Timberwolf Getting Serious Miller Puts Himself On Pace To Challenge For Cross Country Title

Lake City High long-distance ace Charlie Miller calls himself a goofball.

That explains in part why his cross country coach, Donna Messenger, has learned to take incidents like the one Saturday at the All-Valley Invitational in stride.

The gun had sounded for the senior boys race and Miller, typically among the pack of early leaders, was nowhere to be found.

Then all of a sudden Messenger spotted Miller sprinting from the back of the pack.

Why the tardy start? Miller was trying to attach a heart-rate monitor, a device Messenger has her runners use in races and practice for evaluation purposes.

“He was behind the pack piddling with the device and the starter didn’t give them much warning,” Messenger said. “His heart rate probably jumped to 200 when the gun went off. He spent the whole first mile trying to get through the pack.”

Miller finished eighth, well back of the frontrunners whom he’d hoped to challenge. It should be his worst finish all season.

“I’m still a goofball. I don’t take myself too seriously,” Miller said. “But I think I’ve matured in a lot of ways.”

Said Messenger: “It was a good lesson for him and for the whole team.”

As the season unfolds, Miller should break the tape at most meets.

Perhaps even state.

A state alternate as a freshman, Miller placed 17th as a sophomore (the top 20 medal) and he improved 13 spots to fourth last year.

Miller’s the second-best returning A-1 runner. Defending champ Tyler Williams of Centennial, a junior, also returns.

Miller finished 27 seconds behind Williams last fall. That would be a considerable gap to close in track, but not cross country.

“Charlie is capable of winning a state championship,” Messenger said. “I think there’s more in him that he hasn’t tapped. But it’s putting it all together on that (state) day.”

Miller would be satisfied with second if he raced his best.

“If you finish second, you’re still better than about 100 runners,” Miller said.

He’s not training for second, though.

“I’m more dedicated than I’ve ever been,” Miller said. “I’ve been working harder than I’ve ever worked. I know the task at hand.”

Miller will see Williams at least once at the Farragut Invitational hosted by LC and Coeur d’Alene a week from Saturday. They could meet again at the McCall Invitational (Oct. 3).

“I’m not going to alter my strategy too much,” said Miller, whose strength is his ability to keep a steady pace from start to finish. “I ran the whole summer - almost every day - the first time in my career.”

The 6-foot-2 Miller often ran alone this summer, just like he’s doing in practice.

He’s the only returner off a team that placed third and earned the school’s first state cross country trophy.

That pack of Timberwolves pushed each other at practices and meets.

“We’ve definitely had to take a different approach to practices,” Messenger said. “At least a couple of times a week, he runs with Lance Clark (a volunteer assistant). In our easier practices, he runs with the rest of the team because he needs to help them and needs their camaraderie.”

Miller also should be pushed by Post Falls senior Jason Kunz, whose closest finish to Miller came two weeks ago at a meet in Post Falls. Kunz came in 5 seconds behind Miller.

“I think he’ll push me all year,” said Miller, whose time of 16 minutes, 24 seconds at state last year stands as LC’s school record.

One area in which Miller is trying to improve is his final kick. “His leg speed isn’t probably where it should be,” Messenger said.

Although Miller hopes to challenge for the state title, he needs no extra motivation.

“I love competition - period,” Miller said. “One of the greatest things in the world would be to win state, but each race is fun.”

Even if he gets a late start.

“I still have a lot left in terms of potential,” Miller added. “I hope to find out how much is there.”