Indians wear crown

North Central’s Andrew Kimpel sported a reminder Wednesday of his just-completed cross country race: a large circle rubbed raw on his right shoulder following his run-in with an Audubon Park tree.

The mishap occurred during his shoulder-to-shoulder race with Mt. Spokane’s Allen Schroeder, but it didn’t deter Kimpel from the task at hand.

He won the race, leading his equally determined teammates to an unbeaten season and the Indians’ first Greater Spokane League championship in 20 years.

NC defeated the Wildcats 19-38 and Lewis and Clark 16-41 to finish 10-0, ahead of Central Valley for the title. It was 1987 the last time the Indians were GSL champions. NC’s coach at the time was current Mt. Spokane coach Craig Deitz, who coached the team to a second-place finish in state.

“We were undefeated until then and should have won it,” Deitz recalled.

Kimpel, burning shoulder and all, finally got away from Schroeder to win the race by two seconds, and thereafter came a succession of Indians mates buoyed by a huge effort from third-place finisher Jeff Howard.

“It’s pretty big,” said Kimpel of the unbeaten GSL season. “It’s almost bigger than a state championship, the GSL’s so tough and there’s so much talent.”

Howard was up to the challenge, even with season-long No. 2 runner Leon Dean watching on the sidelines because of a minor injury. Five of the first seven finishers in the race were from NC.

Kimpel said he “clipped my shoulder pretty good” when he was forced into the tree on a turn while running between it and Schroeder.

His race goal, he said, had been to get out and try to break away from his Wildcats opponent.

“Obviously, after the first mile, he was still there,” Kimpel said.

He then departed to take part in a trophy celebration for the team.

Although Jon Knight ran for a Ferris league champion team in 1981, this title was his first as coach. He reiterated what Kimpel said about the significance of being able to win the GSL title.

“It’s such a tough league year after year,” Knight said. “The winners of this win state championships. This is incredibly gratifying to win it for the school.”

LC (6-4) upset Mt. Spokane 26-29 to create a three-way tie for fourth place with the Wildcats and Ferris.

In other meets, host Central Valley (9-1) swept the first seven places for 15-50 wins over East Valley (1-9) and Rogers (0-10). The seven, led by Jusin Hoff’s 17:00 time, finished just 8 seconds apart. … Mead (8-2) topped Shadle Park (3-7) 19-44 and University (2-8) 15-50. Kelly Lynch topped Shadle’s Dan Renz 16:15 to 16:23 and six Panthers followed in the home meet. … At Finch Arboretum, Ferris (6-4) beat Gonzaga Prep (4-6) 19-42 thanks to a 1-2-3 finish by Paul Hawkins, Adam Thorn and Perry Domini.

GSL girls: At the beginning of the season, Lewis and Clark coach Mark Vandyne hoped his Tigers might move up from the middle of the league. With its tie-breaking win over Mt. Spokane, they finished 8-2 and in third place behind unbeaten Central Valley and once-beaten Mead.

LC and Mt. Spokane (7-3) ended in a 28-28 deadlock, but the Tigers had the higher-finishing sixth runner to break it. They were without No. 3 runner Taylor Yost and with two others, including No. 1 Eleanor Siler, ran subpar because of illness.

“I thought it would be close,” said Vandyne. “I don’t think it can get much closer. I’m pleased with how the girls competed.”

Mt. Spokane’s top three runners finished ahead of their LC counterparts, Courtney Zalud winning by 23 seconds over Siler, timing 18:59.

But the Tigers placed their fifth and sixth runners, McKenzie Momany and Katie Sunwold ahead of the Wildcats’ No. 5 finisher and that proved to be the difference.

LC also beat North Central (3-7) 22-36.

At Central Valley, the Bears (10-0) wrapped up an undefeated season, beating EV (2-8) 18-39 and Rogers (0-10) 15-50. CV had the top three finishers and six in the top 10. Madi Barnes scorched the course in 18:55 to win by nearly a minute. … At Mead, the Panthers (9-1) topped University (5-5) 21-39 and Shadle Park (4-6) 20-39. Highlander Andrea Nelson topped Panther Baylee Mires 18:28 to 19:14. Mead had six of the first nine finishers. … At Finch Arboretum, Ferris (3-7) upset Gonzaga Prep (5-5) despite Alicia Doohan’s individual victory in 20:53 for G-Prep.

Great Northern League

Cheney’s girls (7-0) completed a perfect season and the Blackhawks (6-1) finished in a three-way tie for the boys title in their season-ending meet.

The boys had six of the top nine finishers to beat Riverside (4-3) 25-33 and Medical Lake (1-6) 16-45, although Rams Mitch Chandler, in 16:16 and Joey Nyberg, finished first and third at Fairways Golf Club.

Kyle Miller ran 19:28 and the Blackhawks had four of the top five placers to beat Riverside (4-3) 22-33 and Medical Lake (1-6)) 15-49.