BANDON — The Middle School State Cross Country Championships have nearly tripled during their first three years, but the South Coast runners continue to have success on the ever-growing stage.

Last weekend, 113 girls and 155 boys, representing some 20 schools, completed the 3,000-meter course at Bullards Beach State Park.

Siuslaw seventh-grader Mitchell Butler won the boys race in a time of 10 minutes, 49 seconds, out-sprinting Zack Blanco of Rogue River to the finish. Butler led Siuslaw’s boys to fourth place in the team race behind New Hope Christian, West Sylvan and Joseph Lane. Myrtle Crest was sixth and Riley Creek of Gold Beach eighth.

Butler had hoped for a faster time in the race.

“It could have been better,”said Butler, who moved ahead of Blanco on a downhill portion of the race. “Once I got the lead, I should  have taken a little more out of my tank.”

Butler was thrilled to win, though.

“It’s always your goal to win state,”he said.

Justin Angove of Bandon’s Harbor Lights Middle School was ninth, with Sunset’s Connor Devereux just outside the top 10 in 11th place.

Angove said he was pleased to place so well in the biggest race of his career.

“(Ninth) is not bad for the whole state,”he said.

The girls team from Harbor Lights took the third-place trophy, finishing behind just West Sylvan of the Portland area and JosephLane of Roseburg.

“Our goal was top-three,”said Harbor Lights coach AmyBrown.

Claire Ledig led Harbor Lights, placing 14th overall. She was behind just two South Coast runners, Clara Herbage of Gold Beach, who was fourth, and Morgan McNeely of Myrtle Crest, who was ninth.

Herbage said the race was tough.

“It’s really competitive,”she said.

Seventh-grader Paige Rice of West Sylvan ran away with the title for the second straight year, finishing in 11:08, more than 50 seconds faster than runner-up Fiona Johnson of JosephLane.

Perry Kishaba of Riley Creek said the meet had just 93 runners its first year, when it was held in Gold Beach. Last year, about 170 runners competed in the meet when it was in Astoria.