AHS STARS WIN SEASIDE BEACH RUN

Former Astoria cross country standouts Katie Choate and Aaron Eckhart were among the winners at the 41st annual Seaside Beach Run Sunday.

Choate, a 2006 AHS grad currently running for Portland Lutheran University, won the women's 5K race in 21:58. Aaron Eckert, a former cross country district champion and 1500 meter state runner-up from Astoria, won the men's 10K in 38:40.

Another runner with an Astoria connection won the women's 10K as former Molalla athlete Leighann Fischer completed the course in 46:52 to win for the second year in a row. The daughter of Molalla High School cross country coach Gary Fischer was part of the Indians girls basketball team that eliminated Mark Fick's Lady Fishermen 48-30 in the 2002 OSAA 3A State Tournament in Corvallis. Also a cross country runner, Fischer recently completed her college running career at George Fox University with a 31st place finish at the Northwest Conference Championships in October. Choate placed 27th in the same event.

Sherwood resident Chuck Coats won the men's 5K with a time of 17:16