Saxons Stride On To State But Still Face Challenges

Thu., Nov. 2, 2000

By Mike Vlahovich mikev@spokesman.com (509) 927-2180

Last weekend’s boys 4A regional cross country meet may have been, as one coach stated, akin to a track meet.

Getting to the final from a preliminary race is more important than winning the prelim.

But the results certainly proved that Ferris’ work is cut out for it if the Saxons are to win their first state title since 1981.

State 4A boys race at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.

Ferris finished third in regional at Richland last weekend, nine points behind champion Mead and three behind Mt. Spokane.

But the Saxons have beaten Mead twice this year - in their Greater Spokane League dual meet and at the Lava Bear Classic in Bend, Ore.

The Saxons’ loss came at the Richland Invitational, where coach Mike Hadway said his team did not run well.

They struggled a bit on the course again at regionals. Andrew Ice finished just fifth overall, and Ben Hawkins was Ferris’ fifth finisher.

Ahead of him were resurgent Andrew Lewis, David Betts and Tyler Adams.

Ice has been Spokane’s No. 2 runner behind Shadle Park’s Michael Kiter this season. For much of the year Hawkins has run No. 2 for the team.

Both must move back up for the Saxons to contend.

John Dean and Cody Kunz rounded out the Ferris team.

Tigers take it one better

Lewis and Clark’s girls cross country team got caught up in the GSL buzz saw. But they did themselves one better individually when it came to state qualifying.

Tiger senior Alana Hagney will have company in sophomore teammate Holly Amend during Saturday’s 4A girls race at 11:30 p.m. at Pasco’s Sun Willows Golf Course.

Hagney, who finished a personal best eighth place in regionals last weekend, is a three-time state competitor.

She finished 57th as a sophomore after qualifying 20th from the eastern region. Last year Hagney improved to 47th place after placing 19th in the region.

Amend, a second-year varsity athlete, went from 25th in the region as a freshman to 19th this year to join Hagney at state. Also qualifying is race fifth-placer Adrienne Isgrigg from Gonzaga Prep.

Despite the solid one-two finish, the Tigers finished sixth as a team, just 18 points away from state.

GSL schools had three team qualifiers and nine of the top 11 team places.

Like father, like daughter

Ferris’s Hadway will be a proud parent as well as coach during the State Cross Country Meet in Pasco this weekend.

His daughter, Ashley Hadway, runs in the girls A/B race to open the meet at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Ashley competes for Northwest Christian School and placed third in district last week. She will attempt to improve on last year’s sixth-place finish.

Dad takes no credit for her success. He said at district that he wanted her to succeed on her own but would offer advice if asked.

West Plains runners going to state

Cheney and Medical Lake athletes also will be part of the state experience.

Blackhawk junior Chad Portwood improved 19 places to finish sixth in regional and earn his second state appearance. Last year he ran with Cheney’s third-place finishing team.

Sophomore Jeanette Poindexter qualified for state by virtue of her seventh-place regional effort.

Medical Lake’s Robert Parks placed 15th to grab the Great Northern League’s final boys state berth.

The 3A girls race will be at 11 a.m., the 2A boys run at 12:30, and the 3A boys compete at 1 p.m.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.