Warren VIII Leads Chewelah Boys Cross Country to State Runner-Up Finish

Chewelah’s boys cross country team completed one of their finest seasons in school history with a second-place team finish at the WIAA 1B/2B State Championships on Nov. 8, at Sun Willows Golf Course.

Led by senior Emmitt Warren VIII, who clocked 15 minutes, 59.3 seconds to take second place overall, the Cougars tallied 77 points – finishing just behind powerhouse Freeman (61) in the 16-team field.

Warren, known for his smooth stride and front-running style, stayed within striking distance of Cle Elum-Roslyn’s Waylon Stoneburg-Schafer through the first two miles before the sophomore pulled away to win in 15:40.8. Warren crossed the line 19 seconds later, securing his second straight top-five finish at state.

Behind him, sophomore Justice Whittekiend placed seventh overall in 16:56.6, continuing his breakout season as one of the top underclassmen on the team. Junior Blake Schlining followed in 14th (17:20.7), and junior Francis Sety added a key 24th-place finish (17:36.9).

Sophomore Kyle Foster rounded out Chewelah’s scoring five, finishing 31st in 17:55.5, while juniors Titan Tapia (59th, 18:51.0) and Jayden Miller (60th, 18:52.7) provided additional depth.

Freeman’s pack-running style edged out the Cougars for the team title, but Chewelah’s consistency and youth signal even brighter days ahead – four of their top seven runners will return next fall.

Kettle Falls sophomore Mason Reeves posted a solid race in his second state appearance, placing 54th overall in 18:30.4 among 143 runners. Reeves ran aggressively through the middle mile to stay in the top half of the field and led the Bulldogs’ effort at Sun Willows.