Stone leader of state pack

If you believe in trends, Coeur d’Alene High senior Anna Stone will win the State 5A cross country title this year.

But anyone familiar with Stone, far from a self-promoter, knows she would never make that prediction herself.

Stone, who last week overtook Angie Whalen of Post Falls at No. 1 in the state rankings, finished sixth at Boise’s Eagle Island as a sophomore and improved to third as a junior last season.

Sixth, then third, then … first, right?

Stone said she wants to finish at least in the top three again, but there are a few other bookkeeping items to take care of first.

Regionals, for example – and making sure she doesn’t get lost or fall down again during the race.

“I think I’ve improved from last year,” Stone said. “My times haven’t been as fast because I haven’t been running on the faster courses we were running on last year, but I did have a faster time at Farragut.

“Then, last weekend (at Gonzaga Prep’s Bullpup Invitational) I got lost and I finished third – it was pretty bad, but it was a good race for me because I got back on the course and I got to pass the other girls at the end, and I’ve never got to do that before.”

Stone was on the other side of a passing-at-the-end experience at Farragut, when Sandpoint’s Megan Bartlett overtook her within spitting distance of the finish line.

She sticks to the same story she had on that day – that she couldn’t have given it any more than she did coming down the stretch, steadfast that there are no ghosts associated with the experience.

“I really try not to look over my shoulder, because I trip really easily – I actually fell on Saturday (at G-Prep), too,” Stone said.

“All I can do is run my race to the best of my ability and if I get passed at the end, I don’t have to look back and wonder if I could have done something differently.”

As for being ranked first in the state, she said she’s flattered but realistic about the implications.

“It’s kind of scary to know that I’m ranked like that – it carries a lot of expectations,” said Stone, who recently visited Portland State, one of the schools on her short list of colleges she’d like to attend and for which she’d like to compete. “I haven’t run a race that I’m completely happy with yet this season, but I hope I will.

“I’ve figured out all the bad stuff.”