2B/1B cross country: Senior Tracy Melville brings home individual title for Lind-Ritzville/Sprague

PASCO – Lind-Ritzville/Sprague senior Tracy Melville had a season only first-year runners can dream about.

Melville, who described herself as a recreational runner prior to this fall, captured the State 2B/1B individual championship in a time of 18 minutes, 26.36 seconds Saturday under pristine conditions at Sun Willows Golf Course.

Cross country technically isn’t offered at LRS. Melville and Heidi Hennings, who make up the Broncos’ team, are coached by a volunteer. They had to find their own way to meets.

Melville credits Hennings with being the brainchild behind the sport at LRS.

“She started the program last year,” Melville said.

Hennings took ninth (19:50.87).

“I wouldn’t have expected it at the beginning of the season that’s for sure,” said Melville, who lives in Sprague. “I won the first league meet. It just went from there.”

With racing being so new, Melville didn’t really have a strategy. But she had a feel for her early pace, and she didn’t like it.

“I started faster than usual,” she said. “I probably started faster than I should have but it went well.”

Melville was part of a one-two-three finish for Northeast 2B competitors.

Teammates Madison Ward and Marika Morelan of St. George’s took second (18:31.25) and third (18:34.42) respectively.

They anchored a Dragons team that finished second with 45 points, four out of first behind Northwest Christian-Lacey. St. George’s placed five in the top 17.

Harley Strope of Reardan was fifth (19:20.82) and Shania Graham of Republic was sixth (19:24.39).

In the boys, defending champ NWC of Colbert and NWC of Lacey finished tied with 52 points. NWC-Lacey was awarded the title because its sixth runner finished five spots ahead of the Crusaders’ sixth runner.

The Crusaders’ Jack Ammon, fourth a year ago as a freshman, moved up a spot (16:15.61).

“I’m very happy to close out the year with my team,” Ammon said. “I’m glad a Northwest Christian team took the title. Through that, God is glorified.”

Ammon knew the team battle would be close.

“It’s definitely one of the tightest 2B races in the past 30 years,” Ammon said.

Other top area finishers were: Alex Wallat of NWC (fifth, 16:29.37); Duncan Forsman of Republic (8th, 16:38.82); Nathan Hopkins of Davenport (11th, 16:41.47); and Nathan Vanos of St. George’s (12th, 16:45.40).