Submitted by Washington cross-country

 

Sophomore Pam Pack cross-country runner Chris Sulc had a strategy for the conference race: go out fast and make everyone else chase you. The strategy worked, as Sulc’s first mile was a blazing 5:08. He led the conference race from start to finish, ending the 3.1-mile course in 17:44. The time was good enough to win the meet and earn the titles conference champion and Runner of the Year. Sulc is the first ever men’s Runner of the Year for the Pam Pack and the first conference champion since Jeremy Hill in 1991.

Kennedy Landen finished course in 22:27 to place second. Both Sulc and Landen also earned All-Conference Awards. Sulc and Landen will also be the fastest returning runners in the conference for next year. Sulc was the only non-senior in the top five and is more than a minute faster than next returning runner. The Pam Pack boys finished third overall in the six-team race and the girls finished fourth^.

Legacy is starting to be common among the Pack Pam cross-country team. Sulc’s older brother and sister both ran under Coach Toby McMahon. Brandon Sulc was the Pam Pack’s fastest runner twice, and Kayley Sulc earned Newcomer of the Year her freshman year.  Landen also has a rich Pam Pack history of running. Her mother, Dawn Landen, was part of the 1988 and 1989 team that won cross-country state titles and is the assistant cross- country coach, her sister Callie, who earned all-confernce awards, was part of the 2013 conference champions and qualified for the state championship. The Pam-Pack also has two sets of brothers who are currently running — Sam and Win Martin and Nick and Logan Everette.

“When kids have such a positive experience with the team, that their siblings see it, and want to be a part of the same thing, it really helps build the program,” coach McMahon said.  “Most of the powerhouse programs in the state have multiple runners from the same family.”

The next test for the Pam Pack runners will be qualifying for the state championship. Washington will be hosting the regional qualifier on October 31 at noon. The top four schools all qualify, followed by the top seven runners, not on those teams. Should the Pam Pack not qualify as a team, both Sulc and Landen are capable of qualifying by themselves.  Joining Sulc and Landen at the regional meet will be Jacob Smith, Trippe Bonner, Win Martin, Chris Lee, Austin Coward, Nick Everette, Sara Spencer, Anna Frisbie, Hailey Respess, Katelyn Jones, Cassie Texeira and Carolyna Padilla.