Coach Amber Frank, left, enjoys a fun moment with her Naselle runners after their races at the WIAA state cross country meet in Pasco. At back, left to right, are Karsen Green, Jaylee Bonk, Cheyenne Engelson, Kenzie Larson and Ashlyn Eastham. In front is Caesar Garcia. More photos online at ChinookObserver.com.

PASCO — That Naselle school record is intact.

Sophomore Caesar Garcia ran the entire cross country season with one number in mind: 17:17.

At the WIAA state meet Saturday, it proved an elusive goal, as it had with last year’s senior captain Derek Suomela. “I thought I might get it this year, but no such luck,” Garcia said, still catching his breath. “But, hopefully, I should get it next year.”

Garcia was the lone Comet boy to qualify for the 1B race, which was run separately from the larger schools. He placed 30th in the field of 75, finishing in 18:31.20. “I am very pleased with that,” he said. “It was not as bad as last year, because I had the experience running it and I kept telling myself to watch my pace right at the start because of that big hill!”

Valley Christian earned the 1B team trophy with the winner, senior Westin Madden, clocking 16:13.80 just ahead of two teammates.

For the girls, Naselle qualified a full team in head coach Amber Frank’s second year. The Comets placed 14th.

The 1B and 2B girls ran together, making the field 144. As she has most of the season, eighth-grader Kenzie Larson was first to finish for her squad. She was 70th, clocking in at 23:08.60.

“I was expecting for the worse, honestly,” Larson confided. “I was close to my PR by 30 seconds, but it was a good race. I am OK with how I did. Not happy, but OK.”

Freshman teammate Karsen Green was next, at 104th in 25:07. “I felt I could have done a lot better, but I was really cold,” Green said. “I was slower than last year.” In 2023, Green, then an eighth-grader, was the only Comet girl to qualify for state, finishing 47th in a field of 79.

Junior Jaylee Bonk recorded 28:39.50 followed by freshman Cheyenne Engelson (31:07.70) and eighth-grader Ashlyn Eastham (32:47.70).

Their coach was beaming afterward. “I am proud of them,” Frank said. “We are pretty proud that we built a team. Karsen and Kenzie have a lot of potential. In fact, they all do. Kenzie says it is her sport. Everybody has a sport, it is her sport!”