Terrace boys hope to be contenders

Published 8:05 pm Thursday, October 14, 2010

The Mountlake Terrace boys cross country team is headed in the right direction.

The Hawks took second place among the large schools and third overall at last weekend’s Hoquiam Invitational.

“We’ve still got some work to do but we definitely put ourselves out there and maybe convinced ourselves that we can raise our game to the next level,” said Mountlake Terrace coach Todd Weber. “It was kind of a break-through performance in that respect.”

What makes the Hawks a potentially strong team in the postseason is its tight pack. Though Ben Miller is currently running at the head of the group, he’s followed closely by teammates Michael O’Neill, Brandon Hines and Jake Howell.

“We really don’t have a definitive No. 1,” Weber said. “We have four guys that are within 20 seconds of each other, which is what makes us tough actually.”

After Jackson, Weber sees the league race wide open.

“If we can elevate our game a little bit, we can be in the mix in the teams that are looking to show well at Northwest Districts,” Weber said.

The Hawk girls squad also is having a good season with sophomore Nina Penner as the No. 1 runner.

“She’s definitely been running real solid,” Weber said. “I think she has about the eighth or ninth fastest overall time in both Wescos.”

The rest of the squad includes Victoria Plummage, Christian Szilvassy, Erica Bond, Ciara Rink, Jessica Lindsay and Kelsey O’Neill.

The tough competition in the league, however, means the Hawks have a tough postseason ahead.

“Our league is brutally tough,” Weber said. “The girls team is really deep and talented. … If they stay healthy and keep improving they might be one of the surprise teams at Wesco South and district championships.”

District rival Edmonds-Woodway would be one of those tough teams Weber is talking about.

The Warriors return Betsie Hopper and Amia Nash, two of the top track athletes in the league. Hopper advanced to state last year. Newcomer Megan Alfi also is having a strong season.

“She’s a huge contributor,” Edmonds-Woodway coach Joel Hamilton said.

Other Warrior standouts include Amy Fair and Caitlin Wade.

Edmonds-Woodway won the Edmonds Invitational and finished fourth in their division at the Nike Pre-Nationals.

The Warrior boys are a young team with junior Ryan Thompson the No. 1 runner. Sophomore Alex Springer, junior Alec Fellows and sophomore Sean Haldeman round out the team.

“Everybody is returning next year,” Hamilton said.

Lynnwood and Meadowdale both have some key returners back from last year.

The Royal girls squad is led by senior Mawa Ali, who ran at state the last two years.

Ali has been dealing with some injuries and only has run in a couple of races this season.

“The goal for this season is to see if she can qualify for state,” said Lynnwood coach Ryan Bartell. “She’s really like to make it and do well at districts.”

Sophomore Kayla Ortado is having a strong season.

“She’s improving anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute on courses she’s ran in the past,” Bartell said. “She’s coming along pretty good.”

The Royal boys squad is led by senior John Vogan, a four-year varsity member.

“He’s one of those kids who’s stuck with (the sport) through the lows and highs,” Bartell said.

Meadowdale’s boys squad had a solid one-two punch with junior Matt Crichlow and senior Jonathan Hanson, who advanced to state last season.

“They kind of trade off who is first or second,” said Meadowdale coach Kris Maraveller. “They’ve placed in the top five in every league meet.”

The gap between Crichlow and Hanson and their teammates currently is about two minutes.

The Maverick girls team also returns a state runner in sophomore Analissa Merrill. Senior Shelley Koehn is right on Merrill’s heels.

“They’re back and forth,” Maraveller said. “They’re pretty close.”