The host Steilacoom Sentinels were just too tough Thursday afternoon, defeating the White River High Hornets in prep cross country action.

Also competing at Fort Steilacoom Park was the squad from Fife High. The Trojan boys finished a close third but the Fife girls fielded an incomplete team.

Final scores on the boys side showed White River beating Fife 28-30 but losing to Steilacoom 21-36. In the girls meet, the Hornets fell to the Sentinels 20-40 and registered an automatic 15-50 win over the undermanned Trojans.

The Hornet highlight for the day came in the girls race, where Madison Moser took top honors. She toured the Fort Steilacoom course in 20 minutes, 55 seconds. Other Hornet girls competing in the varsity race were Courtney Gelmini, eighth overall with a time of 22:25; Kacy Coyle, ninth, 22:27; Jenna Guenthner, 10th, 22:41; Erin Redford, 12th, 23:58; Sydney Dysert, 23rd, 26:26; and Kaylee Kosko, 24th, 26:27.

The top finisher among the White River boys was Alex Anderson, placing fourth overall with a time of 18:32. Also figuring in the team scoring were Seth Berryhill, seventh, 18:40; Jadon Flanders, 11th, 19:04; Keller Flint-Blanchard, 12th, 19:06; and Ben McGraw, 13th, 19:08.2. Also running for the Hornet varsity were Dylan Sutherland, 14th, 19:08.8, and Taylor Moser, 18th, 19:42.

White River runners return compete in another three-team South Puget Sound League 2A meet Thursday afternoon when they travel to Pacific Lutheran University. At PLU, they will face the host Washington Patriots and the Clover Park Warriors.