After curtailing his pace at the West Central District cross country meet, Central Kitsap’s Shane Moskowitz plans on unleashing his reserves of energy at the state cross country meet Saturday.

The Oklahoma State-bound senior is looking to avenge a second-place finish in last year’s Class 4A race to Redmond’s Mack Young, who finished the 5-kilometer course at Pasco’s Sun Willows Golf Course in 15 minutes, 18 seconds – three seconds faster than Moskowitz.

“It’s seriously my motivation all the way from last cross country season,” Moskowitz said. “I lost cross country there so coming into track season I was going to train as hard as I can to not lose a state championship again. Mack had a great day and it wasn’t an off day for me, it just wasn’t anything amazing. I lost it fair and square. He had an awesome race last year.”

While Moskowitz and Young are the clear favorites, Gig Harbor senior Conner Peloquin plans on also making his strongest run of the year. Peloquin finished second behind Moskowitz at the district meet, but isn’t ready to concede defeat at state.

“Shane’s definitely up there (with the top runners in the state) but I wouldn’t say he’s untouchable,” said Peloquin, who finished 13th (15:55) at state last year. “There is definitely more I think I can give, which I plan on doing and we’ll see if it’s enough. I know (Moskowitz) is going to give me a good race but if he’s going to beat me, I know he’s going to have to run his best race because I feel ready to go.”

The two are familiar with each other having competed in cross country and track meets over the course of their high school years.

“I know without him, I wouldn’t be running the times I am now,” Peloquin said. “Even though he’s always been beating me, he’s been that guy that’s been pushing me as well.”

Peloquin does have something Moskowitz can’t lay claim to – a district team title. And the Tides boys and girls teams will be trophy contenders at state.

In the Class 4A girls race, Gig Harbor junior Maureen Tremblay — fresh off her district championship — will try to become the second straight Tides runner to win an individual title at the state meet, following in the steps of Alyssa Andrews.

If Tremblay can finish near the front and teammates Brittany Kealy, Erin Hull, Danie Moon and others can edge runners from top-ranked Eastlake, second-ranked Gig Harbor will be in good position to win its fourth team championship in five seasons.

Individually, Tremblay will have a tall task ahead. The closest she got as a sophomore to running at state was serving as a second alternate. After making some corrections in her stride and running with a sense of fearlessness this season, Tremblay is poised to make a run at a title.

“I think her strongest point is she’s not afraid of people, she just goes and tries,” Gig Harbor coach Patty Ley said. “She’s not worried about getting in the middle and running too fast and blowing up, she’s just going to go out and go after it.”

Riding a surge of momentum from the district meet, Tremblay plans on keeping it simple when she gets to Pasco.

“I haven’t raced there, so I’m excited,” she said. “I don’t make plans (for the race) ... it just feels really good (to get there).”

While Ley wouldn’t have predicted Tremblay to be where she is now back in August, she plans on helping her junior position herself to run a strong race.

“Get yourself in the middle and get yourself a shot,” Ley said. “Just put yourself in a position, and hey it might be your day.”

STATE CROSS COUNTRY MEET

When: Races begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday

Where: Sun Willows Golf Course, Pasco

Lowdown: Oklahoma State-bound Shane Moskowitz of Central Kitsap is the favorite to win the boys race. Moskowitz, who won the West Central District meet by nine seconds, placed second at state last year to Redmond’s Mack Young. Young returns and enters the state meet after winning the District 2/4 meet last week. Moskowitz and Young will be chased by Gig Harbor’s Conner Peloquin, Auburn Riverside’s Kenny Krotzer, Ferris’ Adam Thorne and Redmond’s Will Young. … Top-ranked Jackson blasted the competition at the District 1 meet, placing four runners in the top five, including winner Blake Nelson, making the Timberwolves the team to beat for the team title. … The girls team championship could again come down to Eastlake and Gig Harbor, the two top-ranked teams in the state. Last year, Eastlake edged Gig Harbor by one point for the state title. Gig Harbor junior Maureen Tremblay cruised to an easy win at last week’s district meet and will be in the hunt for a state championship. Also in contention will be Stanwood’s Minna Fields, Garfield’s Anna Dailey and Mead’s Baylee Mires. … The fourth-ranked Peninsula boys team, buoyed by a bi-district championship, is in good shape to earn a trophy at the state meet. … Charles Wright’s boys team, ranked No. 1 in 1A, will try to improve on last year’s second-place finish. … Northwest Christian of Lacey is in line to again sweep the boys and girls team titles in the 2B/1B races. Both squads for the Navigators are ranked No. 1.

Doug Pacey, The News Tribune