Moses Lake boys top field

PASCO - The Moses Lake boys cross country team traveled to Pasco this weekend to compete in the Big Cross Invitational and ran away with a first-place finish.

The Chiefs boys team took advantage of a third-place individual finish from senior Jeff Marsh and a fourth-place individual finish from senior Aristotles Santiago to capture the team title.

Moses Lake head cross country coach Jennifer Carpenter was impressed with her team's performance.

"Despite us missing senior and varsity runner David Asfour, the boys beat Hanford," she said. "Hanford beat them in the last league meet."

Asfour missed the race to take the SAT test.

Junior Ben Daschel finished in 11th-place and senior Erik Daschel finished in 21st place. Moses Lake freshman Hayden Wide finished in 25th place as the Chiefs had five runners finish in the Big Cross Invitational's top-25.

The Moses Lake team is consistently improving throughout the season, Carpenter said.

"The gap between Jeff (Marsh) and our fifth runner continues to drop, making us more competitive," she said. "Hayden Wise, as a freshman, continues to contribute and run tough for the Chiefs."

Ephrata runners Eddie Pineda and Matthew Helsley finished eighth and ninth to lead the Tigers to a second-place tie with Moscow.

Royal High School's Luke Tonnemaker won the three-mile race as the Knights finished seventh. Othello High School finished in eighth place.

In the girls Big Cross Invitational, Moses Lake senior Kristen Budiselich finished in 21st place, leading the Chiefs girls cross country team to an eighth-place team finish Saturday at Pasco.

Despite Budiselich's team-leading finish, Carpenter said she needs to push herself in practice.

"Kristen struggled in the race," she said. "We will work on challenging her in the next week to run more with the guys in practice."

Senior Amy Cromer finished in 42nd-place and junior Tiffany Morris finished in 51st-place.

Carpenter said she was impressed with Morris' performance in her first varsity race.

"This was Tiffany Morris' first race," she said. "She did a great job despite a very challenging and hilly course."

Ephrata junior Danielle Friend finished second in the 5,000-meter race as the Ephrata Tigers earned the team victory.

Royal finished sixth and Othello finished 10th.

Team results

Boys Big Cross Invitational

1st) Moses Lake - 60 pts.

2nd) Ephrata - 89 pts.

2nd) Moscow - 89 pts.

4th) Toppenish - 118 pts.

5th) Hanford - 124 pts.

6th) Tri-Cities Prep - 127 pts.

7th) Royal - 138 pts.

8th) Othello - 207 pts.

9th) Connell - 219 pts.

10th) Grandview - 284 pts.

11th) Asotin - 309 pts.

Girls Big Cross

Invitational

1st) Ephrata - 57 pts.

2nd) Moscow - 58 pts.

3rd) Hanford - 96 pts.

4th) Pasco - 105 pts.

5th) Asotin - 113 pts.

6th) Royal - 174 pts.

7th) Tri-Cities Prep - 184 pts.

8th) Moses Lake - 208 pts.

9th) Toppenish - 210 pts.

10th) Othello - 298 pts.