Postponed Promise With Distractions And Injuries Behind Him, Casey Perry Seems To Be Headed For His Cross Country Destiny

A few years ago, Shadle Park High School’s Casey Perry was the city’s best junior-high distance runner.

He set the middle school mile record in spring after winning the cross country all-league meet that fall.

Perry is the first to admit, however, that several of those he beat in junior high have surpassed him in high school.

“A lot has changed,” said Perry. “I like to think I’m with them, but after my freshman year I’ve not done as well as I could. I lost attention when others started doing well and have run in their shadows.”

Although close, and the leading Highlander distance runner for three years, Perry has yet to run at state.

Last year he slumped to 13th among Greater Spokane League runners in the regional meet after finishing seventh the year before.

“I was not pleased with my mileage,” said Perry, who attributed it to his job coaching at Skyhawks Sports Academy youth camps. “I was upset after regionals and made a decision on commitment to see if I was serious or not.”

Then in the spring he suffered another setback, incurring a stress fracture under his knee and missing the track season.

“It’s uncommon,” said Perry. “Usually a stress fracture is in the shin.”

The pain was originally diagnosed as tendinitis from training in the hills. At the Big Red Invitational track meet at Ferris last March, he couldn’t run beyond a lap. It was three months before Perry could resume training.

Since summer Perry trained in a big way. His senior year has begun to fulfill the promise of middle school.

“He ran 700 quality miles and is absolutely on top of his game,” said Shadle Park coach Randy Lothspeich. “He beat the school record time trial by 30 seconds.”

At last weekend’s SunFair Invitational in Yakima, Perry finished second by six seconds to his buddy, Mead’s Jason Fayant.

Like Rogers’ Cameron Hatch, who last year hooked up with Ferris runners to improve himself and qualified for state, Perry joined Mead runners during summer training. He went where they did, including the University of Oregon distance camp.

“We made jokes about Cam and Ferris and me and Mead,” said Perry. “But it really helped.”

The fact that he wears a University of Oregon cap and Steve Prefontaine T-shirt is ample evidence of the Mead influence. His improved distance times is another.

“I want to be up there knocking heads with them at regionals,” Perry said.

When pressured to choose between soccer and distance running in seventh grade, Perry chose running. State or not, it’s a choice he’s glad he made.

Success in the GSL is relative, even without a state meet portfolio.

“In the GSL, if someone beats you it’s not just a no-name, there are so many good runners,” he said. “It’s been fun just because you get to know a lot of guys. It’s interesting to know you run good times and are still not good enough to go to state.”

This year, if the SunFair meet is any indication, all that could change.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo