The Yelm boys cross country team wrapped up its season on Nov. 4 at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco, Washington, and placed 15th as a unit at the state meet.
Athletes Sam Hall, Matt Walsh, Hewitt Smith, Alex Hurd, Damon Rabalais, PJ Walsh and Nick Cox and alternates Cristian Flores and Andrew Geszvain competed in the 3A state meet. Hall, 16 minutes, 35 seconds, Walsh, 17:00.6, and Rabalas, 17:07.7, were the Tornados’ top-three finishers at the event.
“I am very proud of the season the boys had,” boys cross country head coach Alex McIntire said. “Six of the seven boys who ran at state were JV runners one to two years ago. There is not as much raw, natural talent with this crew, but they made up for it in work ethic. They were a force in state, and they can be proud of what they have accomplished. They are certainly not satisfied. They are hungry for more.”
McIntire said there’s a lot of work that goes into being a state competitor program in cross country. Most of the team ran over 400 miles spanning from late May to September, McIntire said.
“It has always been my belief that champions are built in the offseason, and that strong base allowed for them to be able to sharpen the sword during the season,” McIntire said. “During the season, we still stayed focused on high mileage, but incorporated speed work two to three times per week as well. They train to be strong, and we saw that strength over the course of the season.”
Heading into the 2024 season, McIntire has an optimistic outlook for what he believes will be a very good year as the team returns nine of its top 12 runners.
“We had great senior leadership this year, but our program will continue to grow stronger in the future,” McIntire said. “Anyone can be the next best Yelm distance runner. It just takes a lot of hard work in the offseason. There is unlimited potential in that belief.”
With the season officially concluded, McIntire said his long-distance runners will begin preparing for the track season. He added the boys will spend the winter building into aerobic athletes by getting strong while running on the roads and trails and in the weight room.
“The season is over, but 20 to 25 boys will continue to run daily after school together,” McIntire said. “I look forward to the offseason because it represents a new beginning.”
McIntire noted that finishing as the 15th fastest team in the 3A classification is a great accomplishment, adding feats like that do not happen by accident.
“I am proud of (the team), but I get the feeling the boys demand more of themselves and each other. They recognize where they can get better and are willing to make the positive changes,” McIntire said. “I can say with certainty that these boys will train hard this winter. I expect them to be a real force on the track.”
Yelm sophomore Kailey Slevin, runner on Yelm’s girls cross country team, also competed in the women’s 5,000-meter run at the 3A state meet. She finished with a time of 20:30.4.
