SPSL cross country championships: Beamer, Jefferson will be well-represented

By Casey Olson • October 27, 2009 5:57 pm
Todd Beamer’s Taylor Kartes (left) and Sara Mussa helped the Titans qualify for Saturday’s West Central District Cross Country Meet by finishing fifth as a team at the South Puget Sound League Championships Saturday at Fort Steilacoom Park. Beamer and Jefferson qualified both their boy and girl teams for the district meet.
Todd Beamer’s Taylor Kartes (left) and Sara Mussa helped the Titans qualify for Saturday’s West Central District Cross Country Meet by finishing fifth as a team at the South Puget Sound League Championships Saturday at Fort Steilacoom Park. Beamer and Jefferson qualified both their boy and girl teams for the district meet.

The Todd Beamer and Thomas Jefferson cross country programs will be well-represented at this weekend’s West Central District meet. The two schools qualified both their boys and girls teams during Saturday’s South Puget Sound League Championship Meet at Fort Steilacoom Park.

The Jefferson girls ended up in second place in the team standings over the 3.1-mile course and Beamer finished in fifth place overall. On the boys’ side, the Raiders finished up in fourth place and Beamer was sixth. Tahoma won the SPSL championship on the girls’ side and Auburn Riverside won the SPSL boys title.

Individually, the highest district finisher at the SPSL championship meet was TJ’s Jeff Baklund. The senior ended up fourth overall in a time of 15:50. Auburn Riverside’s Kenny Krotzer won the race in 15:34, Emerald Ridge’s Chris Schroll was second (15:47) and Auburn Riverside’s Nate Gesell was third (15:48).

Baklund’s teammate, Chase Braxmeyer, followed in fifth place in a time of 15:53 and Federal Way’s Meron Simon was sixth in 16:03.3.

On the girls’ side, Beamer’s Taylor Kartes finished in sixth place in a time of 19:18.3. Kartes was followed in seventh by TJ’s Lacey Printz (19:21.5), Beamer’s Sara Mussa in eighth (19:24.1) and Jefferson’s Monica Jaenicke finished ninth in 19:27.4. Kent-Meridian’s Alexia Martin won the race in 19:45.7.

The top-50 individual finishers from Saturday’s SPSL meet will advance to the West Central District Meet. The Westside Classic district meet will be held Saturday at the American Lake Golf Course in Lakewood. The top-six teams and the top-30 individual placers will advance to the Class 4A State Championships in the Tri-Cities.