The Falcon girls cross country team validated its success and sixth-place 2A state ranking with a fifth-place finish at the Hole in the Wall XC Invitational at Lakewood High School.

At the Cascade Conference meet on Oct. 7 in Sultan, the Falcon girls team upset third-ranked Lakewood. Falcon head coach Doug Fulton said his team didn’t wear spikes and didn’t run 100 percent that day, and was anxious to see how his team performed Saturday.

Chantal White led the Falcons in 19th place. White ran her personal best 5,000-meter race and finished in 20 minutes, 9.38 seconds. Keely Craig came in 26th place in 20 minutes, 28.47 seconds, her personal best. Craig won the meet on Thursday in Sultan.

A total of 128 runners competed in the varsity girls race.

South Whidbey’s boys team did not place, and only three varsity runners competed for South Whidbey.

All three Falcon boys runners ran their best time in the 5,000 meter. Senior Ben Saari led the boys team in 39th place in 17 minutes, 36.26 seconds. Senior Olin Bergquist crossed the finish line in 18 minutes, 32.35 seconds. Jhamil Bader-Jarvis, a sophomore, finished the race in 18 minutes, 47.46 seconds, as 164 runners competed in the varsity boys race.

Glacier Peak won the girls race. Amy Eloise Neale, from Glacier Peak, claimed the girls title in 17 minutes, 51.12 seconds. Lakewood finished fourth.

Corvallis won the boys race. Conner Ballew, a senior at Archbishop Murphy, placed first in the boys race in 15 minutes, 55.81 seconds.