Becker Rebounds, Beats Mott

Tom Becker took the lesson he learned last Saturday and passed it on to Seth Mott.

Becker, defeated for the first time at last weekend’s Farragut Invitational, ended Mott’s unbeaten cross country season Wednesday in a Greater Spokane League three-way at Finch Arboretum.

“(The Farragut loss) got me fired up for this race,” Becker, a Mt. Spokane junior, said after completing the 5,000-meter course in 16 minutes. “I wanted people to start thinking about me again.”

Mott (16:06), 4-0 heading in, took the outcome in stride. After all, his top-ranked University Titans (4-0) rolled to easy wins over fourth-ranked Gonzaga Prep (22-40) and Becker’s Timberwolves (20-43).

“I really like running against Becker and the Gonzaga guys because it keeps the competition up,” said Mott, a senior whose wins this year include the Curtis (Tacoma) Invitational and the senior race at the Shadle Park Invitational.

U-Hi picked off seven of the top 10 places, including 6-10.

The top five runners quickly separated themselves from the solid Titans pack on the cloudy, unseasonably warm and humid afternoon.

G-Prep’s Jim Rucker went to the front. Becker, expecting a quicker pace, cemented himself at No. 3 until the second downhill.

“I felt really good, so I decided to go for it,” Becker said. “Originally, I thought I would make my move in the last 800 meters.”

Becker maintained a 5-second edge on Mott, while U-Hi’s Dan Chavez (16:26) picked off Rucker (16:32) for third place. Prep’s Rick White (16:33) placed fifth.

The girls race was also a Titans stampede, with champion Jaime Miller (19:50) one of eight runners that fifth-ranked U-Hi (4-0) placed in the top 12.

Miller, a senior, took control from the start. U-Hi’s Michelle Cesal (20:20), passed near the halfway point by Carly Barnes, regained second place and crossed 13 seconds ahead of the G-Prep sophomore.

“I love my team,” said Miller, whose first varsity experience two years ago was as a flight winner at the SunFair Invitational. “I would not go to any other.”

Miller played softball in ninth grade at Bowdish Junior High, where the sport is an autumn activity. She joined cross country after success in track in the 400 and 800.

Miller and the Titans advanced to state two years ago, but were edged out last season.

Also in the league, Mead’s boys and girls improved to 5-0 with a pair of wins during a four-way at Liberty Lake Park’s 3-mile course. (Mead and Rogers are piggybacking at meets and have already had their league-counting competition.)

Dan Schruth of Ferris won the boys race in 16:15, with Josh McLellan of second-ranked Mead next at 16:42. Mead bunched five in the top 10. Third-ranked Ferris (3-2) defeated Rogers and host Central Valley.

Jill Johnson (19:54) of seventh-ranked Ferris edged Mead’s Annie McCabe by one tick, but McCabe’s fourth-ranked Panthers placed Kelley Mattingly and Rachae Probst in the next two spots to win. CV (2-3) upset Ferris, which ran without top runner Emily Hawkins, out with the flu but expected back soon.

At Audubon’s 3-mile layout, Lewis and Clark’s boys and girls used their packs to defeat host North Central and Shadle.

NC’s Ryan Keeney (16:08) strode to a 5-second win over Nick Vollmer, whose Tigers (4-1) snared six spots in the top 10. Shadle’s ninthranked girls ran 1-2 with Erin Krogel (19:15) and Lanaia Jones (19:20), but third-place Jamie Borgan (19:33) started a trend, with five runners from sixth-ranked LC (4-1) in the next eight spots. Shadle is 3-1.

GSL teams shift their focus to Saturday’s SunFair in Yakima, the state’s premier invitational. The next GSL meets are Oct. 15, high-lighted by unbeaten U-Hi and Mead teams at Shadle.

“It’ll be fun,” said Titans boys coach Bob Barbero. “We’ll see Mead in three days (at SunFair), then again 11 days after that.”

GSL girls soccer

After missing on three close scoring attempts, Cassie Kitchen fed Ashley Anderson for a goal at 70 minutes, giving Mt. Spokane (1-5, 1-1) its first win in history, 1-0 at Rogers (2-7, 0-2).

Elsewhere in the league, Natasha Opsal came out of goal to score early in the second half and start visiting CV’s 3-2 rally over G-Prep (6-3, 0-2). Rebecca Kochendorfer of the Bears (5-2, 2-0) scored the winner with 9 minutes left.

At Ferris, Megan Cummings scored twice and set up another goal in the first 19 minutes as the Saxons (6-3, 2-0) defeated LC 3-1.

Cummings sent a through pass to Mariah McConnaughey at 13 minutes, then scored minutes later on a 20-yard direct free kick. Jessica Dinneen of the Tigers (3-4, 1-1) scored on a penalty kick, after a player was tackled in the box.

At Mead Junior High, Morgan Bennett scored twice from long range and Danielle Zelinsky added a late goal off Stacey Drollinger’s crossing pass as Mead (7-0, 2-0) notched a 3-0 win over NC (1-6, 0-2).

At U-Hi, Megan Black and Casey Lektorich had one goal and two assists apiece to guide the Titans (4-2, 2-0) to a 5-1 win over Shadle (3-5, 0-2). U-Hi’s Julie Schroeder scored 1 minute in on a hooking kick intended as a crossing pass.

, DataTimes