It’s time to shine

Since they were freshmen, the seniors and juniors on North Central’s boys cross country team – Luke Graesser among them – have pointed to this moment.

Graesser’s senior class and the Indians’ junior class both won city freshman cross country team championships. Their melding, coupled with a fortuitous drop to Class 3A, has led to season-long No. 1 state ranking.

“We feel like we’ve had a target on our back all the time,” said NC coach Jon Knight. “It’s an honor, but I don’t know if it means anything other than recognition for running well.”

Still, Knight said, he’s known for a couple of years the kind of depth NC possessed. Postseason expectations have not been this high since 1987. Graesser, who has been the Indians’ No. 1 runner most of the season, has a chance to become the second member of his family to run with a state-title team.

This weekend the Indians will seek their first boys team trip since the second-place finish of ‘87. Graesser is after his second appearance, having finished 105th as a sophomore two years ago.

NC and East Valley, led by Knight’s cousin, Nick Atwood, will compete in Richland against schools from the Mid-Valley for two available 3A state team berths.

During the 4A races at the same site, last year’s state champion Ferris and third-place Mead are among GSL schools which hope to extend the league’s string of state titles to 17 in a row.

Graesser is one of nine NC seniors. He, David Alderson and Caleb Jahey have been varsity regulars for three years. A fourth, Chad Florian, broke his leg in an earlier meet ending his season. They’ve been joined by juniors James Clark, Jake Sanders and Nate Havko from the other frosh title winner, plus standout sophomore Andrew Scott. NC had an 11-2 third-place GSL season, losing to Ferris and Mead.

“I think our strength is really our depth,” said Knight. “None, other than Andrew, came out of the eighth grade highly touted. They’ve worked hard and developed into a great crew.”

Graesser placed 17th in the freshman all-city race, but followed in his sister Katie’s footsteps in becoming a solid NC team performer and making cross country a family sport. Sophomore sister Mary, who also runs for the Indians, could be the best of the siblings, Katie wrote in a recent e-mail.

“Katie was the one who got everyone involved,” Luke said.

She was a member of three NC cross country state qualifiers, including the 2001 4A champions. She’s now in college at Brigham Young University, but in the e-mail talked about how well-rounded her brother is.

He plays several instruments (clarinet, saxophone and trombone in the school band, and also dabbles on guitar), is an Eagle Scout and a talented woodworker, she wrote.

“What has surprised me most is his running ability,” she said. “I remember talking to my mom and saying, ‘Luke runs funny, it’s like he bounces’ and she said ‘Just give him time.’ He really became a front-runner his junior year from being a midpack runner his freshmen and sophomore years.”

Knight said the same, calling Graesser steady and hard-working.

“He’s gotten better and better,” said NC’s coach.

Knight said a true test of his team’s ability may have manifested itself in losses this year to Ferris and Mead. After both, neither the Saxons nor Panthers ran well in weekend invitationals.

“I take that to mean we made them run hard,” he said. “I don’t think either Mead or Ferris was able to look past us and that’s a positive.”

With Ferris and Mead running in 4A and NC in 3A, the GSL is looking to double its pleasure at state in Pasco on Nov. 6.