Cross country
GSL boys
Defending league champion: Ferris.
Defending state champion: Ferris. Saxons won second straight 4A title with Mead second. North Central and East Valley finished second and third in State 3A.
Impact returnees: Ryan Zentz, sr., Lewis and Clark, Steven Gimpel, sr., Mead; Taylor Nepon, jr., Mead; Robert Cosby, sr., Ferris; Stephen Olson, jr., Ferris; Mike Hartanov, sr., Mt. Spokane; Sean Coyle, jr., CV; Nick Atwood, sr., EV; Andrew Scott, jr., NC; Tyler Thatcher, jr., EV.
Predicted order of finish: Mead, Ferris, North Central, Mt. Spokane, Central Valley, Lewis and Clark, Shadle Park, West Valley, East Valley, University, Cheney, G-Prep, Rogers, Clarkston.
Outlook: Panthers and Saxons will resume their rivalry again. Mead has uncommon depth with seven sub-10-minute two-milers. “Harrier Magazine puts us No. 4 in the country and Nike Team Nationals puts us No. 1 in the Northwest Region,” said coach Pat Tyson. “We definitely have some expectations out there. You can’t hide from that.”
Nor can they hide from the two-time champion Saxons, ranked first in state in one poll, who return three runners from last year and have added track standout Joey Roberts from football.
Mt. Spokane, Central Valley and Lewis and Clark (ranked sixth) are chasing them. “We hope we’re tougher than the Big Nine and hope to get one of three state spots,” said Mt. Spokane coach Craig Deitz.
North Central brings back four runners from its 3A state runner-up team. “We have some great senior leaders and young guys who are really talented,” said coach Jon Knight. “I’m feeling good about getting to state and our goal is to get a trophy.”
The face of the tightly-knit and talented GSL coaching fraternity is changing. Although Tyson did return from last spring’s brief college fling, Chris Morlan at Lewis and Clark, Steve Keisel at Rogers and Tony Maucione at Gonzaga Prep all resigned. Their respective replacements are Andre Wicks, a sprint coach at North Central, Ellen Gillespie and Joe Feryn, formerly the Bullpups assistant.
Central Valley and Mead will run this year on new courses at their respective schools.
GSL girls
Defending league champion: Mt. Spokane. Lewis and Clark finished sixth and University 10th in state. North Central was seventh in State 3A.
Impact returnees: Megan O’Reilly, sr., and Jessica Klier, jr., both Mt. Spokane; Ryan Torpie, sr., Mead; Leslie Berkseth, jr. and Karen Owens, jr., U-Hi; Leigh Fredrickson sr., and Chelsea Momany, jr., LC; Cami Nelson, sr., Shadle Park; Anna Layman, sr., Central Valley; Jo E. Mayer, sr., EV; Mary Graesser, jr., North Central; Larsen Agee, sr., West Valley; Anna Kimball, sr., Cheney.
Predicted order of finish: LC, University, Mead, NC, Ferris, Shadle, Mt. Spokane, CV, Cheney, EV, WV, Gonzaga, Rogers, Clarkston.
Outlook: The Tigers graduated only their No. 1 runner, but have two expected pacesetters, including Momany, currently out with injury or illness.
“We’re not the team I thought we were going to be, but have some young kids providing us depth,” said LC coach Mark Vandine. “With girls you can never tell. This year you can pick any of three or four teams at the top and have a chance of being right.”
The Titans lost no one and have added freshman Stevie Gildehaus, who ran the team’s fastest time in their first meet. Their race Wednesday against Mead – which brings back the Torpie (Ryan and Cailyn) and Price (Alli and Lexi) sisters – probably determined LC’s top challenger.
There are are two new girls coaches in the GSL, Chrissy Francek at U-Hi and Sean Linder at Mt. Spokane.
Francek replaces longtime coach Steve Llewellyn. “He made the transition easy,” she said. “If I call he’s here in 20 seconds so he won’t be entirely gone.”
Linder spent five years as boys assistant before replacing Bob Barbero, who won three state championships when boys coach at University and took the Wildcats girls to state. Mt. Spokane has two of the league’s top individuals.
“I know the transition is different,” said Linder. “It will take a few (meets), but I do expect us to make regionals.”
The 4A girls eastern region has four team berths to state while the 4A boys and 3A boys and girls get three teams.
GNL boys
Defending league champion: Colville. Lakeside finished third in state and Colville fifth.
Impact returnees: David Jacob, sr., Medical Lake; Justin Rose, so. and Ryan Cloke, sr., Colville; Max Reeder, jr., Lakeside; Erik Kuno, sr., Riverside.
Predicted order of finish: Colville, Lakeside, Riverside, Pullman, Chewelah, Medical Lake, Deer Park.
Outlook: Lakeside, ranked fourth, and Colville, ranked second, return virtually their entire teams and will be state trophy candidates. Chewelah is ranked seventh in state and Riverside, which has owned the GNL, will be in the hunt.
Lakeside came from the middle of the league last year to trophy at state. “During regular season we lost in just sprints at the end,” said coach Steve Olson. “At state it was just like a Cinderella season.” But he still sees Colville as the team to beat. “We have everybody back,” said Colville coach Dean Fischer. “I’m anticipating a really good season.”
GNL girls
Defending league champion: Riverside (district champion, 2nd in state).
Impact returnees: Brittney Williams, jr., Colville; Stephanie Dye, so., Riverside; Carolyn Gray, sr., Deer Park; Kayloni Jones, so., Lakeside.
Predicted order of finish: Lakeside, Medical Lake, Colville, Riverside, Pullman, Chewelah, Deer Park.
Outlook: Lakeside, ranked sixth in state, Medical Lake, 10th, and Colville, seventh, are all state veteran teams, and Riverside has a way of finding runners, but only two teams qualify for state this year. “The girls are looking stronger than last year,” said Fischer. Olson said of his Lakeside team: “We’re potentially faster than last year if every girl can stay healthy”
1A/B boys
Defending district champions: District 7 – Newport, fourth in State A; Reardan, State B champions. District 9 – Waitsburg.
Impact returnees: Brett Fowler, sr., Asotin (state runner-up); Ryan Adkins, sr., and Brad Serdar, jr., Reardan; Matt Cronrath, so., Odessa.
Outlook: Defending B champ Reardan returns four of its top five runners. St. George’s and Odessa are ranked behind the Indians in the top three. Class 1A Freeman has its whole team back and beat Reardan in an early-season meet. Newport is ranked fifth in state despite graduating its top three finishers.
1A/B girls
Defending district champion: District 7 – St. George’s, third in state. District 9 – Asotin, fifth in state.
Impact returnees: Terece Hahn, jr., Newport; Cordelia Revels, sr., St. George’s; Kysa Cronrath, sr., Odessa; Jenny Knezovich, jr., Reardan; Rachel Gunday, sr., Asotin.
Outlook: Fourth-ranked St. George’s has a five-runner nucleus and Asotin, Freeman and Odessa have most of their runners back as well.