Runners have no time to slow down
These are busy times for local distance runners.
Last weekend several were involved in the annual Border Clash pitting boys and girls teams from Washington and Oregon against one another.
On Dec. 4, runners will make their annual pilgrimage to Southern California and the Foot Locker West Regional Cross Country Championships.
The Ferris and Mead boys will be in Portland that same weekend for the first Nike Team Nationals. Ferris placed first and Mead was second at the State 4A meet.
In last weekend’s Border Clash, Mead’s Laef Barnes finished second, although Oregon’s boys and girls teams swept Washington for team honors.
The boys won 103-109, the girls 93-117.
Ben Poffenroth of Ferris, Taylor Nepon of Mead and Michael Skansgaard of Gonzaga Prep placed 17th through 19th as the next-highest Spokane runners. Rogers’ Becca Noble, in 11th, was the fifth-highest Washington finisher among girls.
Noble and Skansgaard are among 32 Spokane-area runners sponsored by the Lilac Bloomsday Association who will compete at Mt. San Antonio College in the Foot Locker Regionals.
Jo E. Mayer, East Valley; Whitney Porter, Chelsea Momany and Leigh Fredrickson, Lewis and Clark; Shilo Deitz, Jill Keller and Jessica Klier, Mt. Spokane; Stephanie Whittaker and Mary Graesser, North Central; Leslie Berkseth and Karen Owens, University; Cami Nelson, Shadle Park; Cordelia Revells, St. George’s; Becky Mackelprang, Ferris; and Katie Compogno, Mead are the 16 girls representatives.
Other boys runners are Justin Hofstee, Ryan Zentz, Issac Harmson and Brian Christensen, LC; Mark Moeller, Peter Miller and Kenny Nuehs, Shadle; Luke Graesser, Andrew Scott and Jake Sanders, NC; Ryan Gustafson, Rogers; Mike Hartanov, Mt. Spokane; Keith Holt and Tyler Thatcher, EV; and Sean Coyle, Central Valley.
This is the 12th successive year that the Lilac Bloomsday Association has provided airline tickets and ground transportation to runners based on the fastest finish times at regional cross country meets for all classifications.
The top eight boys and girls finishers in the meet advance to the nationals in San Diego the following weekend.
On the same day, Barnes and Poffenroth will run with their club teams at Portland Meadows in the first Nike Team Nationals. Ferris and Mead are among the 21 boys and 20 girls teams expected to participate in what Nike officials call the first truly national cross country high school team invitational in the United States.
Teams were selected from regional rankings. The Ferris Cross Country Club is No. 1 in the Northwest Region. North Spokane Harriers (Mead) are No. 3 and were invited to the meet as an at-large entrant. The region encompasses Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Basketball
Two Saturday seasonal jamborees will benefit the local Coaches vs. Cancer fund-raising endeavor.
Proceeds from admissions and concessions at Shadle Park and admission and an auction at Mt. Spokane in jamborees that feature 10 Greater Spokane League schools will go to the project begun here by Gonzaga University coach Mark Few and his wife, Marcy.
“We do the jamboree every year and this year I thought it would be a good venue to raise money for the cause,” said Shadle coach Tim Gaebe. “(Mt. Spokane boys coach) Bill Ayers heard about us doing it at the coaches’ meeting and jumped on it. We figured it would be nice to give something back.”
Shadle hosts Ferris, G-Prep and Cheney beginning with the freshmen at 3 p.m., followed by junior varsity and varsity jamborees. Mt. Spokane hosts Mead, Clarkston, Rogers, LC and NC varsities, the jamboree beginning at 4 p.m.
“Admission is by donation at the door,” said Coaches vs. Cancer coordinator Jerid Keefer. “We will auction stuff off at Mt. Spokane, including a signed basketball from Dean Smith.”