Saxons Stop Mead Machine

GSL cross country

Greater Spokane League boys cross country is not for the faint of heart. But ask Ferris coach Mike Hadway if he minds.

His Saxons, with a harrowing 27-28 victory, beat Mead at Whitworth College for the first time in his 16-year coaching career.

It was the second straight week that the Saxons had won a heart-stopper and in the process, they became the league’s only unbeaten team.

“We’ve had teams who came here and should have won and they beat us,” Hadway told his team. “You’re the first one to beat them here. Thank you.”

Although Andrew Ice forced the pace and ultimately won handily in a swift 14:57 time, the outcome was in doubt until the final hill.

Midway through the race, Ferris positioned itself for the win, led by Ice and fellow senior Ben Hawkins.

Mead reasserted itself, but then Saxons Dave Betts and freshman Tyler Adams finished hard in fifth and seventh places to spell the difference.

“Adams came on board and he’s really responded well to my training regime,” said Hadway. “He’s just moved way up.”

Ice recalled two years ago when the Saxons lost a 28-28 sixth-runner tiebreaker to Mead on this course.

“That kind of bummed us out and we wanted to come back and redeem ourselves,” he said.

That they have. Ferris (4-0) has shouldered its way into the league’s elite with its three- and one-point victories over University and Mead.

“Ferris didn’t have one kid, in my opinion, run without heart today,” said Mead coach Pat Tyson. “Mike’s had his share of close calls. He deserves one. They beat us and more power to them.”

In other meets, Cameron Schwehr tied a course record at Siemers Orchard in Green Bluff, leading a 1-2-3 finish as Mt. Spokane swept past North Central (3-2), East Valley (2-3) and Central Valley (0-5). Schwehr’s 16:21 time duplicated that of former Wildcat Tommy Becker in 1998. The team had seven of the first nine race finishers with Leif Olson and Tyler Hartanov finishing second and third. Freshman Travis Hartanov was fifth… . At Liberty Lake Park, University (4-1) overcame illness and injury to defeat Shadle Park 25-34, Rogers and Gonzaga Prep. Six runners finished among the top 11 for the victors, led by race runner-up Brandon Stum. Highlander Michael Kiter recorded a 33-second win.

Girls

Lewis and Clark (4-1) learned something during its second-place finish last Saturday at the Super 1 Invitational at Farragut State Park.

It enabled the Tigers girls to create a third-place tie with previously unbeaten Mead 24-31 and beat Ferris 20-37. “I wanted Alana and Holly to work on running in the lead,” said coach Mark Vandine. “Then the rest of the girls learned how to run in a pack. They were so close at the end of the race they got excited and we used it to our advantage today.”

Alana Hagney and Holly Amend finished first and third in the race and LC’s third through sixth runners, two freshmen and a first-year sophomore placed in the top 10.

“We have a lot of young runners, and they’re really motivated for the season,” said Hagney.

She was merely relieved she won the race.

“It’s tradition that I get lost here,” she said. “I didn’t know where to run uphill, but it turned out OK.”

Elsewhere, Laura Hodgson and North Central (5-0)- remained unbeaten with league-counting wins over Central Valley (3-2) and Mt. Spokane (0-5). The Bears also beat East Valley (1-4) in a thriller. Hodgson outran Knights Melanie and Melissa Frostad with three Indians and four Bears following a minute a part… . Also undefeated after five meets are the University Titans, who overran Shadle Park (3-2), Gonzaga Prep (2-4) and Rogers (0-5). The Bullpups had the top two finishers in Adrienne Isgrigg and Robin Bell, but the Titans had five of the next six, led by Courtney Martin.