Panthers pick up the pace in GSL

Host Mead boys and girls cross country teams remained undefeated Wednesday during the second week of Greater Spokane League competition, each improving to 6-0 midway through the season.

The girls did so by the skins of their teeth over district rival Mt. Spokane.

“I knew it was going to be close, but I didn’t think it would be that close,” said Panthers coach Dori Robertson, following the 27-28 triumph. “That was fun, I think.”

The meet included nearly half of the GSL, with University, Ferris and Rogers also in the competition on an overcast day. All eyes, however, were on the Mead-Mt. Spokane matchups, since both teams at each school had identical 3-0 records going in.

Finishing behind the Panthers and Wildcats (5-1) girls were U-Hi (2-4), Ferris (1-5) and Rogers (0-6). Mead beat U-Hi 22-35 and Ferris 19-41. Mt. Spokane beat U-Hi 23-33 and U-Hi topped Ferris 25-35. Rogers had an incomplete team.

Given the day’s other circumstances, Mead finds itself alone in first place in the GSL as defending champion Central Valley was upset by Lewis and Clark.

In the boys race, Mead took a somewhat more casual approach to its three wins, gearing more for Saturday’s Stanford Invitational in California, en route to a 22-36 win over the Wildcats (5-1) with U-Hi (3-3), Ferris (2-4) and Rogers (0-6) following in order.

Mead beat Ferris 20-33 and U-Hi 22-35; Mt. Spokane edged U-Hi 26-29; and U-Hi beat Ferris 23-32. Ferris, U-Hi and Mt. Spokane defeated Rogers 15-50.

Girls

Mead won the race up front, getting a 1-3 finish. Favorite Baylee Mires outlasted Wildcat Courtney Zalud by 3 seconds, timing 19 minutes, 14 seconds on a soggy Mead course. Panthers teammate Sara Stenersen came home another 3 seconds behind.

“That was worth watching,” Wildcats coach Sean Linder said. “Sara won the race for them.”

“Sara runs with so much heart,” Robertson said. “It’s all-out every day. She’s so tough. She doesn’t blow up.”

Behind her, Mt. Spokane placed three other runners in the top 11 to give itself a chance.

But the Panthers, who were missing one varsity regular with an illness, got a boost from team No. 4 finisher Monica Bishop that proved another vital component in the victory. Robertson said Bishop is typically the team’s No. 6 or 7 varsity runner.

“She’s been injured for two years, but raced really well today,” Robertson said.

Right behind her was No. 5 scorer Alessa Midtyling, and Mead had its narrow win.

“We went to sleep a bit in the first mile, but in the second the girls got back in it,” Robertson said.

At Manito Park, host LC won 27-29 over CV, leaving the Tigers (4-1) and Bears (3-1) all tied in the loss column behind the Panthers. LC placed three runners, Kelly Talkington, Hannah Allen and Richelle Signer, between CV’s first and second finisher, and also had the overall seventh placer, Allison Kennan, which made the difference. Both teams beat Gonzaga Prep, although the Bullpups’ Alicia Doohan was the overall winner in 20:22. … In a close meet at East Valley, Shadle Park had three runners in the top six of 26-30 and 25-31 wins over the host Knights (2-3) and North Central (1-3). Shadle’s Andrea Nelson won by 50 seconds over EV’s Lauren Bergam. Shadle also got fourth place from Katie Morris and sixth from Mary Rogers.

Boys

Mead packed four runners together about a minute behind the top three finishers, each from a different school. It was plenty good enough for a comfortable triumph.

“The goal today was to win,” Mead coach Steve Kiesel said. “We have a huge meet Saturday in Stanford and we weren’t totally laying back, but the idea was to survey the situation and run with as little effort as necessary.”

Mead’s Jordan Baker, Jordan Curnutt, Steven Kutsch and Eric Foss were separated between 16:40 and 16:48.

Ferris’ Adam Thorne set the pace with Mt. Spokane’s Allan Schroeder and U-Hi’s Anthony Brown in pursuit. Thorne gained ground as the race progressed and won in 15:49.

“When we’re in district, regional and state the race will be more tactical,” Thorne said. “For now, I like taking it out hard.”

Elsewhere, NC (4-0) swept Shadle (2-3) and EV (0-5) at EV 15-50 by placing all seven varsity runners ahead of its foes, just 18 seconds apart. Individual winner Ben Johnston, Andrew Kimpel and Jeff Howard finished in a near dead heat. … LC (4-1) slipped past G-Prep (3-2) 26-30 and CV (0-4) 22-33. Tate Kelly made it a G-Prep sweep of individual races with a 16:45 time at Manito.