Discussion: High School XC+Orienteering State Champion

This weekend, Devon Grove, a local high school senior, won the Washington state high school cross country championship (WIAA 2A). He also won the 2012-2013 state championship in orienteering (WIOL boys varsity).

I haven't been around as long as most of you here, but I'm not aware of any other orienteer with a cross country individual state championship. Is Devon the first?

Just a guess would be that Mitch Bentley might have a cross country title.

That's awesome. Congrats to Devon.

I believe there was a fellow in the 90's, Fred Schmitt? who was really fast (4:15 mile), maybe was the Washington State mile champion, went to JWOC.
Also Bob Lux, very fast in HS, from NY, not sure of state championship.
Congrats to Devon, hope he continues to orienteer.

I looked up Fred and it looks like he placed 54th in the WA State XC meet as a senior in 1994 (16:00 on the old 3mi course). I did not realize he went to NKHS where I am currently the distance track coach. Looking at our school records he does not make the top 20 in the mile or two-mile list. Our school record is 4:19.

It is a very big accomplishment to get a state title in any classification in cross country. It was fun to see Devon take the title in Pasco last Saturday. Congratulations to him!

On a related note, the Suffern H. S. cross country team with AnnaB and ElinaB got third place at the New York State champs last Saturday.

I just found out that another WIOL runner, Kenna Patrick, won the 2006 Washington high school XC champs (4A). She didn't win any of the season-long orienteering WIOL championships (she competed against Holly Kuestner and Tori Borish), but she did win the end-of-season single-race orienteering championship in 2006.

and also on a related note Westdale Secondary School XC team with my daughter, Emma W and two GHO club mates, Chloe H. and Nicole W. and two other girls took first place in junior girls at the Ontario High School Champs in Sudbury 10 days ago. :-)