Cross country | Mount Rainier's Michael Miller wins district title with ease

LAKEWOOD — Michael Miller moved from Alaska to Washington in pursuit of more competition.

He didn't find much in the Westside Classic Cross Country Classic on Saturday at American Lake Golf Course.

Miller, a senior who transferred to Mount Rainier High School in Des Moines last February, ran off with the Class 3A district title by nearly 20 seconds. He covered the 3.1-mile course in 15 minutes, 22.1 seconds. Kyle Boe (15:41.4) of Columbia River surged down the stretch to edge Lindbergh's Trevor Thompson (15:41.7) at the finish line for second place.

Miller is eying a third consecutive state championship after winning titles in Alaska as a sophomore and junior. That would give Mount Rainier a champion for the second straight year. Ryan Prentice won last year's race as a senior.

"It should be a good race," he said of next Saturday's meet in Pasco. "Definitely a lot closer."

Miller, who placed fourth at Washington's 3A state track and field meet in the 800 last spring, said he moved from Alaska with his mom to improve as a runner and gain more exposure.

"I ran in Alaska and I didn't have any competition other than one guy," he said. "It was definitely for the better for me to come down here because there's way better competition and a way better coach [Brian Jacobson]. He's turned me into a pretty good runner."

Thompson led a 3-4-5 finish for fifth-ranked Lindbergh, which took the Class 3A boys title with 49 points.

Junior Shane Moskowitz of Central Kitsap pulled away in the final mile to win the 4A boys race in 15:14.3. His twin sister, Shannon, finished a surprising second in the 4A girls race behind Gig Harbor's Alyssa Andrews, who has a chance to win the state title in Pasco.

Auburn Riverside's Julian-Blake Cowan, who took fifth at the 3A state meet last season, placed second in the 4A boys competition, crossing in 15:33.1, and said he couldn't keep up with Moskowitz when he took off early in the third mile.

The 4A team title went to No. 4 Tahoma, which bettered No. 2 Gig Harbor, 70-90.

Notes

• Top-ranked Gig Harbor's girls won the 4A team championship over No. 4 Tahoma, 52-96.

• No. 3 Columbia River won the 3A girls meet with a 1-2 finish by Sarah Bobbe and Allison Clark.

• Senior Olivia Thomas (18:95.4) of King's, the defending 1A girls state champion, took second in the 1A meet behind freshman Maddie Meyers (19:39.4) from Northwest School. But the top-ranked Knights cruised to the team title with 31 points. The fifth-rated King's boys were second behind Charles Wright of Tacoma 78-81, led by ninth-place Brandon Dean.

• Junior Alex Johnson of Seattle Academy was the runner-up in the 1A boys meet. Gordy Mueller from Seattle Lutheran took second in the 1B/2B boys race.