Rivals cross-country team skips first meet

Posted

The East Jefferson Rivals cross-country team was set to start its season at the Gear Up Northwest meet in Bellingham this Saturday, but the boys and girls squads pulled out due to toxic smoke in the area.

The Bolt Creek Fire, a large wildfire in the Skykomish area, brought smoke westward into the greater Seattle area this weekend, and EJ cross-country Head Coach Alice Fraser decided to pass on the Gear Up Northwest invitational.

“Due to the very poor AQI [air quality index], EJ did not attend the invitational on Saturday,” Fraser said in an email to The Leader.

The boys and girls cross-country teams will pick back up Tuesday,
Sept. 13 at Klahowya High School for their first meet of the season.