Fleet-Footed EV Girls Rewrite The Record Book

There were tears of joy, squeals of delight and tissues to share as East Valley’s runners found each other upon completion of their quest. In one instance there were tears of regret.

“We did it! I know we did, I know we did,” cried Korinda Godwin as she and her teammates bounced up and down, embracing one another.

Each emotion had its special significance after the Knights had done what no girls team had before.

They were among seven schools in four classifications to have won three state cross country championships in a row. Today, they stand alone.

Two seniors, Cara Smith and AnnMarie Adams, ran on all four state title-winning teams. A third East Valley senior, Carmen Cook, ran on that first state championship team as a freshman. Then injury struck.

Talking about it, her eyes welled with tears.

“My sophomore year, three days before district I was diagnosed with two stress fractures,” she explained. “My junior year I kept having problems.”

This year she sprained an ankle and never could fully come back.

“It’s been really hard,” said Cook. “This year was the hardest because I was running and didn’t make the team. I think it was in my mind that I would get injured again.”

Three times Smith was either the Knights’ best or second-best finisher at state. This time she was fourth.

Three times Adams was either the third or fourth runner. This race Adams was a non-scoring sixth, deferring to youth. She didn’t care.

“I’m definitely not disappointed,” she said. “All I was there for was to push them in practice. I knew if they could keep up, their talent would win.”

Adams said she always beat the youngsters in practice, but that races pumped them up.

Smith always saved her best for state. This one was no exception.

“I don’t know why,” she said. “For some reason state has always been my best race of all cross country season.”

Smith said the team did feel pressure to be the first four-time champion, particularly since runnerup Newport-Bellevue had beaten the Knights twice in previous invitationals. Once the race began a calm fell over the girls.

“It’s sad being a senior and not being able to run any more,” she said. “But it feels really good to have won four times. Now people will talk about it.”

Losing the seniors, said coach Nick Lazanis, will be huge, for their leadership and example.

“They loved AnnMarie, those girls,” he said. “When it gets to big meets we always called Cara ‘Lion Heart.”’ Godwin, a junior, was running in her third state championship. She placed a personal best 14th overall as EV’s third scorer. She finished behind freshman twins Melanie and Melissa Frostad, whose state title and fifth place, respectively, were passports to the team title.

“Mel(anie) is so awesome. She did it, she did it,” repeated Godwin. “I wish I could have seen it.”

Because of the tiny freshman prodigies EV was again able to prevail. Melanie Frostad became EV’s first individual titlist.

“When I have something really important to do I go all out. I’m immune to pain,” said Melanie. “I didn’t think I was going to win. I was nervous at the beginning but after the first mile I felt awesome.”

Melanie plays soccer and the weekend before was on a district winning team. She also had run 200 miles in the summer, while her sister hadn’t. Melissa vowed to train and promised a title challenge.

“I’m happy for my sister, but maybe later,” she said. “We’ve always been competitive.”

There was one final need for the tissues. Crystal Gerky had been sick all week with a sinus infection, but ran strong to be the fifth EV runner to finish and that locked up the title.

“My nose was running the whole way,” the EV sophomore said.

Not as fast as the feet of East Valley’s champions.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo