Adna sophomore Lauryn Apperson, who runs cross country for the Pirates, and senior Kaelin Jurek, a standout for Pe Ell/Willapa Valley football, have been selected as the Community First Auto Group Athletes of the Month for November.
Lauryn Apperson, Adna cross country
Apperson, the lone member of the Pirates’ girls’ cross country squad, entered the cross country season believing she was never going to be able to run more than 800 meters and ended it with a 10th place finish at the Class 1B/2B state championship meet.
After posting a fourth place at the 2B Central League championships, Apperson finished third at the District IV meet, covering the 5,000-meter distance in a personal record time of 19 minutes, 55.3 seconds.
From there she went on to compete at the state meet at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco where she stopped the clock at 20:31.2, giving her a top 10 finish.
“She very much wanted to make the podium (top 8), but she knew it was a bit of a long shoot. We settled on top 15 as a good goal for her first state meet. She was not to be denied, however, after the starting gun went off. She was in the top 5 after she crested the first hill at 200 meters,” Adna cross country coach Karl VonBargen said.
At mile one she had settled into eighth place with a mile pace equal to, if not faster, than she ever ran on the track the previous season. At two miles I thought she might actually pull it off. She still had a pretty good gap between her and a group of about six hungry runners behind her. She held strong until 2.5 miles, but she started to break down a little and was passed by two runners. She didn’t just quit though. She held the rest of the pack off and finished tenth. Tenth for a girl (who six months ago) didn’t even think they could run three miles.”
Apperson was one of only four underclassmen to finish among the top 10 at the state championship meet.
“Of course, every coach wants athletes like Miss Apperson,” VanBargen said, “but they are rare in deed. I feel blessed to have her running for Adna and look forward to the years ahead. Now we just need to build a team around her and I might die a happy man.”
Kaelin Jurek, Pe Ell/Willapa Valley football
Few defenses could slow down Jurek during his senior season as the 5-foot-9, 190-pound running back rushed for 1,845 yards and 32 touchdowns to help the Titans advance to the Class 2B state quarterfinals.
Jurek was Pe Ell/Willapa Valley’s offensive workhorse and capped the year by being named Southwest Washington 2B League Coastal Division Offensive Most Valuable Player. The Titans finished with a 9-3 record and were Coastal Division champions.
During a remarkable three-week stretch, Jurek ran for 550 yards and 10 total TDs, helping his squad enjoy an impressive seven-game winning streak, highlighted by a 30-13 victory over Mabton in the first round of the state playoffs.
Jurek closed out his senior season with seven consecutive 100-yard games and scored at least one touchdown in eight straight contests.
He scored four times and needed just nine carries to gain 206 rushing yards in a 45-2 win over Ilwaco. The following week against North Beach, Jurek shredded the Hayaks’ defense for 143 yards and 4 TDs, leading to a 42-24 victory for the Titans.
Jurek closed out the regular season by running for 129 yards in a convincing 36-6 win over Wahkiakum.
Against Mabton in the opening round of the state playoffs, Jurek was his usual productive self, running for 167 yards and three scores.
Pe Ell/Willapa Valley’s season came to an end for a second consecutive year after losing to Napavine in the playoffs. A year after losing to the Tigers in the state semifinals, the Titans suffered the same fate in the quarterfinals, losing 41-7, but Jurek still shined in the loss, running for 143 yards on 28 carries and scoring Pe Ell/Willapa Valley’s lone touchdown.
Community First Auto Group will be selecting an athlete of the month during the school year with all recipients being entered into a pool for a scholarship opportunity. The Athlete of the Year will be chosen at the end of the year with one male and one female student athlete receiving $500.
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