Prospectors Girls Rise to No. 2 in District as Boys Post Major Gains at Walla Walla

WALLA WALLA, Wash. - Grant Union’s girls climbed to second in the district standings, while the boys delivered a string of major time improvements during a strong showing Friday in Walla Walla. Eliza Bailey led the girls in 22 minutes, 18 seconds, and Riggin Dowdy paced the boys with a career-changing performance of 18:45 under clear skies and 74-degree conditions.

Bailey set the tone for a Grant Union girls group that stayed connected and finished with determination. Amaris Paddock followed Bailey across the line, and Adie Judd completed the Prospectors’ finishing order with another strong effort. Judd’s participation also gave Grant Union five recorded times for the district team standings, an important benchmark that helped the girls move into the No. 2 position. Although three Prospectors finished the race at Walla Walla, each performance carried added value in the district picture.

The boys produced some of the meet’s most encouraging results through tight pack running and substantial individual gains. Dowdy dropped more than a minute from his previous time to finish in 18:45. Landon James crossed just one second later in 18:46, his best time of the season. Their near-simultaneous finishes gave the Prospectors a strong front pair and demonstrated how runners can push one another through the closing stages of a race.

Thomas Shaw made the biggest jump of the day, cutting 1:30 from his time and finishing in 19:46. Osmar Ceja added another personal breakthrough, running 20:12 to improve his best time by a full minute. With Dowdy, James, Shaw and Ceja all finishing within 1:27 of one another, Grant Union established a promising scoring pack built around steady pacing and strong finishes.

Kaleb Gosnell, Colton Lyman and Espn LaFramboise followed with strong performances of their own, adding depth to a boys lineup that showed clear progress from front to back. Combined with the girls’ rise to second in the district, the afternoon gave the Prospectors plenty to celebrate and a solid foundation for the next stage of the season.