OROVILLE – Sierra Speiker has been winning so many cross country races for so long in North Central Washington that it’s easy to just expect it to happen without regard to what it takes to reach that level of consistency.

So Speiker was pleased when she learned she was the recipient of last week’s Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Athlete of the Week award for Class 2B girls.

She’s also the second Oroville athlete in two weeks to earn that award after Luke Kindred won the boys’ award two weeks ago.

“I was really surprised and happy that I’m being recognized for the hard work I’ve been putting in,” Speiker said.

Her performance at the Central Washington League meet earned her the nomination as she won her third straight league title by smashing her own course record by 49 seconds.

The day of the award announcement, she followed that up with her third straight regional championship, while the Hornet girls secured their third straight trip to state as a team.

“I’m really excited that we’re going to state for the third year in a row as a team,” she said. As for her own attempt to win her second state title in three years, she said, “I’ve been working on even-ing out my mile times throughout the whole race. I was able to achieve that goal at regionals. I”m hoping that this success will continue one for this coming weekend.”

Her 18:15 at regionals beat her personal best for a 3-mile course by 25 seconds.

Speiker was the fourth Central Washington 2B League athlete to receive the award so far this year, and the third girl. In addition to Kindred, the other recipients were Liberty Bell soccer player Tulie Budiselich and Bridgeport volleyballer Alex Martinez.

Speiker and her teammates run at 10:00 a.m. at Pasco’s Sun Willows Golf Course on Saturday, Nov. 3.