Mead lives up to its title reputation

PASCO – Washington cross country teams learned that in Spokane, distance tradition is difficult to intrude upon and the legend won’t readily disappear.

The Mead Panthers boys, relegated to also-ran status after a poor effort in regional, saved their best race for last to win the State 4A championship and leave their coach in tears for the second straight year at Sun Willows Golf Course, extending the Greater Spokane League’s stranglehold on the title trophy to 21 straight years.

“I can’t believe it,” Panthers coach Steve Kiesel said. “I’m just in shock.”

This was supposed to be the year the GSL title streak could end, but the Panthers wouldn’t let it. They scored 98 points to best favorite Henry Jackson, which had 106. Ferris, which had beaten the Panthers for the regional title, was third with 110.

Both Spokane schools tactically ran well early in the contest, hanging in with the lead pack. When it came time to challenge for the coveted team trophy, Mead’s runners were up to the task.

Jordan Curnutt (15 minutes, 52 seconds) and Jordan Baker (15:53) finished 11th and 12th overall. Mead’s next three scorers, Steven Kutsch (33rd), Eric Foss (37th) and Cory Foss (41st) topped their counterparts from Ferris and Redmond to seize the reward.

“Like I told the guys, ‘Think how many races we’ve run this year and you saved your best for today,’ Kiesel said. “That’s the mark of a true champion. They came to race.”

Interested bystander Pat Tyson, ex-Panthers coach and now at Gonzaga University, interjected this note: Over the past 21 state cross country meets, Mead has never placed lower than third while winning 14 titles.

“Every streak has to end sometime, but we just didn’t want it to end this year, not with the group we had coming back,” Kiesel said. “We didn’t do anything different other than talk about staying positive as a team, to work together and race the last 11/2 miles to the finish line. That’s what they did today.”

Girls: Central Valley’s Eden Lake just missed making the podium as a top-12 individual medal winner. But she was up there with her team, which finished third to earn a trophy. The Bears scored 154 points, well behind Eastlake and Gig Harbor, which finished a point apart, 96-97.

Lake was the GSL’s highest-finishing girl, timing 19:03 for 13th.

Class 1A

Prior to the start of this year’s state meet, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) coach Steve Olson showed off a new bright-green awning tent under which his runners could gather. The school name was emblazoned in white.

“It cost $2,000,” he said.

A few hours later, the Eagles got their money’s worth with their fourth state title since 1997 and fourth straight top-two finish. Lakeside pulled it off despite graduating its top two finishers a year ago.

Led by fourth-place finisher Josh Alexander, who was 58th last year, the Eagles scored 65 points to beat Charles Wright Academy’s 85.

The champs had Alexander, Paul Lewis, Austin Stuchell and Colton Berry finish among the top 18 overall to offset a fifth-, seventh- and eighth-place effort by the runner-up.

“When state was done last year we felt like we should have won it,” Olson said. “The guys worked so hard – ran all winter and summer – with one goal.”

Alexander’s individual improvement didn’t leave him satisfied.

“I kind of expected better,” he said.

But the team title was worth it, he said.

Girls: Lakeside’s girls also trophied, finishing fourth, led by sophomore Hailey Ramsey’s 10th-place finish.

Class 2B/1B

Valley Christian senior Jeff Pope’s state championship was a carbon copy of his district title. He went out in a sub-5-minute first mile to obliterate his competition and win in a meet-record 16:12.

Reardan finished second to Northwest Christian (Lacey), 52-77. Republic was third, Northwest Christian (Colbert) fourth.

The 40-second victory over Odessa’s Scott Strang was typical of the ease of Pope’s season and earned him a trip to BorderClash later this month.

“Last year I was an alternate and didn’t get to go,” he said. “I heard it was a lot of fun.”

Pope’s winning time was 30 seconds faster than a year ago and capped a progression from finishing third as a sophomore and second last season.

“I was more nervous this year than last,” he said. “This year everyone was trying to get me.”

Marcus Adkins (fifth) led Reardan and Nik Michel (seventh) paced Republic. District 7 runners claimed eight of the top 13 places.

Girls: St. George’s Kate Reidy finished second to Trout Lake’s Neola Putnam (with Northwest Christian’s Lisa Vandenburg third, the identical placing by the trio at district a week earlier). St. George’s was third as a team with 73 points, finishing behind Northwest Christian of Lacey (60) and Asotin (68).

Class 2A

Cheney’s boys finished fourth for the second year, while scoring 131 points to finish behind Sehome (71), Burlington-Edison (90) and Squalicum (129). Arick Zachman finished sixth for the Blackhawks, beating West Valley’s Justin Degenhardt. Riverside’s Joey Nyberg medaled in eighth.

Girls: Riverside’s Amanda Wilson also medaled, placing 11th in 19:20, behind Allison Cutting’s meet-record 18:25. Chantel Duenich was 13th and her Deer Park Stags fifth, each a place away from medal or trophy.