Taylor Roe
Kamiak | Freshman
A heralded freshman, Roe was the champion in the 13-14 year old U.S. Junior Olympics in cross country. Roe also placed seventh at the U.S. Track and Field Junior Nationals 1,500-meter race in what Kamiak head coach Charley LeWarne called “a field of mostly collegians.”
Roe will be one the Knights top runners in her first high school season and LeWarne expects her success to continue.
“Already an accomplished runner, Taylor is enthusiastic and eager to compete and develop as she moves into the high school level,” LeWarne said. “ She is driven by clear personal goals and the excitement of contributing to a strong team. She is an explosive competitor with a tremendously bright future.”
Abbie Steinhauer
Mariner | Junior
Mariner’s star junior placed 21st at the 4A state cross country meet as a sophomore in 2014 with a time of 18:43.16. However, its her attitude and demeanor that Mariner cross country coach Mike Grover loves.
“Last year at the Hole in the Wall invitational she won a runners backpack,” Grover said. “One of her teammates said she thought it was cool. Abbie offered to give it to her right on the spot. Her teammate told her she should keep it, because she’d earned it. What a kid.
“Abbie is the strongest (endurance) athlete I have ever coached,” Grover continued. “She never is totally fatigued at the finish line of a race and looks and acts as if she is fresh enough to run the race again ”
Katherine Gustafson &Ella Schroth
Mountlake Terrace | Junior &Senior
The duo led Mountlake Terrace to a second-place finish at last year’s 3A state cross country meet with Gustafson placing ninth overall and Schroth (11th) about one second behind her.
Gustafson has had back-to-back top 10 finishes at the state meet, including placing sixth as a freshmen.
“She is the toughest female athlete I have ever coach,” Mountlake Terrace head coach Todd Weber said of Gustafson. “A workhorse in practice and in cross country meets, (she) leads the team by example on training and race days.”
Schroth placed 17th in 2013 after having the flu earlier in the week.
“She is about as tough mentally as they come in big cross country meets,” Weber said, “and always has her best races at districts and state.”
Kyla Shade
Snohomish | Senior
Shade is 3-for-3 when it comes to qualifying for the state cross country meet in her high school career and has improved each time she’s ran the course. As a freshman, Shade placed 38th, followed by a 34th place finish in 2013 and 24th overall last season.
“She is a quiet and energetic leader who is willing to sacrifice whatever it takes for the benefit of the team,” said Snohomish head coach David LeWarne. “(Shade) has shouldered her leadership responsibilities while still having a solid summer of training which she is looking forward to take advantage of this fall. While she is a great runner, she is an even better person, who encourages others and even got her younger sister to come out for the first time this year.”
Heidi Smith
Glacier Peak | Junior
After bursting onto the cross country scene as a freshman, Smith continued her success as a sophomore winning the Wesco 3A South and District 1 meets for the Grizzlies. Smith placed 15th overall at the state meet and was the top finisher for a Glacier Peak team that placed third overall in the team standings.
If that isn’t scary enough for Glacier Peak’s opponents, Grizzlies head coach Dan Parker said Smith, now a junior, has “improved immensely” after last year’s track season.
“She’s a hell of a competitor. She doesn’t let go,” Parker said. “… She’s a joy to coach. She just likes to win. She just likes to run as hard as she can. She’s pretty unassuming. She doesn’t say a lot. She wants and she works.”
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