Ridgeline boys, girls capture school's first district cross country titles | Prep XC

On October 31, the Ridgeline boys and girls cross country teams achieved firsts in their district championships. Ridgeline's boys secured their first berth to state by winning the District 6 3A title at Veterans Memorial Golf Course in Walla Walla, while the girls also won their first district title. The Falcons finished with 61 points, narrowly edging out the Greater Spokane League champion Mt. Spokane. This marked the first trip to state for the Ridgeline boys in the sixth year since the school's inception.

Coach Peter McArthur was so focused on his runners crossing the finish line, he initially didn't realize his team had won. He expressed amazement at the surprise victory, stating, "I didn't expect us to actually clip them."

Leroy Lonzano Mejia of Hermiston won the boys race with a time of 14 minutes, 22.3 seconds. Becks Bird of Shadle Park and Gatlin Michaelsen of Mt. Spokane rounded out the top three. In the girls' race, Frances Rein of Mt. Spokane won in 18 minutes, 18.3 seconds, with Ridgeline's Chloe Lentz placing second in 18 minutes, 36.8 seconds. Four of Ridgeline's runners (five score at meets) secured top eight placements, while two freshmen and three sophomores were among the top 14.

McArthur expressed excitement for the seniors, recognizing their leadership in building the program. The top three boys and girls teams, along with the top 20 individuals, advance to state meets, which are held the following Saturday at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.