Vikings won’t surprise this time

Published 11:42 pm Saturday, September 13, 2008

When the Lake Stevens girls gathered in August for their first official cross country workout of 2008, they enjoyed near perfect weather for running.

That should come as little surprise because fortune has smiled on the Lake Stevens runners of late.

That’s especially true for the girls, who last year used the emergence of freshmen Lacey Wagner and Cia Bywater, and the solid performance of team captain Samantha Minor, to place seventh at the Class 4A state meet.

That effort may have surprised a few onlookers, given that the Lake Stevens girls hadn’t been to state in the 21st Century.

“We were non-factors (in 2006),” co-head coach Ernie Goshorn said. “You’d have to go back 10, 15 years for the last time the girls went to state.”

Added co-coach Cliff Chaffee: “We’ve been knocking on the door for a while, we’ve had some success, but as far as going to state, we’re talking (the) 1980s.”

For a team comprised of girls who weren’t even born in that decade — let alone remember anything about it — the Vikings performed extraordinarily well at state. Wagner (seventh place) and Bywater (10th) were the first two Wesco runners to cross the finish line. Minor, a sophomore in 2007, placed 59th in the field of 143.

“It wasn’t a surprise to us,” Goshorn said of his team’s performance. “Maybe a surprise to other people. They worked hard and got better each day.”

Last year’s finish, coupled with the fact that traditional powerhouse Snohomish’s coach and some of its top runners relocated to Glacier Peak, the Snohomish District’s new high school, has many believing Lake Stevens is the team to beat at districts this year.

“We’re hoping that divides the talent and gives us a chance to be competitive,” Goshorn said.

Jackson cross country coach Craig Bowen, whose Wesco South championship team missed out on a state appearance by placing fifth at districts last year, said he considers Lake Stevens the early district favorite. And Glacier Peak coach Dan Parker, who coached the Snohomish girls to Wesco North and district team titles in 2007, agrees.

“They should win the North Division,” Parker said of the Vikings. “They should win districts. As far as how they do in state, its hard to say. (Class) 4A is kind of wide open this year.”

One of Lake Stevens’ strengths, Wagner said, is its team chemistry. “Last year we clicked really well,” she said.

Both coaches praise the leadership of Minor. “Sam did it all last year and is really the glue that holds the team together,” Chaffee said. “Last year the other two could follow Sam.”

Added Goshorn: “Sam (sets an example) by working her butt off.”

Not that there aren’t still some challenges.

“We’ve lost talented runners,” Minor said

Lake Stevens graduated Jolene Minor, Mimi Wright and Kendra Miller, and whether Lake Stevens finds replacements for its Nos. 4 and 5 runners can make the difference between a decent team and a great one.

“In cross country your five is every bit as important as your one,” Chaffee said. “If your one does great but you have to wait forever for your five, it doesn’t matter much.”

In other words, Chaffee doesn’t want fans or polls (Lake Stevens is ranked sixth in the preseason state coaches poll) to get carried away. Incoming freshmen, he points out, can give any team a huge boost.

But with Wagner, Bywater and Minor all returning, Lake Stevens has a chance for the first time in many years to be in the driver’s seat. Which is a bit ironic, since none of the top three girls have a drivers license yet.