WAITSBURG - For the second time, Waitsburg- Prescott's Seth Deal is the boys cross country District 9 champion.

Deal took first place on Thursday at Clarkston High School with a time of 15:30 in the varsity boy's 3-mile race .

WP's E.J. Meserve will join Deal at the state competition because he placed 11th with a time of 17:12. The top 15 runners in each race will go on to compete at state.

Meserve shaved nearly one minute off his time Thursday from a competition on the course earlier this season, coach Joanna Lanning said.

WP's Trent Hafen, who has been battling an injury all season, did comp...