Three Timberwolves head to cross country championships

Published 9:47 am Friday, February 22, 2008

MOUNT VERNON — Dozens of schools and hundreds of cross country runners converged on Skagit Valley Community College to compete for a chance to run one more time this season.

The path to state laid 3.1 miles away from each runner.

Two weeks ago, Jackson boys coach Eric Hruschka said that at the district meet, it would be easy to slip from first to third place quickly.

“We’ll probably be the odd team out,” Hruschka said.

He didn’t rule out the chance his team could make the cut, however. Knowing it might happen didn’t relieve any of the sting of losing in a close competition.

“Fourth is hard to take,” Hruschka said.

In the final tally, the Timberwolves sent two boys and one girl to state.

Junior Caleb Knox finished in fourth place with a time of 16 minutes, 17 seconds. Teammate Jeff Helmer, a freshman, finished in 15th place, 12 seconds later.

“Caleb was really good,” Hruschka said. “I had him hold back a little bit to help Jeff. It might have cost him a top three, but it really helped Jeff to be calm in that situation.”

Given Helmer’s qualifying finish, it seems the plan worked.

“I was ecstatic,” Hruschka said. “He really ran well. It’s rare for a freshman to get in. Usually they can tag along with a team, but it’s pretty rare to get to state.”

Helmer, excited with his race, said that he looks forward to the state meet.

“I came into the race very determined … I wanted to be able to say I made it to state in my freshman year,” Helmer said. “It helped having Caleb here. He helped.

“I wouldn’t have made it to state without him.”

Knox said he felt good about his race, even without a top three finish.

“I came off a pretty disappointing Wesco finish. I was feeling sick going into Wesco,” he said. “I’ve been trying to get better, trying to get my competitiveness back.

“I can’t say I ran 100 percent, but I ran hard.”

Knox said his goal was to improve on his previous race, and he hopes to improve again for the state competition.

“I feel like at state, I can run better,” Knox said. “I know I can.”

Hruschka said that Knox has a shot at shining at the state meet.

“Caleb can go over and be in the top 20 at state,” Hruschka said. “He’s good enough, if he’s healthy and feeling great.”

Knox said he was particularly happy with the way the team came together this season.

“Coming into the season, we knew we were underdogs,” he said. “With no seniors, we needed freshmen to step up to build a new team.

“I think it was a great journey building a new team.”

Knox said it was a little disappointing that his team did not make the cut, but “you can’t forget, we built a team from scratch.”

One Jackson girl also will make the trek across the mountains to represent her school.

Freshman Allison Graham finished her race at districts in seventh place with a time of 19:34.

“(Allison) was at 11th place past the two-mile mark,” coach Traci Bianchini said. “I hollered at her to give it a shot.

“She wound up in seventh, which is where she was for the first 100 meters.”

Bianchini said that having the heat turned up in the district meet brought out a better performance from Graham. Having something to lose gave her the drive to succeed, which Bianchini said is “a kind of a factor of youth.”

Either way, Graham qualified for state, and according to her coach, has something to shoot for.

“All the girls who beat her at district, she’ll try to beat at state,” Bianchini said.

Although she didn’t qualify, Syrina Remillard turned in a pleasing performance for her coach. Remillard was projected (based on past finishing times) to land at about 38th place, instead of 24th, where she finished. Emily Ochs’ 21st place time was about the same as it was at the league meet, Bianchini said.