Cycle Runs In Lc’s Direction Fuller Bulks Up, Leads Veteran Tigers Squad

Girls cross country coaches agonize over some unique situations that other coaches rarely face.

For one, consider the senior runner, the four-year letterwinner, who no longer runs with the top seven because of physical maturity. She deserves respect because of her loyalty to the program, but the coltish freshmen are the ones who offer the best chances at winning.

Then there’s the injury factor, sometimes overlooked because of the sport’s non-contact status. Studies have shown, however, that girls runners are the high school athletes most prone to injuries.

Finally, there are freshman phenoms who naturally gain 20 pounds in one year and lose their front-of-the-pack status.

Whoa. Forget that final one for a moment.

In the case of Lewis and Clark’s Emily Fuller, it shouldn’t hold true.

Fuller has indeed added 20 pounds to her frame from her freshmen year, but the extra weight - much of it muscle - has made her stronger.

Pushing herself too hard last year, Fuller bottomed out at 90 pounds. Bursitis in her hips then limited her winter training, and she was forced to concentrate on shorter distances in track and field.

But Fuller appears back to form in preparation for the Greater Spokane League season, which begins Wednesday with LC ranked No. 1 in the state coaches poll.

“Even to her parents it’s a mystery,” LC coach Wes Marburger said of the quick weight gain. “She’s gained some weight naturally, with her body adjusting to the stresses of running. And, although I’m not a doctor, I would guess she’s adjusting to the nutritional needs of her body.”

Fuller and LC were a mystery last year compared to GSL favorites Ferris, Mead and University.

LC finished 4-4 in the GSL, tying for fourth place with Gonzaga Prep and Shadle Park. Late in the season, however, the Tigers competed well against Mead and began asking if they dared to think in bigger terms.

The answer came at the regional meet, where LC tied for second place with Mead, qualifying for state for the first time in a decade and nudging out undefeated league champ Ferris.

“I don’t know if we really thought we’d (qualify for state), but I guess our coach did,” Fuller said.

LC, with no seniors on its team, then tied for third place at state, led by Jamie Borgan’s fourth-place showing. Fuller, the Tigers’ No. 2, placed 26th, the second-best showing by any freshman (Prairie’s Laura Harmon was 12 seconds faster).

LC’s entire lineup returns, and Marburger has added some promising freshmen. The issue now is health, as Fuller’s story illustrates.

“She had pushed herself really hard last year, wanting to contribute to the team,” Marburger said.

“There might be a lesson to that, the intensity vs. success issue. … She’d have some mediocre workouts, at best, and yet she was the secondfastest freshman at state.”

Despite her father Dave’s status as Chase Middle School boys cross country coach, Fuller nearly turned out for soccer, her mother’s choice because of the team concept.

“We didn’t realize how close a cross country team can get,” Fuller said.

LC’s other state veterans are sophomores Mindy Noble and Corey Mullen, junior Jamie Rosenquist, and seniors Sara Larsen-Cooper (Sara LC to the team) and Madeleine Haag. Newcomers Alana Hagney and Lara Nelson, both freshmen, and Katie Maurus, a senior, are threatening to crack to varsity seven.

“We’re stronger and deeper, and that’s not just an observation, that’s a fact,” Marburger said. “Our fifth person could very well be the top runner on another team. We GSL coaches talk about cyclic patterns, and it’s our turn.”

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MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: GSL girls cross country Openers: Wednesday - Mead, Lewis and Clark, Rogers and Mt. Spokane at Whitworth College; Central Valley and Gonzaga Prep at Shadle Park; University and North Central at Ferris. Defending champion: Ferris. Mead and LC advanced to state, placing second and tied for third, respectively. Returning all-leaguers: Jill Johnson and Emily Hawkins, Ferris; Jamie Borgan and Emily Fuller, LC. Other top regional returners: Kelley Mattingly and Annie McCabe, Mead; Mindy Noble and Jamie Rosenquist, LC; Jill Larson and Carly Barnes, G-Prep; and Jaime Miller and Michelle Cesal, University. New team: Mt. Spokane. With the addition of the Wildcats, Rogers agreed to piggyback with Mead at each GSL meet. The other meets will remain three-ways. New coaches: Annette Pedersen, Mt. Spokane; Sherri Northington, Rogers. Regional: Oct. 30 at Hangman Valley Golf Course. Four teams and 20 runners advance to state, up from last year’s three and 15. Projected finish: LC, Ferris, Mead, U-Hi, G-Prep, Shadle, CV, NC, Rogers, Mt. Spokane.