Mike Vlahovich

The defining moment of University football coach Rob Bartlett’s rookie season wasn’t just that his Titans defeated Ferris for the first time in memory, but how thoroughly they administered the 21-0 upset.

There was a lot at stake in Greater Spokane League cross country season-ending meets Wednesday at Comstock Park.

Welcome back to the offense, Austin Flynn.

Central Valley’s Logan Giese remembers his eye-opening debut as a freshman against rival University.

On the 50th anniversary of the Central Valley-University football rivalry, it only took one half for the Bears to win for the 37th time in 60 meetings.

Isiah Forney labored, barely able to finish his junior varsity cross country race during the Tracy Walters Invitational at Audubon Park in early September. Yet spectators he didn’t know cheered, clapped and offered encouragement as if he were about to set a meet record not place a distant last. “It was my first race ever in cross country and I wanted to quit,” the Central Valley sophomore said at a Greater Spokane League meet nearly a month later. “I wondered, ‘Why did I sign up for this?’ ”

Isiah Forney labored, barely able to finish his junior varsity cross country race during the Tracy Walters Invitational at Audubon Park in early September. Yet spectators he didn’t know cheered, clapped and offered encouragement as if he were about to set a meet record not place a distant last.

University weathered an early dry spell. Then came the deluge.

There are essentially two ways to win a cross country meet: front-running talent or a tightly bunched pack.

The Greater Spokane League football game between Lewis and Clark and host University on Friday night was played in fits and starts.

With two of her runners under the weather during the week, including No. 1 Gracie Ledwith, and unsure of what the outcome might be, Lewis and Clark coach Sherrie Martin opted for strategy.

The dream race will have to wait. It was a bummer for Mead cross country runner Andrew Gardner, who had to go it alone in the anticipated duel with North Central’s Kai Wilmot.

Katie Knight need not look far when soliciting distance running advice from her coach. She rides to and from school with him every day. Her father, Jon, has orchestrated a remarkable distance success story at North Central, where his cross country boys teams have won six straight State 3A team titles and counting. Katie, under his watch, has become one of the top distance runners in the state.