Mead hires Robertson, Kiesel for cross country

Steve Kiesel, formerly at Rogers, has been named to fill the Mead boys cross country job vacated by Pat Tyson, who took a college job at Arkansas.

Mead girls track coach and cross country assistant Dori Robertson will take over for Wes Player, who resigned after a quarter century as coach.

“How do you replace Tyson and Player?” asked Mead activities coordinator Dick Cullen. “We’ve lost two legends of Mead cross country in the same year.”

Kiesel began coaching in 1987 and was head coach from 1990 through 2004 at Rogers, where he had individual state qualifiers during 10 of 15 seasons.

When his name came up as a possible replacement, Kiesel said he was reluctant to apply and risk setting himself up for failure by following a man who won a dozen state titles.

“Then I thought, ‘I don’t have to be Tyson. I can go in and be myself,’ ” said Kiesel, who will teach and coach at Mead.

Robertson said that cross country is her passion. She has run since age 4 and coached it successfully at two other high schools.

“It’s not a question of whether I can handle it,” she said. “I’m sad Wes has left because we’re losing such a good person.”

Player has been hired as girls cross country coach at Deer Park, where he has lived for 30 years.

Player said he didn’t know why he switched, calling it “kind of a midlife crisis,” and admitted at one time to second thoughts.

During his Mead tenure, the Panthers were a state fixture, making 15 team appearances beginning in 1980, and placing 10 times with a state title in 1988 and seven second places.

Hockey

Spokane Chiefs defenseman Matt McCue signed an amateur tryout agreement with the San Jose Sharks and will participate in the Sept. 8-12 Pacific Division Shootout in El Segundo, Calif., the team announced Thursday.

Men’s soccer

Two-time defending Northwest Conference champion Whitworth is ranked third in two NCAA Division III preseason polls.