North Mason's Thygesen keeping sights aimed high

Goals are powerful motivators.

After a summer of intense training, Kezlie Thygesen is reaping the rewards.

"I have had lots of progress and worked hard during the offseason and in-season training," Thygesen wrote in an email interview with the Journal. "My commitment to summer training was a key to my improvement this season."

Thygesen, a senior for North Mason High School's girls cross country team, finished third overall and second among 2A runners at last week's Olympic League championships at Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course in Sequim. Her time of 19 minutes, 15.9 seconds is a 5,000-meter personal record.

"The course was fast and familiar, which helped me to strategize my race and reach my goals," Thygesen said. "Beyond my personal goals was to help my teammates stay calm and focused on the goal to get to districts as a team."

It's the second time this season Thygesen has run under 20 minutes for the Bulldogs, a feat that hadn't previously been accomplished since 1993. She ran 19:42.8 at the Nike Twilight Invitational on Oct. 1 at Cedarcrest Golf Course in Marysville, finishing 11th overall as the top 2A runner in the meet.

"Kezlie took the offseason training seriously, which has proved to have made a tremendous difference in her times," North Mason coach Miranda Thygesen, who is Kezlie's mother, wrote in an email interview with the Journal. "It has been a goal of hers to break 20 minutes for the last couple of years. This season she has now crushed 20 minutes twice. She is feeling good and running great."

At this year's Westside Classic - the West Central District 3 championship meet (10 a.m. Saturday at Chambers Creek Regional Park, adjacent to Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place), Kezlie aims to qualify for her third state championship meet. She qualified as a freshman in 2019 and as a junior in 2021, when she finished 28th. There was no state meet in 2020 due to COVID.

"I am proud of my success and am thankful to have great coaches and teammates currently and in the past," Kezlie wrote. "They have encouraged me to run faster, do my best and keep it fun."

Cross country, like most endurance sports, requires equal parts physical ability and mental fortitude to push through the inevitable moments of fatigue. Kezlie wrote she likes to visualize and use positive self-talk before racing.

"I keep a positive attitude and focus on running smart."

Heading into districts Saturday and state next week, Kezlie said her personal goals are to break 20 minutes again and be in the top three at district and top 10 at state.

"I also hope to encourage and support my teammates and want to get as many through to state as possible."

Cali DuPont finished the league title course at 20th overall in 22:07.10, Paige Kelly was 34th at 24:37.92. Sophomores Alexis Antonowicz and Sadie Evans were 36th and 48th.

Miranda Thygesen wrote she was pleased with North Mason's team performance at the league meet.

"They have been training hard and it is paying off," the Bulldogs' coach wrote. "Most every returning runner with the exception of a couple of athletes who had been battling illness all week ran a big improvement from the league course last year. In most cases we are talking minutes not seconds. I knew they were going to do well, but I guess the biggest surprise was how much they shaved off their times."

North Mason girls finished fifth overall and fourth among 2A teams.

Sophomore Jackson Bergdahl was the top boys runner for North Mason, finishing 19th overall with a time of 17:36.45.

Shelton/District IV

The Evergreen Conference cross country championships, which were slated for Oct. 19 in Tumwater, were canceled due to poor air quality. Runners will instead compete in today's District IV championship races at Lewis River Golf Course in Woodland. The girls race begins at 11:10 a.m. and the boys start at 12:30 p.m.

Author Bio

Justin Johnson, Editor

Shelton-Mason County Journal & Belfair Herald
Email: [email protected]