Area Harriers Dominate At State Out Of Spokane’s 32 Runners, Seven Finish In The Top 11 And 22 Among The Top 43

Cross country

As he watched the State 4A cross country race, championship trophy already secured, Lakeside coach Matt Sullivan couldn’t help but root for Mead.

Sullivan had sought out Panther coach Pat Tyson’s counsel a couple weeks prior to state, trying to find out how he prepared Mead for the biggest meet of the year.

Whatever he and assistant Jeff Blackwell learned paid off. Lakeside female runner Connie Williams finished ninth.

The Eagle boys, ranked No. 1 among 2A teams practically all year, have their first individual and team championship.

“I wasn’t comfortable until they announced that EV-Yakima was second,” said Sullivan. “You never know. You can still get snakebit.”

Prodded by the leadership and talent of titlist Mike Witt, Lakeside forced the issue and hung on to win comfortably 49-75.

Juniors Perry Welch and Trevor Blackwell finished 15th and 16th overall. Junior Trevor Smith and sophomore Shawn Close finished 21st and 26th. Five of Lakeside’s seven return next year.

But they’ll miss Witt. The senior was the catalyst for the program.

A baseball player whose brothers ran in Kentucky, Witt began running as a freshman.

“I did Junior Olympic stuff and made it to nationals,” he said. “I felt I had some talent and decided to stick with it. Looking back, baseball was not that big a deal.”

He helped younger kids get better so that they could push him. Once there, the team reached its pinnacle and Witt, with his distinctive high knee action, exceeded even expectations.

“I was hoping for a top three finish,” he said. “Anything lower than fifth and I’d have been pretty disappointed.”

He followed a season-long strategy of setting the pace in order to break down his foe. He fell behind after a mile, then rallied at the end.

“I think he expected me to fall back and when I didn’t, it demoralized him,” said Witt.

And so a baseball coach, who learned cross country on the job, and his former catcher found common ground and on the undulating hills of SunWillow Golf Course made history.

“To be perfectly honest,” said Sullivan. “It was not our best race. Today it was good enough.”

State runnerup Mead, however, could lay claim to its finest effort. Beaten all year by heavily favored University, Tyson’s Panthers made a spirited run at the Titans in an effort to keep a nine-year championship string intact.

It was a team heavy with seniors, but one without stars. Yet Chris Duelen ran sixth, Josh McLellan and Matt Lowe placed among the top 20 and the outcome was in doubt until the final 800 meters.

The title may have eluded him, but Tyson’s influence touched other champions this day.

Besides Lakeside, the first state champion from a first-year school also had ties to Mead.

Mt. Spokane junior Tom Becker, who ran for Mead last year, brought home the 4A State cross country meet title. He also became the 24th Greater Spokane League champion in 37 years of state competition.

In so doing, he beat University’s Seth Mott, the runner who had defeated him a week earlier in regionals.

“He hadn’t tapered all year,” said coach Craig Dietz, alluding to the fact Becker trained straight through that meet.

“I was concerned. At some point you want to experiment. We hoped it worked out,” said Dietz. “Heart of the Lion.”

Make that heart of a Wildcat.

Spokane dominated the race as usual, with 22 of the top 43 runners. University, Mead and Gonzaga Prep earning the top three team trophies.

It was the Bullpups finest effort, led by Jim Rucker, Rick White and Brian Walker.

Girls state placers

In the girls race eight of the first 18 individuals were GSL runners.

Included were senior Kelley Mattingly and junior Annie McCabe who medaled in seventh and eighth place for fifth-place Mead.

Shadle Park’s Lonaia Jones and Erin Krogel placed 15th and 18th.

Small schools trophy

Returned to the state A/B meet following a year’s absence, St. George’s brought home an individual championship by freshman Samantha Clarke, plus second- and third-place girls and boys team trophies.

Riverside’s young girls team finished fourth in the 2A race.

Junior Nora Zaprzalka, sophomores Kelli Keiper, Makayla Gabel and Becca Hassler finished between 38th and 42nd place, a mere six seconds separating them.

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