U-Hi Has The Numbers In Girls Cross Country
GSL girls cross country
If anyone is going to challenge University’s girls for the Greater Spokane League cross country championship, it will be on the strength of newcomers.
U-Hi has five of the league’s top 12 returning regional placers in its lineup from a team which placed fourth in state.
“We don’t have a No. 1 type,” said coach Steve Llewellyn, “but I’m not sure you need that.”
U-Hi’s strength is in its numbers. With them they will race for a league championship.
Central Valley, by contrast, is starting over. The Bears, who finished in the top five at state in 1993 and 1994, graduated four of their top five runners.
“For four years you rely on them, a couple more show up and there you are,” said coach Dale Poffenroth.
He’s banking on newcomers to keep the Bears in the hunt.
Depth is Titan plan of attack
If cross country running is a numbers game, University is winning.
The Titans have 40 runners out and Llewellyn is hoping to bump that up to 50 in the future.
“We’re real deep,” he said. “We won the junior varsity league undefeated and have back five of our top seven on varsity. The kids trained a lot this summer. It’s the best I’ve had as a group.”
Without a bonafide No. 1 runner, U-Hi will rely on veterans Taraka Campbell, Kelly Kearsley, Jaime Miller and Robyn Cross to share the responsibility.
Also returned is Kelsey Bly and part-time varsity runner Betsy Walter. Senior Kendra Jaten has come from nowhere to show her hand. Sophomore Devin VanDyne won the all-league junior varsity race last year.
In addition, senior Kristi Larson, junior Katie List, sophomores Melissa Hawkins, Jenny Hanna and Michelle Cecil and freshmen Brenda Heaton, Kristin Thornton, Arianne Mott and Katie Blaine are in the varsity picture.
“I think last year we surprised with a fourth place at state,” said Llewellyn. “There was a 30 or 40 second split among first through seventh finishers. I expect the same thing this year.”
CV coach envisions break-even year
Even with the number of new runners, Poffenroth can see a 4-4 GSL season for Central Valley.
“Bethanne Williams has put in a lot of miles and has got the talent,” he said. “We have two freshmen who will help a whole bunch.”
CV’s top returner from last year, junior Anne Peterson is back. She is the 13th fastest returning GSL regional placer. Williams, however, could be CV’s No. 1 runner if her confidence level matches her ability.
“She knew who we had there last year and got dwarfed by it all,” Poffenroth said.
Freshmen newcomers Jill Mittmann, Tiffany Pottratz and Leslie Merideth will provide added strength, along with returning seniors Natasha Usai and Sarah Fox.
Sophomores Kris Oberhelmen, Stephanie Crace, Robin Pederson, Morgan Rockwell, juniors Annette Mittmann, Alena Pesavova and Ali Shatto and senior Whitney Schmaljohn are others with aspirations of cracking the CV top seven.
“We have a chance to win more than our team won last year,” said Poffenroth, “and finish in the upper third of the region.”
, DataTimes