Only a few runners have won 'Runner/Runnerette of the Week' twice in the same season. Jackson Keyser became one of the honored ones three weeks ago. None have ever won the distinction three times in a season... until now! Jackson smashed his 'Black Course' P.R. by 27 seconds and was just a few seconds shy of his fastest time ever from faster courses. He was disappointed with his 11th place at the district meet the previous week, but made up for it as he was the 4th best from our district as he placed 28th in Pasco. Upon finishing, he was greeted with a team hug from the whole girls team - apparently planned due to it being his last XC race as a Panther, but it was more than deserving based on his incredible finish, passing a 'Panther Impossible' 14 competitors in the final mile of the race!
Quality athletes know how to perform - when things are going well, and when things are less than perfect. When the chips are down, they know how to come through - you can usually bet on it. Savea Mansfield's prior few weeks were not perfect as there were some chuck holes she had to negotiate. There were a couple of sick days and a significant hip issue she had to deal with. But her performance at the state meet showed no signs of disruption, as she eclipsed her "Black Course" P.R. by a half a second set last year on the same course, which is safe to say was her best performance ever. She was only 11 seconds off her P.R. from the much faster Lewisville Park course. Savea has earned the respect of teammates and opponents in various sports, and at Washougal, she has become predictably reliable!