Sp Girls Hoping Team Effort Will Pay Off With League Title
Until this year, Shadle Park girls track coach Ivan Corley talked more to his athletes about individual accomplishments than team success.
“We never cared about winning (as a team) before,” said senior sprinter Vanessa Larkin. “It’s not that we didn’t want to; it’s just that it was an individual sport.”
The Highlanders’ best previous Greater Spokane League record the past three years had been 4-4. Now all that has changed.
This afternoon at University High School, the unbeaten team faces Mead for the league title.
“We’re a team now,” said senior sprinter Carolyn Nelson. “We’re not individuals anymore.”
Four seniors have been mentors to a young team that has six straight wins. Getting to this point wasn’t easy; three of the wins were by three or fewer points.
But for Larkin, Nelson, Emilee Steckler and Ali Krogel, to be a team title challenger at long last is reward for years of individual dedication.
“Those four have shown the other girls what it means to be committed,” said Corley, “to compete and have fun.”
Krogel defines Shadle’s serendipitous season and the value that Corley subscribes to his seniors.
She has had a delightfully varied four-year stay at Shadle. But when a hip injury cut short a promising distance career, commitment meant offering help by switching to the horizontal jumps.
“It’s fun to be able to do something,” she said, “and be glad I’m not a manager.”
Larkin, Steckler and Nelson have handled the dashes - so critical this year to Shadle’s success - providing leadership by example.
Nelson won five of six 100 and 200 races in three previous meets and was second to Steckler in the other.
Together they have helped the Highlanders run the second fastest 400 and 800 relay times, behind Mead, in the GSL.
“The relay team is so close,” Steckler said. “We trust each other.”
It is a trust that has spilled over to freshman contributors who provide the difference between individual pursuits and team success.
Three-sport letter winner Larkin has qualified for regionals in the sprints, high jump and relays in three previous seasons.
Her performance so far has been hampered by knee and hamstring injuries.
“It’s been frustrating this year,” she said, “to build toward your best year and constantly battle with injuries.”
Krogel ran cross country, switched to soccer and back to cross country in the fall. She ran a 5:20.7 1,600 to qualify for regionals in track as a sophomore but missed most of her junior year.
“I took a trip to Spain through The Spokesman-Review,” said Krogel, who took the trip after winning a newspaper essay-writing. “By the time I got back, I had two days to qualify and major jet lag.”
Two meets into the cross country season she injured her hip. Following a winter of training, it flared up again this spring.
“My dad ran the 1,600 and triple jumped,” Krogel said. “It was my senior year and I just wanted to contribute.”
Nelson moved here as a sophomore and joined Larkin and Steckler on the relay. She had never run track before because of a spring conflict with soccer in California. Washington girls soccer is in the fall.
“I’d known Emilee from soccer and fit right in, ‘ she said. “The girls were amazingly accepting.”
Steckler, like Larkin is competing on varsity for her fourth-straight year and is a past regional qualifier on relays and in the 200 meters.
“Vanessa and I have been together all four years and our goal was to be in this position someday,” she said. “Someday is here.”
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo