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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Shadle, NC run to cross country titles

North Central’s boys and Shadle Park’s girls remained on track to defend State 3A titles with regional championships in Wenatchee on Saturday. Katie Knight also gave the Greater Spokane League an individual title in the Eastern Regional meet.

Mead had a pair of individual champions in Andrew Gardner and Baylee Mires, but Eisenhower picked up two team titles in the 4A portion of the race at Walla Walla Park.

Cheney won both team titles and Sanne Holland gave the Blackhawks an individual title in the State 2A qualifier at The Gorge. Both Deer Park teams also qualified as Dayde Collins of the Stags took first over the 5,000-meter course.

State is at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco on Saturday.

3A

NC’s Indians, with four straight state titles in hand, had 37 points to beat University by 10. NC had its top five runners place in the top 12, while U-Hi’s Titans bunched their runners in the top 15. Kamiakin, with individual champion Anthony Armstrong, was third.

Nathan Weitz of Shadle seems to have bounced back after being under the weather for more than three weeks, finishing on Armstrong’s heels. The winning time was 14 minutes, 47.20 seconds, with Weitz at 14:47.59. Next it was NC’s 1-2 punch of Vince Hamilton and Casey Adams, followed by U-Hi’s Jon Smith.

Only individuals in the top 15 advance unless their team advanced. GSL individuals joining Weitz are Hunter Johnson (sixth) and Conner Jones (11th) of Mt. Spokane, which was in fourth place.

Kamiakin tied the Shadle girls, but the Highlanders’ No. 6 runner came in 26th, seven spots ahead of the Braves’ sixth runner to break the tie. Both teams had 43 points and Mt. Spokane was third at 69.

NC sophomore Knight cruised to a 19-second win over Kendra Weitz of Shadle. Kate Morris of Shadle took third. Knight and teammate Michaela Roske earned individual trips to state.

4A

Gardner won by 2 seconds and Mires by 4, both over Lewis and Clark runners. Gardner ran 14:43.77 to edge Kenji Bierig. Mires went 17:51.34 to beat Alison Keenan.

Eisenhower and LC tied for the boys title with 57 points apiece, but Ike’s Cadets earned the first-place trophy because their sixth runner was 32nd, six spots in front of the No. 6 runner for the Tigers. Ferris had 93 points to grab the third state berth.

Ike easily won the girls race with 68 points, followed by the Greater Spokane League’s Central Valley (92 points), Mead (96) and LC (106).

Gardner is the only GSL individual advancing on the boys side. Going with Keenan are teammate Calli Vanderwilde (11th) and Audrey Hiatt of Gonzaga Prep (ninth).

2A

Sanne Holland of Cheney cruised to a comfortable 43-second win over teammate Amie Zach, finishing the amphitheatre course in 18:43. Another Blackhawk, Kinsey Pease, was third, and a fourth, Amanda Batchelor, rounded out the top 10.

With freshman Mariah Brenton placing 13th, Cheney had just 28 points, 72 in front of Ephrata. Deer Park was third at 121.

Cheney’s boys had 88 points, just eight in front of Deer Park.

Collins won the race by 11 seconds in 16:09. East Valley had two runners in the top 10 – Cody Edwards third and Jared Novakovich fifth.