Washougal boys win Ultimook Invitational

The Washougal High School boys and the Liberty Middle School girls cross country teams finished in first place at the Ultimook Invitational Saturday, at the Hydrangea Ranch in Tillamook, Oregon.

Gabriel Dinnel won his first high school race for the Panthers. The sophomore moved from fifth to first place midway through the 5,000-meter course, increased his lead through the last 800 meters and crossed the finish line with a time of 17 minutes, 10.4 seconds.

Troy Prince-Butterfield took 15th place for Washougal (18:57.7) and Koy Chaston claimed 23rd place (19:32.5).

Varsity captain Aiden Pullen lost a shoe earlier in the race. Head coach Terry Howard said Pullen passed dozens of runners once he had two shoes on again and finished in 26th place (19:39).

Tanner Lees earned 32nd place (19:52.3). The Panthers scored an 86, which was nearly 50 points better than second place Tillamook.

Eight Liberty Lions from Camas finished in the top 12 of the 3,000-meter middle school girls race.

Grace Varsek won with a time of 12:36.2 and Hailey Sherman followed in second place (12:43.2). Calista Kerls claimed fifth place (13:14.6), Jenna Lukowiak took sixth place (13:15.5), Bella Distante notched ninth place (13:42.6), Sophia Doumitt earned 10th place (13:43.2), Camryn Mock clinched 11th place (13:44.8) and Ashley Gillespie grabbed 12th place (13:54.7). The Liberty girls team rose to the top with 19 points.

The Washougal girls middle school team followed in second place with 45 points. Olivia Dinnel earned fourth place (13:01.5), Gabby Warta took eighth place (13:22.3), Milan Shirakawa finished in 15th place (14:14), Isabelle Klopman claimed 23rd place (15:07.5), Meryl Keeler clinched 24th place (15:11.7) and Sammy Mederos snagged 25th place (15:32.3).

The Washougal varsity girls team took third place. Amelia Pullen clinched fourth place in 22:10, Hannah Swigert gained ninth place (23:23.4) and Brooklyn Bausch took 20th place (24:05.8).

Jonathan Wells defended his title in the middle school boys race. The eighth-grader from Washougal won with a time of 11:42.7. Ethan Miller joined Wells on the award’s stand after securing sixth place with a time of 12:58.3.

Warren Henderson earned second place for the Panthers in the future varsity boys race with a time of 20:41.6. Caden Lowman took third place (20:46.7) and Ian Palmer claimed fifth place (20:48.2). Washougal’s Olivia Daley soared to second place in the future varsity girls race with a time of 26:33.