2022 Fall High School Sports Preview: Cross country capsules
Staff reports
Capsules for the 2022 fall boys and girls cross country programs in the Greater Spokane League.
In alphabetical order by classification.
4A/3A
Central Valley: The boys are in a transition phase with coach Geoff Arte taking a job at Gonzaga Prep, so longtime track coach Chuck Bowden takes over a team that’ll be a year older and has some genuine potential led by senior Giovanni Ferraro and junior Jacob Nicholls.
A “powerful trio of runners,” as coach Doug Pecha puts it, leads the girls team which is hoping to make a spark in 2022. Senior Nicole Bissel highlights the bunch after a career year in both cross country and track and is expected to be one of the best competitors in the GSL this season.
Cheney: The boys team finished fifth at the district meet and were just two spots away from clinching a state berth. Sophomore Calvin Hinton comes into the fall off a great track season where he qualified for the state meet in the 3,200 and is expected to lead this young but talented team.
The girls look to bounce back from a 1-8 league record with four seniors returning led by Sam Habegger. The addition of soccer players Karlee Pope and Hannah Ward adds more depth to a veteran team.
Ferris: It’ll be an interesting year three for Tom Van Winkle and the Ferris boys. With several of his varsity runners not returning this season, senior Shane Johansen will have the opportunity to lead the Saxon in a rebuilding year.
First-year girls coach Daniel Henry hopes to build a foundation of connections and lifelong runners with this Saxon group, and it starts with the lone state participant, junior Alayna Ditto, taking on a leadership role.
Gonzaga Prep: Despite graduating its No. 1 runner in first-team all-leaguer Caleb Richardson, the boys return a strong pack of four with varsity experience led by senior Graham Cleveland. If the four make improvements, this could be a good team come postseason.
The girls are also an older team featuring two seniors and three juniors. Junior Katherine Kovich is the top returner after a 30th-place finish at the district meet.
Lewis and Clark: Evan Bruce is at the front of this year’s exciting LC boys squad, coming off an impressive junior campaign where he earned two podium finishes at the state track meet in the 1,600 and 3,200 races, as well as all-American honors at the USATF National Junior Olympics in the 1,500 and 3,000 races.
For the girls, senior Bridget Burns needs to keep building on her big improvements on the track last spring after finishing 10th at the state meet in the 3,200. Between her and fellow senior Ella Swanson – 36th at state cross – it’s a solid duo for the Tigers.
Mead: While the reigning 3A state champs lost half of last year’s varsity squad to graduation, the Panthers return a solid trio that are destined to make another run at the state crown. Juniors Charlotte Cullen and Raegan Borg highlight this team as they head into the fall off great track seasons in which they both competed at the state meet.
The boys reaching the podium was key in getting back into the state’s top-tier conversation. Losing Brycen Gardner is a big gap to fill, but senior Noah Holden is more than ready to take over that spot after taking big steps in his training.
Mt. Spokane: The Wildcats welcome their newest star to the cross country scene in senior Charlotte Pederson. The reigning GSL 3A 1,600 champ will be joined by state participant junior Karley Bowen and incoming freshman Jane Wycoff for what should be a good group head coach Andy Sonneland has put together.
North Central: The NC boys have won 17 consecutive state trophies after placing fourth last fall, hoping to continue chasing down Mead’s record of 21. Losing four state participants to graduation hurts, so depth will be needed this season to compete alongside other 3A teams such as Mt. Spokane, Cheney, and Mead.
The girls are a young and inexperienced group with just two upperclassmen leading the way – senior Kendall Carter and junior Katie Ries. Carter comes off a junior campaign finishing 29th at 3A state cross country and a 12th-place finish in the 3,200 at state track.
Ridgeline: Progress was made by the newest program in the GSL. The boys are a still young group, building on its depth from last year after completing its first season. Junior Nick Goode and sophomore Ollie Bruck are hoping to have breakout performances up front with the rest of the league.
The girls also return many athletes, including the school’s first-ever state participant in senior Alivia Bruno, with the goal of continuing to build the program up for years to come.
University: Sophomore state finisher Libby Roberts leads a solid Titans girls team hoping to keep its momentum going after a rebuilding year with lots of improvements. Add some incoming freshmen, who’ve already shown progress, and this becomes a competitive group.
On the boys side, returning senior Larry Trefrey, sophomore Braeden Meeks and juniors Diego Mieja and Dylan Lee should present a solid pack. “We should finish in the middle of the pack,” coach Ernie Aguilar said. “I look forward to see how much we can improve as the season progresses. Being the underdog may give our guys something to motivate them.”
2A
East Valley: First-year head coach Brandon Blize likes what he sees so far from his young team after a great summer of training. With a team made up of mostly juniors and sophomores led by junior Donovan Brown, the Knights feel they will be a competitive bunch in the fall.
Pullman: The lack of experience and veteran athletes didn’t stop the Pullman girls from pulling the spoiler card at the end of the year winning the district championship. There’s plenty of excitement for a team that returns quite a few, including two first-team all-leaguers in senior Abigail Hulst and junior Alison Hatahway.
The boys team is a close-knit group dedicated and driven to bring back another GSL title led by two-time all-league first-teamer junior Leo Hoffman.
Rogers: This year’s Pirates girls team hopes to be a competitive bunch with just 10 runners in the program, led by the versatile senior Ellabelle Taylor. The 2A runner-up in the 100 last spring has what it takes to make it to the state meet again this fall. We could also see junior Donalda Brantley and freshman Savannah Taylor – Ellabelle’s younger sister – make some noise this season too.
The boys are a much thinner group after losing two state participants to graduation and two more varsity athletes who transferred out of state. Sophomore Daniel Rodriguez is the lone varsity returner.
Shadle Park: The boys are a young group but the potential for a big season is there for the taking. Five varsity runners return, including state participants juniors Luke Hammond and Abraham Little.
West Valley: A league title and a state berth last season proved that the West Valley boys are heading in the right direction. The Eagles graduated four of its seven runners from the state team, including three first-team all-leaguers, but another first-teamer, junior Tony Belko, returns.
The girls team is a small, young group hoping to be competitive. Lone senior Roxanne Fredericksen will be seeking her first opportunity to qualify for the state meet after missing last year due to a COVID quarantine.