Ellensburg Cross Country Wraps Up Undefeated CWAC Season with Perfect Sweeps
ELLENSBURG, Wash. — The Ellensburg Bulldogs boys and girls cross country teams closed out an undefeated Central Washington Athletic Conference (CWAC) league season on Thursday, October 22, 2026, putting on a dominant display at Rotary Park against Prosser and Othello.
Both the boys and girls squads achieved 1-6 sweeps of the individual finishes, scoring perfect 15-point team totals to defeat both visiting opponents and complete spotless 9-0 records in CWAC play.
Beachy Leads Girls Sweep
The Ellensburg girls set the tone in the opening race of the day, executing a tactical strategy by running a controlled pace through the early stages before closing fast over the final mile. The strategy paid off in double victories, as the Bulldogs defeated Prosser 15-49 and Othello 15-50.
Grace Beachy earned the individual win, crossing the finish line first with a time of 19:36. Morgan Mays finished right behind in second place at 19:38. Ramona Wright took third in 21:54, followed by Maja Wright in fourth (21:59), Kennedy Wachsmith in fifth (22:07), and Leah Kelley in sixth (22:07) to complete the 1-6 top-finisher sweep. Ailie Finn picked up an eighth-place finish in 22:12, while Savannah Schumaier added a tenth-place finish in 22:57.
Phillips Sparks Boys Victory
Following the same pacing strategy as the girls, the Ellensburg boys controlled the first two miles before kicking hard to the finish line, defeating Othello 15-49 and Prosser 15-50.
Rhye Phillips led the pack, winning the race with a time of 16:58. Graeme Branine claimed second place in 17:01, while Henry Sullivan rounded out the top three in 17:16. Liam Pritchett secured fourth place in 17:21, Calder Finn finished fifth in 17:22, and Job Branine placed sixth in 17:32 to complete the team’s second 1-6 sweep of the meet. Jacob Bayne crossed in eighth (17:46), Banyan Finger took ninth (18:05), and Cale Gray finished tenth (18:10).
Looking Ahead to Postseason
With a perfect 9-0 league mark in the books, Ellensburg turns its focus to the postseason. The Bulldogs will compete next at the combined District and Regional Championships at Apple Ridge in Yakima on October 31, where both the boys’ and girls’ teams will aim to secure state championship qualifying spots.