EV cross country has one-three punch

Chad Stevens is the kind of guy you want wearing the same uniform as you when it comes time to play the big game.

The fact that his uniform consists of a set of running shoes and a lightweight set of cross country togs allows him to frequently hide his light under a bushel basket until he gets to the big stage.

A year ago the East Valley senior placed second at the Class 2A boys cross country championship, with teammate Scott Kopczynski right on his heels in fourth.

“The course is a very good one for me,” Stevens said. “It’s a fast course. But I’m not sure that it isn’t more about the setting. It’s a big race, the state championship race and the best runners in the state are there. The whole atmosphere is so exciting and fun.”

On Saturday, Stevens found himself with an empty tank going into the home stretch of his final cross country race, but still found enough to fuel a kick to the finish and a first-place finish, with Kopczynski crossing in third.

“I found a kick somewhere,” Stevens told The Spokesman-Review immediately after the race. “I dug down deep and found out how much I really wanted it.”

East Valley boys cross country coach Andrew Walker knew he had two thoroughbreds going into the meet at Pasco’s Sun Willows Golf course.

“We just felt we had the two best runners in the state going in,” Walker said.  “I thought we were good enough to finish 1-2, and we just missed doing that.”

Walker said the plan going into the race was to attack early and attack fast.

“We thought we could kind of gun the rest of the field a little bit, if we ran the first 2 miles really hard,” Walker said. “We had a fast first mile and a really strong first 2 miles.”

The strategy didn’t work as well as the coach had hoped and by the finish line, a pack of runners was closing in. Stevens saw the pressure and found a way to kick, crossing the finish line in 15 minutes, 27.30 seconds. Kopczynski got passed in the final yards by Aaron Brumbaugh of Mark Morris and finished third in 15:36.18.

Stevens and Kopczynski have had an outstanding senior season together, finishing 1-2 throughout the Great Northern League season, usually by a wide margin and usually with Kopczynski in first place.

“I would not be where I am without having Scott as a teammate,” Stevens said. “We’ve been running together since the eighth grade. Having someone like him to train with every day is special. We push each other to be the best we can be every day.”

Stevens credits cross country with helping him develop a deep sense of determination.

“I’m the kind of guy who likes to get things done,” he said. “I think my determination makes me a better runner, and running makes a more determined person.”

For his part, Stevens says he already has moved on from the state meet.

“It feels really good,” he admitted, “but to be honest I’ve already moved on from it. I have more races to run. I’m going to run in the Nike Regionals in Boise. I’m really excited to have the chance to run against some of the best runners from every division.”

The track and field season is up next for the East Valley pair, but beyond that, Stevens is planning to put running aside for two years.

“I’m going to go on a mission for my church for the next two years,” he said. “After that, I’ll start thinking about a college. This something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. I have a brother who just got back from a mission and another who is on a mission.

“I’m not too concerned about losing stamina or anything like that while I’m gone. All of that I can get back quickly.”