Ilwaco senior Wyse Mulinix runs through mist from a spray bottle during the men’s 5,000-meter race at Black Lake.

ILWACO — Two rising underclassmen runners blazed to a first-place finish in their respective races in a crowded field last week at Black Lake.

Ilwaco freshman Elsa Linquist (24:11.85) finished first in the women’s 5,000-meter race and Naselle sophomore Caesar Garcia (21:02.02) took first in the men’s event, where both runners controlled the field from start to finish.

In the men’s varsity 5,000-meter race, 37 runners representing Ilwaco, Naselle, North Beach and Ocosta took to the starting line before Comet sophomore Caesar Garcia went coast-to-coast for a first-place finish — 57 seconds faster than his nearest competitor. Four Ilwaco and one Naselle runners accounted for five of the remaining top-10 finishes, including Ilwaco senior Sammy Lloyd (22:15.46), who finished third overall, followed by freshman teammate Alexander Hernandez (22:48.54) in fifth. Naselle junior Trajen Ford (22:49.43) took sixth, followed by Ilwaco senior Wyse Mulinix (23:33.81) in eighth and Ilwaco freshman Blake Eisenbrenner (23:38.34) in ninth.

In the women’s varsity 5,000-meter race, 15 runners representing Ilwaco, Naselle, Ocosta and North Beach raced, with Linquist finishing in first. It was the second first-place finish this season for Linquist, who doesn’t feel she’s yet “reached her peak.”

“All the other flat courses where you would PR on, it has been mainly just me, so I don’t know yet,” Linquist said following the race.

“I think when we get higher up — into districts, and all that — I think we shall see. I don’t think I have peaked!”

Naselle eighth-grader Kenzie Larson (25:48.88) was second, followed by Ilwaco junior Sophia Bittner (26:10.91) in third and Naselle freshman Karen Green (26:14.83) in fourth. Ilwaco junior Nora Soule (27:13.58) finished fifth, rounding out the top five.

Middle school

In the boys’ 1.3-mile middle school race, 76 runners representing 10 schools participated, including Ilwaco, Naselle, Astoria, Warrenton, Seaside, Neah-Kah-Nie, Montesano, Hoquiam, Ocosta and North Beach. Hoquiam seventh-grader Aaron Hernandez (9:45.40) finished first overall.

In the girls’ 1.3-mile middle school race, 53 runners participated with Montesano eighth-grader Kamille Vandevender (10:21.86) finishing first. Ilwaco seventh-grader Piper Johnson (11:45.69) finished fourth.

Up next: Ilwaco and Naselle will both participate in the Rainier Invitational on Thursday, Oct. 10.