Athletes Had Remarkable Year
They were a footnote to history, last fall’s members of the first Mead cross country team in a decade that failed to win a state championship.
What better way, then, to complete their high school careers last Saturday than at the top?
Matt Lowe and Chris Deulen finished first and third in the 3,200 meters at Star Track XVI, with former teammate, Mt. Spokane junior Tom Becker, sandwiched in between after running a 12-second personal record.
Lowe, who sprinted past the pair in a closing rush after Deulen had threatened to break the field, was one of three North Side state champions to close out the 1998 school year.
“Coming in, I knew Deulen or I would win,” said Lowe. “We would have been happy if the other was second. But it’s nice it was Becker, who came from Mead.”
Lowe was not the only North Side state track champion this year. Mt. Spokane High, in just its first year, had three, two by Becker. He won in cross country last fall. On the first day of Star Track he won the 1,600 in a familiar war to Spokane distance runners. Becker outlasted Lewis and Clark’s Joey Neuman, who had beaten him the previous two weeks.
Wildcat teammate Casey Clark captured the high jump, clearing 6-foot-8.
“Two athletes, 20 points. That’s a pretty good start,” said Clark, during the meet’s first day. “Who knows how many more tomorrow?”
Enough from Becker for a fifth-place team finish at state in Mt. Spokane’s maiden attempt.
The meet also capped the stand-out three-sport career of North Central’s David Sandberg. The All-GSL football player was the state’s best 190-pound wrestler and finished second, by a mere two inches, in the shot put.
The 1998 athletic season was one in which Greater Spokane League boys teams won five 4A team state championships in nine sports and had two second place teams. The girls added another state title and second place.
Great Northern League was even more dominant, with the addition of Pullman, Colville and Riverside in the new 2A classification. The GNL won nine state team championships and finished second in four others out of 17 sports.
The Riverside girls soccer title and Lakeside boys cross country championship kicked off last fall.
The Eagles won girls basketball and finished second in wrestling last winter.
It was also a year when success was tempered by tragedy.
Bernice Stime completed her four-year, three-sport Riverside career by winning the State 2A tennis championship a week after her older brother, Aaron, was killed in an accident while camping.
“She had to make a decision whether to go,” said her coach, Brent Monroe. “There was no doubt in her mind this is what her brother would have wanted.”
It was the second state title this year for Stime, one of numerous seniors whose athletic careers are ending.
She was a member of the Ram soccer champions. She also led Riverside to a berth in the state basketball tournament.
Lakeside counterpart, Brianne Jolley, was MVP of the Eagle state basketball champions.
Mike Witt was the individual state champion when Lakeside won its first boys state cross country championship.
Matt Colyar closed out the season with a state pole vault title for the Eagles.
During wrestling, Riverside’s Joben Nuesse, Lakeside’s Matt Westenfelder and Sean Wheeler won championships. The Eagles placed second in state.
All in all, it was a remarkable year.