The Columbia High School cross country teams showcased their talents at the 2025 WIAA state meet held on November 8 at the Sun Willows Golf Course in the Tri Cities. The boys and girls teams both faced tough competition, with the girls finishing 11th in the 1A meet and the boys placing 16th.
The Bruin girls team scored a total of 255 points, landing them in 11th place out of 16 teams. Meridian claimed the championship with a score of 107 points. Leading the girls was junior Lilah Zimmerman, who finished in 21st place with a time of 20 minutes, 23 seconds over the 5,000-meter course.
Sophomore Kathryn O’Connor followed closely behind, securing 29th place in 20:28. Other contributors to the team’s score included Maisy Kollman in 95th (22:26), Maya Tama in 99th (22:40), and Eda O’Connor in 134th (24:31). Additional finishes were noted with sophomore Jana Deinhofer in 138th (25:13) and senior Reyna Pinchot in 142nd (25:42). The team had previously qualified for the state meet by finishing second at the District 4 meet, improving from their 8th place finish at the 2024 state meet.
The boys team faced a challenging race, finishing 16th with a total score of 400 points. Their performance followed a fourth-place finish at the district level. Top finishers included Colby Clark in 98th place with a time of 18:21, Carter Smith in 113th (18:36), and Jack Brooks in 117th (18:38). Other notable finishers were Ethan Hayes in 127th (18:53) and Luther Thomas in 136th (19:12). Additionally, Everett Coyner finished 145th in 19:36 and Oliver Brokenshire came in 147th at 19:48. The boys’ team champion was Cedar Park Christian, achieving an impressive score of 50 points.
Both teams have demonstrated resilience and growth this season, with hopes for continued improvement in future competitions.
