Central Valley loses dual meet against Mt. Spokane, Lewis and Clark on obscure tiebreaker

Dennis McGuire has coached 32 years and he hasn’t seen anything like it.

His Central Valley girls cross country team, winners of three straight Greater Spokane League championships, finished deadlocked at 28 with both Mt. Spokane and Lewis and Clark in season-opening duals Wednesday. But McGuire’s Bears lost both duals on tiebreakers. The deciding criteria is which team’s sixth-place runner beats the other team’s sixth-place runner.

Mt. Spokane took a big stride toward securing its first league title since 2006 when the Wildcats edged LC 27-29.

Most figured the outcomes would determine the ultimate champion because the teams are projected to be the best three in the league. But after LC slipped past CV at the Tracy Walters Invite on Saturday, the anticipation was the teams would have an even more tightly contested face off in the league opener.

Mt. Spokane spoiled things by winning, jumping to the top of the GSL heap.

“It can’t get any closer than that,” McGuire said, shaking his head, not so much in disbelief that his team went 0-2 but that it lost in the manner in which it did. “We didn’t run well on the back end. It just shows that these three teams are really, really good teams.”

Mt. Spokane senior Micaela Kostecka set a good early pace and then widened her lead over the final 2 miles of the 3.1-mile layout at Siemers Farm. She seemingly pulled her teammates along, too. Kostecka finished in 18 minutes, 36 seconds – 20 seconds ahead of second.

The win certifies Mt. Spokane as a contender for a State 3A trophy. Kostecka took fifth at state and is a known entity statewide.

LC and CV won’t meet against until regionals.

“Fifteen minutes ago I thought we lost and it turns out we won on a tiebreaker,” Kostecka said. “We put on for our hometown here at Greenbluff.”

Kostecka’s time was just 3 seconds slower than her time at state a year ago.

“She’s so fit,” Mt. Spokane coach Andy Sonneland said. “Our second, third and fourth runners are what did it for us.”

LC coach Kevin Swaim praised his runners.

“We have nothing to be disappointed about,” Swaim said.

In the boys, LC posted a sweep. Zak Kindl (15:58) led the Tigers and Hayden Dressel (15:43) of Mt. Spokane took first.

• The NC boys, led by Justin Janke (16:07), swept Mead and Gonzaga Prep at Riverside State Park. Mead’s girls also scored a sweep.

• Ferris’ boys, led by Eric Holm (15:52), downed Rogers 18-45 at Comstock Park.

• The University boys and girls beat Shadle Park 18-41 each at Shadle. Isaac Barville (15:48) and Claire Dingus (18:16) led the Titans.

Great Northern League

Host Pullman swept West Valley in a Great Northern League opener, with the boys winning 26-33 and the girls 17-39. Pullman’s girls ran 1-4, led by Elyria Kabasenche’s 20:48.6. WV’s Jacob Nicholson (17:43.2) scored a clear victory over Pullman’s Matt Winchell (18:00.8).

Also in the GNL, Matt Christianson (17:56) won by 18 seconds while leading Cheney’s boys to a 26-31 victory over East Valley at Plantes Ferry Park. Cheney’s girls won 25-34, but EV’s Brittany Aquino (20:49) and Bailey Shea (21.45) ran 1-2.