Dylan Reubenking / For Nisqually Valley News
ONALASKA — Toledo sophomore Conner Hill had a program legacy to maintain while crafting his own story coming into Thursday’s Central 2B League Championship boys race in Onalaska.
A Riverhawk had won the individual league title in each of the last three years. That Riverhawk was Treyton Marty, whom Hill finished one spot behind as a freshman last year. Hill isn’t just chasing Marty’s records; he’s already chasing the goals in his mind that are well behind anything Marty accomplished in his stellar career.
In just his second postseason, Hill looks to be on his way. The sophomore notched his first league championship, finishing in 16 minutes and 40.72 seconds. It’s the fifth sub-17-minute race of the season for Hill after he peaked at 17:05 last season.
“It’s a good feeling. It takes a lot of speed training, but it’s mostly mental,” Hill said. “I always finish stronger than I start. That’s how I always am.”
Hill started the race briefly trailing Rainier’s Zach Hamilton before he caught up to the senior, and the two ran stride for stride for the majority of the race, encouraging one another as they ran around Carlisle Lake.
Some athletes may use that opportunity to get in their opponent’s head and throw them off their game. But Hill took himself out of that equation; he was pacing with Hamilton to help him earn a personal record. The strategy nearly worked, as Hill separated himself from Hamilton in the second lap to eventually win first place, while Hamilton was just a tick and a half away from his third straight sub-17 mark.
“I was injured at the start of the year, and then in the last few years I’ve been injured. It’s been nice to be healthy at the end,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton helped the Mountaineers clinch their first league championship since 2021. Senior James Morrison (sixth, 17:59.25), freshman Ty Beckman (ninth, 18:34.69) and freshman Shane Parker (10th, 18:47.52) all finished in the top 10. The two freshmen earned PRs.
Rainier head coach Rob Henry said earlier this season that the 2025 Mountaineers may be the best boys team he’s coached, and he stands by that estimate a month later. A primary reason is the sheer number of capable athletes he has at his disposal, as 14 Mountaineers ran in Onalaska Thursday.
“It’s exciting to watch. It’s great when we’ve got a lot of young kids. The two freshmen are really competitive,” Henry said. “As a whole, their times are all better today than what we’ve had in the past.”
Morton-White Pass finished third, led by senior Vanson Armstrong (17:55.19) in fifth. Adna Colton Rind sophomore clocked a new PR at 18:19.12 to finish eighth and help the Pirates come in fourth.
Next up for the C2BL squads is the District 4 Championships in Rainier on Nov. 1 before state in Pasco on Nov. 8.
Hill, who has placed first in five straight races, is confident he can do so for a sixth and seventh straight race. Of all the 2B and 1B runners in Washington, Hill’s PR of 15:56.19 set last week ranks second in the state. He’s also gunning to pass Marty’s school record of 15:48.
“I’m close. It’s gonna be a battle. I know the guy who’s gonna be right next to me at state. I just have to dog it out and beat him,” Hill said. “I think I already have what it takes. I just have to go out there and do it. It’s gonna come down to who has the most dog in him. I’ve been working my butt off for the past six months. I set goals, and I achieve them.”
