Coupeville Sports

Tyler King contemplates his future. “I shall run, son. I shall run fast.”

Tyler King went up 5,000 feet to run 8,000 meters Saturday.

Competing in the rarefied air in Colorado, the University of Washington sophomore placed 31st at the Pac-12 Cross Country Championships to help spark the Huskies to their best team finish in four years.

Competing against three of the top 13 teams in the nation — #1 Colorado, #4 Oregon and #13 Stanford — Washington finished fifth, being edged out at the very end by Arizona State. It was the best results for the Husky men since 2009.

King, a state champion during his time in the red and black of Coupeville High School, was the third-fastest Husky on the afternoon, clocking in at 26 minutes, two seconds.

He and his teammates next travel to Sacramento, where they will run in the NCAA West Regionals Friday, Nov. 15 in a bid to qualify for the national championships.