Runners basking in win

On the drive home from Portland after watching his high school runners’ championship performance at the Nike Cross Nationals, North Central cross country coach Jon Knight told fellow traveler and coaching assistant Len Long, “We’re glowing so bright we don’t even need headlights.”

The pair, who could not coach their charges once the season ended with the state championships in November, had a vested interest in the outcome as spectators.

Seniors Andy Kimpel, Leon Dean, Jeff Howard and Adam Reid, juniors Ben Johnston and Alex Avila and sophomore Casey Adams, running as North Spokane XC, had put the icing on the cake of their remarkable season and wrung more tears of joy from the eyes of their appreciative followers.

“It’s an amazing feeling just knowing that you’re going to keep this memory for the rest of your life,” said Kimpel, who finished 10th overall in the race.

A third straight high school state cross country championship, second Nike regional title and now this: victory over the top high school cross country programs from across the country to be proclaimed No. 1 in the United States.

The outcome wasn’t without trepidation. Howard was under the weather and couldn’t keep his accustomed position beside Kimpel.

“It was definitely weird not having him up with me. It was definitely lonely,” Kimpel said. “But Jeff did well considering his condition.”

Three team members were spiked, Knight said, and Reid lost a shoe during the race. Runners wear computer chips to help keep track as the race was run.

“Then the computer system didn’t work and we thought we didn’t even place,” said Knight, as one of the North Side’s top four placers initially went unscored.

But the athletes were called to the Portland Meadows paddock for the awards presentation, meaning they were among the top four, which Kimpel said was “sheer surprise.” When they learned they were in the final two he said he was more nervous awaiting the outcome than he had been prior to the race. When the final results were announced, the announcer seemed stunned, Knight said.

“We were way out in front and then fading,” he said, “but we didn’t fade that much and the kids had pretty good kicks.”

One was Avila, Kimpel said, who passed 20 runners in the final dash.

The NC coaches had turned their charges over to Tracy Walters, whose mentoring of Gerry Lindgren while at Rogers in the 1960s put Spokane on the international distance running stage.

Kimpel’s time of 15 minutes, 32.2 seconds was good for sixth in team scoring. Dean and Howard were 47th and 48th (23rd and 24th for team scoring purposes). Johnston was 55th (27th) and Avila rounded out scoring with 54 points (95th overall).

Knight had talked to them about “3 in the morning courage,” or, as he explained it in an article by Dave Devine on track and cross country Web site DyeStat, anyone can do battle on a nice sunny day, but it’s a lot harder to be courageous when you’re attacked at 3 in the morning.

“It’s easy when you know you’re going to win,” Knight said, “but not when it’s muddy and you’re getting elbowed. They had to believe in themselves and take the battle to them.”

The Nike Cross Nationals are in their fifth year. This one was unseasonably sunny and dry.

Sixth last year, Knight said he “kept telling the kids you don’t get chances like this (often). When you get a chance like this you have to capitalize.”

The athletes, who ranked first nationally from the beginning of the season, accepted the challenge and were first when it ended.

“It feels like it’s a dream that you’ll never wake up from,” Kimpel said. “I love it, man.”

Helbling to nationals

Lake City cross country runner Cody Helbling finished seventh over the weekend in the Foot Locker West Regionals in Walnut, Calif., to qualify for nationals.

Forty boys and 40 girls, the top 10 in four regions across the country, advanced to the national event Saturday at Balboa Park in San Diego.

Helbling, a junior, timed 15:49, 11 seconds off the lead. In the girls seeded race, Baylee Mires from Mead and Andrea Nelson from Shadle Park came close, with 14th and 15th places.

Another Highlander, freshman Nathan Weitz, won the freshman-sophomore race in 16:42, ahead of runner-up Cody Curtis from Coeur d’Alene, who clocked 16:56.

EV’s Lauren Bergam was fifth in the senior girls race, and Alicia Doohan from Gonzaga Prep and Sarah Craig from Mt. Spokane were 11th and 12th among juniors.

No surprises in GSL

Greater Spokane League basketball resumes tonight, with Mt. Spokane at Gonzaga Prep and Rogers at Mead boys the 5:30 p.m. features. After two games there were no real surprises. Favorites the Bullpups and Shadle Park boys began 2-0, as did Lewis and Clark and the Highlanders girls, joined by Mead, which rallied past Central Valley, and East Valley.

Ready to rumble, tumble

Greater Spokane League wrestling begins Wednesday, with Ferris traveling to University in a pivotal early-season match of teams that figure to be among the top five in league. Last year the Titans won 38-36. Gymnastics also begins Wednesday.

Davids have their day

The first full weekend of basketball produced surprises when small schools took the measure of their bigger brethren. Three-time 2B state champion Northwest Christian defeated Northeast A League Freeman a night after the Scotties knocked off Great Northern League favorite Cheney. Freeman girls also beat Cheney to remain undefeated and Lakeside boys and girls topped Deer Park.

New track coach

Steve Olson has been elevated to head track coach at Lakeside High. The assistant since 2004, Olson has been head cross country coach the past five years with two state team titles, including last fall, and two second places.