Leaders Of The Pack Are Back Frontier Girls Cross Country Is Off And Running With A League Full Of Champions Back On The Course

To understand what has happened in Frontier League girls cross country the last three years, consider the tale of Jennifer Rea.

During her freshman season at Clarkston, Rea won the District 7-AA race and stamped herself as the Frontier’s runner of the future.

The future has arrived for the Bantams senior, but so have other things.

Young rabbits - three, to be exact - have kept Rea from duplicating her 1992 season.

Rea hasn’t lost a thing, either. Her times at the last two district races have decreased, but not nearly enough to challenge for first place.

In her stead have been State AA champions Jessica Riehle of West Valley and Jeannette Zimmer of Cheney, and district and state runner-up Angie Simmers of East Valley.

The last time the four runners came together - in Pasco last November - Zimmer burned the 3-mile course in 17 minutes, 47.5 seconds, the fastest time for a freshman. Sophomore Riehle, the ‘93 champ, “settled” for third (18:13) while sophomore Simmers (18:24) took sixth and Rea (18:27) seventh.

The running is heating up again. Riehle settled a score with Zimmer by winning last week’s Highlander Invitational (Zimmer placed fifth), and Simmers won the Seaport Invitational on Rea’s home course.

WV coach Jim McLachlan said he was in some ways more pleased with Riehle’s win at Shadle than with her state title.

“It’s what we’ve been waiting for, because we all believe in her,” McLachlan said. “The first year (‘93) was kind of a fairy-tale year … so the second year was kind of hard to live up to, especially with the entrance of Jeannette Zimmer into the league.”

McLachlan wishes Riehle had more innate aggressiveness. Riehle understands the concern, but doesn’t expect to drastically change her nature.

“I was happy to beat (Zimmer), I guess, but I’m not happy that she lost,” Riehle said. “I’m glad for me, but not so much that I want anyone to lose.”

There’s no panicking in the Cheney camp over Zimmer’s fifth-place showing. Blackhawks coach Jay Martin said his sophomore ran the Highlander 40-45 seconds faster than last year.

Remember, too, that Zimmer doesn’t train much over the summer and that she lost every race to Riehle last year until the one that counted most.

“She’s certainly not, at this point, in great shape,” Martin said, “but it will only take her a couple of weeks because she’s such a gifted runner.”

Zimmer said she ran 100 miles over the summer, which was 100 more than the summer before.

“Last year there was no pressure,” Zimmer said. “Nobody cares about a freshman. You go (to state) and you’re not anybody.”

Simmers had the upper hand on Riehle until late in their freshman seasons. Simmers easily won their league matchup, then set the pace at district for the first mile. Riehle, however, rebounded for a 16-second district win, then edged her Valley counterpart on a lean at state.

Simmers’ sophomore year was just decent by her standards and those of coach Nick Lazanis. Both agree that Simmers cared less about individual awards because she was content to enjoy EV’s march to the state title.

“But Angie looks like she’s on top of her game now,” Lazanis said.

“I like to know what (Riehle and Zimmer) are doing, but I run more for myself,” Simmers said. “… I’m going to start running my own race, and whatever happens, happens.”

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