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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Locally: North Central’s Justin Janke earns Gatorade award

North Central senior Justin Janke is the Gatorade cross country runner of the year for Washington. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)
From staff and news services

Justin Janke is back on the top step of the podium.

North Central’s senior distance running standout and State 3A champion has been named the 2015-16 Gatorade Washington Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Janke, who led the Indians to a record 10th straight State 3A team title, is the fourth NC runner to receive the honor in the last seven years and the third straight, following Tanner Anderson (2014-15), Kai Wilmot (2013-14) and Andrew Kimpel (2008-09).

Besides the State 3A title, the 6-foot, 150-pound Janke also won the Nike Border Clash, and the Tracy Walters and Richland invitationals. He placed sixth at the Nike Cross Nationals Northwest Regionals, seventh at the Foot Locker West Regionals and 25th at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships.

“Justin is the product of hard work,” NC coach Jon Knight is quoted as saying in the release announcing Janke’s award. “He’s a lunch-pail kind of kid. He saw what he had to do and he sculpted himself into the runner he became.”

The award not only recognizes athletic accomplishment but also academic achievement and character on and off the racecourse. Janke, who has a 4.0 GPA, is a talented artist and saxophonist and has volunteered locally on behalf of Women’s and Children’s Free Restaurant and Community Kitchen, and environmental conservation efforts.

He is a finalist for the Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year to be announced later this month.

Besides the four from NC, three other Greater Spokane League runners have received the Gatorade state award since its inception in 2007 – Andrew Gardner, Mead, 2012-13; Nathan Weitz, Shadle Park, 2011-12; and Kenji Bierig, Lewis and Clark, 2010-11.

Golf

Chris Curran of MeadowWood Golf Course was named Golf Professional of the Year when the Inland Empire PGA named its 2015 award winners.

Other awards went to:

Nicholas McCaslin, Kalispel Country Club, assistant golf professional of the year; Chris Runyan, Prairie Falls, Patriot Award; Tim Connor, GolfTec Spokane, teacher of the year; Andy Mackimmie, Coeur d’Alene Resort, Horton Smith Award; and Mark Gardner, The Creek at Qualchan, Bill Strausbaugh Award.

Also, Steve Prugh, Manito Country Club, player development award; Michelle Grafos, Indian Canyon, youth player development award; Brent Walsh, Coeur d’Alene Golf Club, merchandiser of the year public facility; Trevor Fox, The Club at Black Rock, merchandiser of the year private facility; and Tom Davidson, Circling Raven Golf Club, merchandiser of the year resort facility.

Runyan and Mackimmie also won the same awards from the Pacific Northwest PGA.

Letters of intent

Carroll men’s soccer – Eric Holenbaugh, Ferris, defensive midfield, first-team All-Greater Spokane League as a junior; Henry Smaldon, Lewis and Clark, attacking midfield, second-team All-GSL as a sophomore.

Shooting

Three members of the Spokane Junior Rifle Team competed in the USA Shooting Olympic Trials and Winter Airgun Championships last month at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Mason Maystrovich, 14, Northwest Christian, and David Wright, 17, home-schooled, placed 54th and 56th, respectively, out of 83 competitors in the junior men’s competition. Maystrovich shot 1,736.5 and Wright 1,734.6. The winning junior score was 1,885.6.

Mary Maystrovich, 16, NW Christian, placed 101st out of 133 in junior women. She shot 1,166.3. The winning junior score was 1,273.1.