Willson will defend title at Pasco race

Colfax Junior Morgan Willson will return to the Sun Willows golf course in Pasco Saturday to defend her state B cross country title. Willson, who is undefeated in B competition, earned her ticket to state by leading the NE regional entrants by 37 seconds Friday over a wet course at Plante’s Ferry Park in the Spokane Valley.

She will be the top qualifier to go off the line Saturday in the girls B race which starts at 10 a.m. Willson last year won the race with a clocking of 18:36, 47 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

Friday at Plante’s Ferry in Spokane Valley she clocked 19:36 on a soggy course. Christina Anderson of NWC tracked Willson early in the race, but lost ground. Anna Henry of NWC slipped past Anderson with a time of 20:13, and Anderson finished at 20:20.

Colfax junior Cody Wuestney placed 19th to make the top 20 cut in the boys race with a 19:12 clocking. Jackson Elfers, who has led the Colfax entry during the season’s campaign, fell on the wet grass near the start of the race which had 64 runners from the NE schools. Elfers, who battled to make up ground, finished 31st at 20:03.

Maxwell Choka of St. George’s won the NE race at 16:34. Jon Bennett of Republic finished second with a 17:20. Republic won the team entry into state with 47 points, just one point ahead of Davenport. Colfax placed eighth among the teams with a 200.

Other placers for the Bulldogs were Brock Morgan 46th at 21:13, Brady Cornelius 50th at 22:11 and Joel Morgan 59th at 24:15.

Freshman Katie Largent placed third in the girls’ junior varsity race at 28:04, and exchange student Duy Ha placed 14th in the boys jayvee race at 33.41.