Enumclaw High coach Jeff Jacobson took two dozen Hornet cross country runners to the Nike Prenational meet Saturday, giving his crew the opportunity to compete against peers from throughout the western United States.

Runners covered five kilometers at Portland Meadows, running around the infield of the Portland horse racing facility. Teams were divided into one of four divisions.

The EHS girls competed in the Division I race, finishing fifth among 25 teams. In a field of 154 girls, Chandler Weiman finished 16th, Emily Eilertson was 30th and Payton Vick was 36th.

The Enumclaw boys were placed in the Division 2 race, where they wound up 17th in a field of 25 teams. Cory Johnson was the first Hornet across the line, placing 29th.

The EHS cross country crew traveled to Bonney Lake Sept. 22 and swept the South Puget Sound League 3A dual meet.

The Hornet boys won 23-33 while the EHS girls were 27-33 victors, competing on a three-mile course that wound primarily through the Demonstration Forest. Depth was the key for both Enumclaw teams.

On the boys side, Johnson crossed the line first with a time of 16 minutes, 48 seconds. Also figuring in the winning score were Peter Berger, fourth place, 17:14; Alec Rhome, fifth, 17:22; Kevin Nelson, sixth, 17:29; and J. Williams, seventh, 17:34. Completing the varsity roster were Hunter Chlebowski, 10th, 17:52, and Hogan Olafson, 13th, 18:20.

The EHS girls’ winning effort was headed by Chandler Weiman, who placed third in 19:20. Also finishing in the top five and counting toward the team score were Vick, fourth, 19:40; Eilertson, fifth, 20:10; Chelsea Weiman, seventh, 20:43; and Lindsay Ross, eighth, 20:46. Rounding out the varsity effort were Julia Harris, ninth, 20:52, and Taryn Schreiner, 10th, 21:24.

Today, Wednesday, the Hornets host Auburn Mountainview on the EHS campus rather than their traditional course at Nolte State Park.