Bizarre Finish Gives U-Hi Win Over Mead In Opener

One could say that Mead’s girls cross country team was double-Crossed on Wednesday.

Robyn Cross of University, an eighth-place finisher, was the runner in the spotlight as second-ranked U-Hi beat fourth-ranked Mead during a Greater Spokane League season-opener at Manito Park.

Many said that Cross actually finished ninth after being caught at the finish line by Mead’s Autumn Wood.

But the official at the finish line said with just as much certainty that Cross won on a lean, meaning a Panthers upset was ruled a 28-all tie and a U-Hi win because the Titans’ sixth runner, Kelsie Bly, beat Mead’s sixth runner.

All right, said Mead, then Cross had to be disqualified because a Lewis and Clark course marshal saw her cut across a cone on the extreme southern end of the 3-mile layout.

LC disallowed the protest because the marshal couldn’t specifically identify the runner and the infraction was considered minor.

Mead coach Wes Player, ecstatic just minutes earlier, glumly left the park convinced that his defending GSL champion Panthers had beaten the preseason favorites. But U-Hi coach Steve Llewellyn argued successfully that the verdict belonged to the official.

“I really have good relations with Wes and the Mead kids,” Llewellyn said, “and that’s why I don’t want anything to taint that. That’s why I wanted the race official to decide.”

The mixup obscured some notable performances, mainly by Mead’s Stephanie Goaslind, LC’s Ryan Johnson and the snarling pack known as the top-ranked Mead boys.

Goaslind broke away from teammate Lynde Johnson and U-Hi’s Lindsay Daehlin for a surprising win in 19 minutes, 57 seconds. Johnson finished second and Daehlin faded after becoming nauseous at 2 miles.

“I just wanted to learn the ropes first,” said Goaslind of her average junior season.Mead’s Katie Pollock, a run-of-the-mill junior varsity runner last year, finished sixth and momentarily was the heroine as it appeared Mead had won.

Ryan Johnson commanded the boys field in 16:18, with plenty of Panthers bunched behind him.

Runner-up Jason Fayant and thirdplace Ryan Wiser (both 16:25) beat U-Hi’s James Berry to the line. The next five were Panthers, in intervals of 2 to 4 seconds.

“We think our Nos. 1-7 have to be within 40 seconds of each other,” said coach Pat Tyson of the seven-time defending State AAA champions.

In other opening three-ways, the fifth-ranked Ferris girls smoked sixth-ranked Shadle Park 16-42 at Shadle as the Saxons ran 1-2-3-4. Kristen Parrish (18:26) beat Jennifer Smith by 10 seconds for the win.

The second-ranked Ferris boys ran 1-2-3 with wins over Shadle and Gonzaga Prep. Isaac Hawkins (15:13) topped Paul Harkins by 16 seconds.

At Audubon Park, the 10th-ranked Central Valley girls also went 1-2-3 in beating North Central and Rogers. Jenni Saling’s 19:37 was 8 seconds better than Melissa Sherwood.

NC’s boys won twice, led by second-place Jon Caballero (16:21) and a pack from 10-13. Cameron Hatch of Rogers (15:57) won.

GSL girls soccer

G-Prep knocked LC from the unbeaten ranks and jumped into second place after a 3-0 win at Hart Field.

Prep’s Caryn Nadeau broke a scoreless tie at the 30-minute mark - just the second goal of the year off the Tigers and the first for Nadeau.

G-Prep has four regulation wins, no overtime wins, no overtime losses, one regulation loss and 12 points. LC is 3-1-0-1, 11 points.

At U-Hi, Stacy Clinesmith did all the scoring as Mead (5-0-0-0, 15) won 3-0 and continued to set the pace. Clinesmith has seven goals this year. The Titans are 2-0-0-3, 6.

At CV, Shae Donaldson had a goal and an assist during a 6-minute span of the second half as the host Bears (3-0-1-2, 10) topped NC 3-1. The Indians (0-2-0-4, 4) tied the match at 50 minutes on Meagen Michelbook’s long assist to Kristin Walters for NC’s second goal of the year.

, DataTimes