Ferris slips past Mead in tight battle

That Ferris’s boys cross country team should beat Mead in a season-opening meet between perennial state and nationally ranked powers wasn’t surprising.

But the narrow 27-29 victory margin by the more experienced Saxons opened eyes and offered ample evidence that more battles between the two Greater Spokane League favorites await, and that Pat Tyson can still conjure Panther magic.

“Tyson’s the master,” said an admiring Ferris coach Mike Hadway. “This year he worked really hard with them over the summer.”

It paid quick dividends as a pair of new names stepped forward — sophomore Taylor Nepon and junior Steven Gimpel — to help continue Mead tradition against the odds.

Only three members of last year’s third-place finishing team returned, Laef Barnes, who was nursing injury and ran cautiously, No. 5 runner Gimpel and No. 6 David Palmer.

Sophomores, including Nepon, liberally dotted the starting lineup that faced the defending state champions who returned five.

But the season opener between both had plenty of drama, the outcome decided over the final 200 meters of Whitworth College’s hilly course by mere seconds. Mead placed six runners in the top 10 and ahead of the fifth Saxon scorer. The difference was that each of Ferris’s top four placers finished in front of his Panther counterpart.

“Ben Poffenroth did a marvelous job of coaching Brandon Chestnut,” said Tyson. “He was talking to him the last 200 meters to run with him. Had he not coached Brandon Chestnut up, it’s 28-28 and we win the tiebreaker.”

Three Saxons and two Mt. Spokane runners had taken the early lead in the race with Mead’s fluorescent jerseys lurking behind.

By the halfway point race winner Robert Cosby, Ferris’s much-improved junior, took three other Saxons to the front, with Gimpel making his charge on them.

Then the race changed shape as Mead made its move. Race runner-up Nepon and Barnes, last year’s state third placer but coming off a stress fracture injury, gave Mead a points advantage before Poffenroth exhorted his teammates on.

“I told Rob to go and once Brandon and I got about 200 meters away, I didn’t go with him, but was yelling really loud to get (Gimpel) and he did,” Poffenroth said.

By a mere second.

Poffenroth finished fifth behind Gimpel. Peter Hawkins finished ahead of junior Brian Palmer with two other Panther sophomores on his heels. It was just enough for the victors.

Tyson was excited about his team’s effort.

“Ferris is a great team. We’re the underdogs, but we’ve got tradition and we’ve got home course,” he said. “Deep down inside there was a possibility, worst-case scenario, that they could have gone one-through-five on us. Taylor paced himself well and fed off Laef early in the race and Steven never died.”

Ferris, with 15-48 victories over Mt. Spokane (1-2) and University (0-3), is joined at 3-0 in league by Central Valley, which swept Gonzaga Prep (2-1), Clarkston (1-2) and Rogers (0-3), and Lewis and Clark which beat Shadle Park (2-1) 24-31 and East Valley (1-2) in a taut meet at Shadle. The Highlanders edged the Knights 27-28. West Valley lost three.

Prep’s Michael Skansgaard won his race at Finch Arboretum by 32 seconds, but the Bears had five runners among the top 8. EV’s Nick Atwood timed 15:43 to edge Shadle’s Peter Miller by three seconds.

North Central beat Cheney 15-49 at Audubon Park, claiming the top six places. Caleb Jahey was the winner.

Girls

The race was strictly for second place when Mt. Spokane stepped onto the course.

Three Wildcats – Megan O’Reilly, Jill Keller and Shiloh Deitz – toyed with the field to assure victory and were joined by teammate Jessica Klier in making a 1-2-3-4 finish.

The defending league champions defeated Mead and University 22-35 and beat Ferris 20-35.

“We’re blessed with those three,” said coach Bob Barbero of his top three runners. “They’re bread and butter for this (league competition).”

His concern is finding a fifth runner for big meets. It wouldn’t have been one, but fourth-year runner Jenny Smith is out with injury.

Behind the Wildcats, Mead (2-1) won handily over Ferris (1-2) 22-34 and, in a surprise by the ease of victory, 16-40 over University (0-3).

Sophomore twins Lexi and Alli Price stayed within 11 seconds of the lead trio for most of the race, ultimately finishing fifth and sixth, and Paige Pearson, a freshman, placed eighth.

“Paige had a huge race. It was a big come-through for her,” said Mead coach Wes Player.

Besides Mt. Spokane, Lewis and Clark and Central Valley also opened the season 3-0 and North Central beat Clarkston 20-37.

LC beat Shadle Park (2-1) 21-34, East Valley (1-2) 19-36 and West Valley (0-3) 18-37. The Highlanders edged the Knights 24-30. Tiger Whitney Porter beat EV’s Jo E. Mayer 19:03 to 19:08.

In a race between standout middle distance stars, Rogers’ Becca Noble beat CV’s Ana Layman 20:15 to 20:51 at Finch.

NC had four of the top five finishers against Cheney with Stephanie Whittaker victorious in 20:08.