Pack Mentality Carries Mead Panthers Boys Win State Aaa Title Despite Strength Of Ferris Trio

Ferris adopted the Mead Method on Saturday, but the Panthers merely changed tactics to garner the same results.

Placing five runners in the top 36, and receiving stellar efforts from juniors Jason Fayant and Morgan Thompson, Mead overcame three elite Ferris runners to win its eighth consecutive boys State AAA cross country title.

Mead scored 54 points to the 65 of Ferris, which entered state with high expectations after last week ending the Panthers’ streak of seven consecutive district/regional titles.

At first glance during the WIAA/U.S. Bank-sponsored event at Sun Willows Golf Course, the Saxons were in excellent shape. A la the Mead of old, three Ferris runners cracked the top five, topped by champion Isaac Hawkins, a junior.

Except for 1990, Mead had won every individual championship since 1987. Without a lead runner, per se, the Panthers used a pack mentality this time.

After Hawkins completed the 3 miles in 14 minutes, 40 seconds and Paul Harkins (14:56) grabbed second for Ferris, the Panthers started rolling in. Fayant (15:02), Thompson (15:10), 21st-place Mark Mohrlang (15:27), 25th-place Ryan Wiser (15:31) and Lee Hodin (15:44), in 36th, sank the Saxons.

“I really thought that this is what I’d call a developing year,” said Mead coach Pat Tyson.

“It was an emotional week because (until last week) we hadn’t lost to a Spokane school in eight years.”

Tyson said former Mead runners Greg James, Yukon Degenhart and Greg Kuntz came to the rescue this week, offering advice and encouragement.

“And there was a lot of pressure from the alumni, which I think was good pressure,” Tyson said.

“Our guys gave it the best effort,” said champion Hawkins. “They gave it the best effort, and you can’t ask for more than that.

“I’m proud of what our guys did, and I’m proud of (Mead) and what they’ve done.”

Hawkins, shaking from the cold weather that grew worse by the (final) AAA boys race, said he ran to his expectations.

“My goal at 2 miles was 9:34,” he said. “When I hit that exactly I said, ‘Right on, buddy,”’

“I was kind of jealous of him this year, I guess, but he’s been unstoppable,” said a shivering Harkins.

Dave Schruth (15:07) of Ferris placed fifth. North Central junior Jon Caballero (15:15), in ninth, was the other Greater Spokane League runner to crack the top 10.

Unlike the boys, GSL girls runners found the top 10 tough to achieve. Junior Jennifer Smith (17:56), the regional champ from Ferris, finished seventh, one spot and 4 seconds ahead of freshman teammate Jill Johnson.

The Saxons girls, like the boys full of high hopes after a regional title, captured third in a tight battle. Top-ranked Snohomish, led by champion Laura Snipes (17:31), scored 70 to win. Defending champ Eisenhower scored 74, one less than Ferris.

“Any one of those three could have won it,” said Saxons coach Wayne Gilman.

“I’m proud of our girls’ effort, and third place at state is not bad.”

University finished fourth, led by Shanna Delong in 25th. All of the Titans scorers bunched up within 11 places of Delong. Two seniors, 13th-place Rebekah Paulk of Lewis and Clark and 15th-place Stephanie Goaslind of Mead, had the area’s best non-team-scoring times.

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