CoachesAid.com - High School Sports

OLYMPIA – Beads of sweat covered the face of Kingston High School’s Ruby Roberts.

Excited to start her senior season, she started out fast in the senior girls race at the Capital Invite in Olympia. Too fast, she would soon discover.

“I was really tired at the end,” Roberts said.

Kingston High School senior Ruby Roberts won the senior girls race while her sister won the sophomore race at the Capital Invite (photo by Ron Newberry).

Roberts won the senior girls race Saturday, covering the 2.3-mile course on the Capital High School campus in 14 minutes, 11.63 seconds.

But on a sizzling day with temperatures hitting the high 80s and little escape from the sun, runners had to pace themselves a bit more or pay the price.

“This is hot for Washington,” said Roberts, a Class 2A state champion as a sophomore and state runner-up last season. “Usually around this time of year, it’s more like pouring rain.”

More than 1,000 runners converged on Capital for the 16^th annual event, marking the start of the 2009 high school cross country season in Washington.

The logo on the Capital Invite T-shirt was fitting.

Jerry Miller, one of the founders of the meet and boys coach at Capital, said he couldn’t remember a hotter start to the season. High school runners representing 29 schools, including two from Oregon, participated in eight races, starting with the freshman boys and ending with the senior girls.

The meet returned to Capital after spending the past three years in downtown Olympia while the high school underwent major renovations.

Kevin Wright, the girls coach at Capital and meet director, said he plans for the meet to stay at Capital, where it was a festive atmosphere Saturday with popular music and refreshments to help stave off the heat.

Gig Harbor senior Conner Peloquin turned in the best boys time of the day, taking the lead at roughly the halfway point and winning the senior race in 11 minutes, 41.49 seconds.

Auburn Riverside runners Hunter Cowan (108) and Kenny Krotzer (112) surround Gig Harbor's Conner Peloquin (226) in the senior boys race. Peloquin went on to win (photo by Ron Newberry).

Other boys winners were Chehalis junior Dakota Parker (12:05.88), Northwest Christian of Lacey sophomore Lucas Graham (12:27.18) and Sequim freshman Adrian Clifford (13:21.97).

Wilsonville (Ore.) High School senior Trevor Lamberson sports an interesting haircut at the Capital Invite (photo by Ron Newberry).

Gig Harbor’s Maureen Tremblay won the junior girls race in 14:29.49. Kingston sophomore Marina Roberts, Ruby’s sister, turned in the second fastest time of the day for the girls (14:27.80) to win her race. The freshman girls winner was Kamiakin’s Michelle Fletcher (15:04.24).

Oregon’s participants came from Wilsonville and Westview high schools. Wilsonville senior Trevor Lamberson might not have won the boys race but drew plenty of stares from his pointy Mohawk haircut.

Here’s a look at the Capital Invite Saturday through a camera’s eye (photos by Ron Newberry):

Capital High School students Alec Temple, lower, and Ben Remy, hang a Capital Invite sign before the start of the meet (photo by Ron Newberry).

Cross country runners prepare to start the freshman girls race at the Capital Invite.

Olympia High School runners huddle before the start of the freshman girls race at the Capital Invite.

Kelly Gore from Westview High School in Portland, Ore., competes in the girls sophomore race.

Runners round a corner in the freshman boys race at the Capital Invite.

Senior Eline Cove of Stadium High School tries to boost her teammates before the freshman girls race.

A cross country runner from Washington High School in Parkland wears a message on her shirt.

Kristy Nahley, left, of Shelton High School and Jessica Hall of Auburn Riverside race to the finish in the junior girls race.

Lakes High School cross country runners (from left) Allysha Siebert, Alyssa Siebert and Michelle Taylor get ready for the start of the junior girls race at the Capital Invite.

A Wilsonville (Ore.) High School cross country runner shares a light moment with senior teammate Trevor Lamberson.

Jeff Tran of Capital High School finishes the junior boys race at the Capital Invite in Olympia.

A Chehalis cross country runner wears his passion on his shirt and grabs a snack after the meet.

Capital High School cross country runners dance to "Chicken Dance" music at the conclusion of the meet.