Portland Girls Cross Country Wraps Up League Season with Strong Growth at CAAC White Jamboree #3

The Portland girl’s cross-country team closed out their league season at the CAAC White Jamboree #3, hosted at the scenic Country Mill Orchard course. Despite a season filled with injuries and setbacks, the Raiders showed resilience, heart, and determination in their final conference meet of the year.

Leading the charge was junior Paige Weber, who placed 18th overall with a time of 21:12, securing her third top-20 finish in conference competition and earning Honorable Mention All-Conference honors. Weber’s consistent performances have been a bright spot all season.

The rest of Portland’s scoring came from a group of senior leaders who have been cornerstones of the team throughout their high school careers. Lauren Spitzley ran a season-best 22:13, cutting 29 seconds off her previous mark and finishing 24th overall. Veda Smith turned in her second-best time of the season at 24:09, while Claire Lyon followed with a 25:29. Rounding out the scoring was Willa Almy, who capped her senior season with a huge personal best of 26:31, improving by over 1 minute and 5 seconds.

Several other runners also finished their seasons with impressive improvements. Freshman Addison Cody dropped 1:37 off her previous best, finishing in 26:40. Senior Abby Seavey, a four-year runner, continued her steady progress with another season best at 26:52, cutting 1:09. Junior Peyton Rockey achieved her goal, recording a personal best of 28:22, and first-year senior Jorja McFarland closed strong with a nearly two-minute PR, finishing at 29:30.

The girls next race will be Regionals at Grand Rapids South Christian on October 25.