{
  "id": 17515799,
  "title": "Ridgeline boys, girls capture school's first district cross country titles | Prep XC",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/ridgeline-boys-girls-capture-schools-first-district-cross-country",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-01T02:02:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ridgeline-boys-girls-capture-schools-020200810.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\n\nCoach 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.\"\n\nLeroy 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.\n\nMcArthur 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.",
  "summary": "Oct. 31—It was a day of firsts for the Ridgeline boys and girls cross country teams Saturday. Ridgeline's boys captured their first berth to state by winning the District 6 3A championship at Veterans Memorial Golf Course in Walla Walla. The Falcons finished with 61 points, five ahead of Greater Spokane League champ Mt. Spokane. It's the first trip to state for the Ridgeline boys in the sixth ...",
  "key_points": [
    "Ridgeline boys and girls win first district cross country titles",
    "Ridgeline boys secure berth to state in District 6 3A",
    "Top finishers advance to state meets at Sun Willows Golf Course"
  ],
  "editors_take": "These dual championships signal the emergence of a competitive cross country program that has finally broken through to reach the state level for the first time.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}