NC boys run off all rivals

Conditions were ideal for Wednesday’s District 8 4A/3A cross country meet at Wandermere Golf Course that had something for nearly everybody.

North Central remained in a league of its own. Andy Kimpel and Jeff Howard finished first and second as the Indians defeated the best the league could throw at them for an easy boys team championship.

Young Ferris rose from the middle of the pack with an inspired effort that earned, along with Mead, a boys team berth to next week’s Region 4A meet.

In the girls race, Central Valley continued its late-season success, breaking a tie by criteria with Mt. Spokane in a race won individually by Mead sophomore Baylee Mires. Lewis and Clark got a come-through from Nicole Ledwith to pick off the second 4A regional berth over Mead in what figured to be a three-team chase.

For the vanquished, however, there was individual consolation. League co-champion Mead qualified a team of runners to regionals anyway. All 11 GSL schools will be represented by five or more competitors during the four regional races, Nov. 1 in Richland.

Boys

NC placed its five scoring runners among the top nine overall in a runaway effort.

The Indians, with Kimpel and Howard timing 15 minutes, 31 seconds and 15:33, respectively, beat runner-up Mead and third-place Ferris 22-78-89.

“These are some talented hard-working kids,” NC coach Jon Knight said of his two-time State 3A champions. “But I feel bad for the 4As needing to have this (race). It’s just unfair.”

He was referring to the fact that only two teams will race the Columbia Basin Big Nine League next week in Richland for three state berths. Defending state champion Mead, by virtue of its regular-season second-place finish, figured to have the inside track.

But Ferris, which went 5-5 in the GSL with a lineup that includes four juniors, a sophomore and a freshman, is peaking at the right time. The Saxons bunched five runners between 19th and 30th to move on.

None of those teams is in NC’s league. Even if you put the Indians up against the best of the rest of the GSL combined, they’d have won this meet 22-33.

“It was a good opportunity to run against the toughest league around,” Knight said. “The kids love this course and ran well.”

Kimpel and Howard went out with Ferris’ Adam Thorne, but an uphill surge near the 2-mile mark put distance between the NC runners and Thorne. The rest of the Indians took their cue and charged to the finish, with five runners separated by 31 seconds.

“Our goal was to get as many people onto the first-team All-GSL as possible,” Kimpel said. “I knew Adam was going to go out because it’s a pretty fast course. I had to stay smooth and relaxed.”

Having a teammate as talented as Howard has been an advantage, Kimpel said.

“We all want to win, but we’re running for each other,” he said. “He doesn’t mind and I don’t mind if we beat each other, and it’s definitely a confidence booster having someone with your equivalent ability.”

Knight pointed to the performance of No. 5 runner Alex Avila as another key to victory.

“He’s coming on and we needed our fifth runner to step up,” Knight said.

Mead’s Jordan Baker, in seventh, and Jordan Curnutt were top-10 finishers. LC and University advanced four runners each to regional, Gonzaga Prep and CV three apiece.

All 3A teams, including fourth-place Mt. Spokane, advance to regional.

Girls

Mead sophomore Mires left no doubt about what she wanted to accomplish, racing away to a 23-second victory over Shadle Park junior and defending state champ Andrea Nelson.

“I definitely wanted to go out and set something for the team to follow,” she said. “My goal was to run with all my heart and prove I was tough.”

Teammate Sara Stenersen was ill and had a subpar race that affected the outcome for the team and opened the door for LC.

“The girls found a way,” LC coach Mark Vandine said. “Our No. 5 runner, Nicole (Ledwith), was the difference maker for us. Our top four did what we knew they would, but that was the question mark.”

LC’s four-runner pack finished between ninth and 20th, led by freshman Alison Keenan. LC scored 96 points behind the 71 apiece for CV and 3A Mt. Spokane.

Mt. Spokane placed three runners in the top eight. Courtney Zalud finished fourth behind Mires, Nelson and U-Hi’s Stevie Gildehaus. Molly Cole and Sarah Craig were eighth and ninth.

CV had six runners finish between sixth (Eden Lake) and 23rd (Breanne Barsten), whose finish broke the tie.

“I’m so glad this is over,” CV coach Dennis McGuire said. “It’s so hard to put these kids through this weeks in a row.”

Beside’s Mead’s runners, U-Hi and Ferris advanced three each to 4A regional and G-Prep two, including fifth-place finisher Alicia Doohan.