Cross country coach sees premonition come true
Last weekend Dave McCarty said he had told his cross country runners at East Valley a couple years ago that this would be their season to compete in the Greater Spokane League, regardless of division.
The longtime coach — and former EV state champion miler — has proved prescient.
After winning one of three contests in the first Greater Spokane League meet, the win over West Valley and the two losses agonizingly close, on Wednesday EV accomplished another feat with its 26-29 wins over Valley rivals University and Central Valley.
“We are the Valley cross country champions for the first time in like 15 years,” an obviously ecstatic McCarty said. “So those wins were huge for us, our program and followers.”
What McCarty saw was the ability of Keith Holt, who qualified for state in the 800 last spring. And there was a premonition last fall in cross country when, he said, then-sophomore Nick Atwood was awarded 63rd place, two higher than Holt during regionals, when, in fact the runners should have been reversed.
Atwood has emerged as EV’s No. 1 runner and the one-two punch of junior and senior, coupled with senior veteran Matt Tonani and the emergence of sophomore Tyler Thatcher, have made the Knights a serious GSL threat and likely 3A state contender.
All four finished among the top 10 during wins over the other Valley teams, meaning the Knights should have their best season in their sixth in the GSL.
Atwood’s time of 16:32 at Mirabeau Park bettered CV sophomore Sean Coyle‘s 17:07. Holt finished third, Thatcher eighth and Tonani 10th.
U-Hi’s Matt Engle, Bill McElroy and Matt Winkler finished fourth, fifth and seventh.
CV’s Alex Blackburn and Nathan Damiano placed sixth and ninth. But EV’s depth was better in the all-Valley thriller.
Not done yet
U-Hi’s girls cross country team may not be as strong as in past years. Chalk that up to youth.
But the Titans are not ready to relinquish Valley honors yet. The Titans beat East Valley 21-38 and Central Valley 17-40 in a race minus Bears star Anna Layman.
Titan sophomores Leslie Berkseth and Karen Owens, and juniors Sami Evenson and Katy Hawkins finished second through fifth in the race, and sophomores Katie Owens and Alicia Johnston rounded out the top 10, the six finishing 1 minute, 10 seconds apart.
“The girls were so fired up after reading last week’s Valley Voice article about that shift of power in Valley girls cross country that they wanted you to know that the ‘power’ is still at University,” coach Steve Llewellyn e-mailed.
EV’s Jo E. Mayer won individually and Morgan Dunning was seventh. CV’s Melinda Miller finished sixth and Katee Nauert was eighth.
Charlie Dean Night at CV
Central Valley football coach Rick Giampietri has issued a call for all Bears football players from the Charlie Dean-era between 1964 and 1974 to join him Oct. 8 at CV.
The legendary Dean, who had seven unbeaten teams in his 11-year stint as coach, and an 84-11-2 overall record, will be honored prior to the game against Gonzaga Prep.
“I would like to invite any and all players who played for him to meet him on the track before the game, about 6:45 p.m.,” said Giampietri, “with a presentation to follow.”
The Bears, in the wild and wacky GSL, rebounded from last week’s loss to EV and beat Shadle Park 17-7. Junior Dane Knudson had a career-high 105 rushing yards to help the Bears move into fifth place in the 14-team GSL, fourth among 4A teams.
CV has now beaten the teams predicted to finish first and second. Its playoff fate will hinge on three games, including the next two Fridays at home, against current unbeatens Lewis and Clark and Prep on Charlie Dean Night.
Medal play at Liberty Lake
It may be approaching October, but the weather is still conducive to golf.
During most recent Liberty Lake Ladies 9-Hole Golf Club play, Lorraine Martin shot 57 in first flight, Peggy Phillips had 60 in second and Emma Long 67 in third.
Net winners were Sadie Rueckert with 38 in first flight, Lee King with 43 in second and Wilma Capaul with 38 in third.
Trailhead golfers compete
Deanna Hauser shot a low gross score 43 to lead Trailhead Ladies Golf Club during their weekly competition.
Hauser competed in A flight where Marcia Rowley netted 30.
Harriet Carbon shot 54 in B flight and Bev Johnson netted 28. Sandi Hatcher shot 59 in C and Grace Libby netted 28.
Mary Ann Warren had 62 in the no-handicap division and Dee Elder had a chip-in on the first hole.
MeadowWood stays creative
Wednesday was O-N-E-S day for those creative MeadowWood Women’s 18-Hole Club golfers.
They counted the nine holes that begin with those four letters (1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 16, 17 and 18) and scored half their handicaps.
Alice Shattuck netted 31, Raouleen Grimes and Nellie Auckerman each had 34, and Marie Nelson finished with 35.5.
Painted Hills activity
B flight golfer Melody Chestnut played her “A” game and recorded low gross score during weekly Painted Hills Ladies League activity.
Chestnut shot 53, two strokes better than A flight winner Sharon Halsey. Mary Jo Kraut won C flight with 60 and Amy Wood won D flight with 61.
Net winners were Gail Bailey with 44 in A and a chip-in on the 10th hole. Pat Schlosstein, who chipped in on No. 13, netted 37 in B, Virginia Lemmer had 41 in C and Linda Shupe had 37 in D.