Chewelah Girls Cross Country Place Second at State

The Chewelah Cougars girls cross team capped an outstanding season with a runner-up team finish at the WIAA 1B/2B State Championships on Nov. 8, at Sun Willows Golf Course. The team was led by junior Amber Eppel’s third-place run against the best small-school runners in Washington.

Eppel clocked 19 minutes, 13.2 seconds, finishing only behind Manson freshman Grace Walsh (18:22.0) and Saint George’s senior Regan Thomas (18:51.3). Her top-three performance helped propel Chewelah to second place overall with 106 points, narrowly behind Liberty Bell (94) and tied with Pope John Paul II.

Behind Eppel, freshman Josie Carter placed 26th in 21:02, while sisters Mei Parsons (39th, 21:51) and Rin Parsons (40th, 21:53) finished just two seconds apart. Senior Elise Warren crossed in 50th place at 22:14, rounding out Chewelah’s scoring five. Freshman Diana Durham (60th, 22:28) and sophomore Liberty Whittekiend (93rd, 23:50) also ran solidly in the 142-runner field.

Chewelah’s average time of 21:47.5 over the 5,000-meter course showcased both experience and youth depth, giving the Cougars a bright outlook for 2026 with four of their top five returning.

Kettle Falls senior Isabella Tiwebemal closed out her high school cross-country career with a strong showing, finishing 63rd in 22:32.6, while freshman Avery Tobias came through in 69th at 22:56.9.