek has that natural running ability in him,” said Frank, who predicted he might qualify for state if his debut senior season went well, but wasn’t sure how high he would place at District.

Garcia, a freshman, placed 18th in 19:03.21, ahead of two Ilwaco runners who took the final two qualifying places at 20th and 21st.

“I am super-impressed with both of them,” she said, commending Garcia for the manner in which he helped other team members, including Trajen Ford, a sophomore who had a solid season but had to bow out of districts with a leg injury. “He worked to keep Trajen going and he does well motivating others, as does Derek.”

Also running for Naselle were freshmen Logan Wirkkala-Scheller and Reilly Browning.

The runners are also leaders in academic and scientific pursuits at Naselle. “We have a lot of smart kids!” Frank said.

Green was one of only two eighth-graders in the 45-strong girls’ field. Seeking to finish among the top 14 qualifiers to advance to state, she placed 10th with a time of 23:30.60. The winner ran 20:50.02.

Teammate Jessica Underhill, a sophomore, also ran.

Frank, who runs with Karsen’s mother, Marie Green, the Naselle athletic director, said they had Karsen compete with other middle-school age student-athletes early in the season until it became clear she could cope with longer distances.

“She did consistent good times and then there was a meet that was high school only with an extra mile-and-a-half and she did great,” her coach said.

Green placed well at the Ilwaco High School meet and another race, before taking fifth at the Pacific League championship meet in Ocosta.

The state championship race is Saturday at Pasco’s Sun Willows Golf Course. Because so few 1B teams have cross country programs, they run alongside student-athletes from larger 2B schools.

• Willapa Valley, another 1B school, had junior Kaitlyn Ganzel place sixth in 23:06.85 and classmate Jasmin Solso, who was 11th behind Green, also qualify for state.