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Thrilling state championship races

Future looks bright for Camas and Washougal runners

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The 4A boys state cross country race featured the most exciting finish between Ryan Kline, of Central Valley in Spokane, and Daniel Maton, of Camas, Saturday, at the Sun Willows Golf Course, in Pasco. Kline clinched the championship with a time of 15:11.3. Maton tumbled across the finish line in 15:11.5.

The Camas High School cross country runners brought home two team trophies from the state championship meet Saturday, at the Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.

Emma Jenkins, Camryn Mock, Halle Jenkins, Madison Child, Ellie Postma, Jenna Lukowiak and Brooke Roy led the Papermaker girls team to second place. Daniel Maton, David Connell, Spencer Twyman, Jackson Lyne, LJ Floyd, Sam Geiger and Luke Utheza helped the Papermaker boys team finish in fourth place.

Emma Jenkins earned fourth place in the 4A girls race. The CHS senior completed the 5,000-meter course in 17 minutes, 59.8 seconds. Mock (22nd place in 18:46.9), Halle Jenkins (24th place in 18:49.4) and Child (25th place in 18:51.3) finished just a few places apart. Although the Camas girls beat defending state champion Issaquah by 27 points, Lewis and Clark, of Spokane, snuck past the Papermakers to win the meet by nine points.

Tradition continues at the state level for the Camas girls cross country team. Since 2012, the Papermakers have collected three state titles and three second place trophies.

The 4A boys race came down to the last split-second. Maton and Ryan Kline, of Central Valley in Spokane, sprinted side-by-side on the downhill finish. Maton took the lead, and then Kline got it back. Maton leaned forward at the last second, lost his balance and tumbled across the line. Kline stayed upright and finished first in 15:11.3. Maton settled for second place by two-tenths of a second.

Connell capped off his senior year for Camas with his best race. He finished in 25th place with a time of 15:55.5. Twyman and Floyd excelled in their first state race. The fourth place finish by the Papermakers ties the 2007 team for the best boys finish in program history.

Pullen places third at state for Washougal

Just a junior, Amelia Pullen proved she could hang with the best runners in the state at the 2A level Saturday in Pasco.

The Washougal Panther clinched third place with a time of 18:36.3. This gives Pullen an opportunity to compete at the Nike BorderClash event in a few weeks, at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.

Gabriel Dinnel finished in 14th place in the 2A boys race for Washougal with a time of 16:11.1.

Read more in the Thursday, Nov. 9, print edition of the Post-Record.