More than two weeks later, Kelly Spady’s stirring comeback is still turning heads.
Spady, a Kamiak High School senior, used a late kick to overcome Eisenhower’s Robbie Barany and win the Class 4A state boys cross country championship Nov. 6 in at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco. Since then Spady has gone from a relatively low-profile recruit to a sought-after star.
Before the state meet Spady had received interest from the University of Washington. But in the last several weeks coaches from Oregon, Washington State, Portland and Pacific Lutheran have all joined the Spady chase, according to Kamiak coach Charley LeWarne.
Looking back on his time as an assistant and head coach since Kamiak opened in 1993, LeWarne said Spady’s talent is unmatched. “He’s Number One. He has put in the miles and has that killer instinct.”
Spady finished sixth in the sixth annual BorderClash Sunday in Beaverton, Ore. The race features the top boys and girls runners from Washington and Oregon.
LeWarne said he talked to Spady about his BorderClash performance Monday morning. “He was kind of content,” LeWarne said. “He knew that (Eisenhower’s Barany and Mead’s Laef Barnes, who finished fourth at state) were gunning for him.”
Spady led at one point Sunday, LeWarne said, but after falling a few seconds behind the leaders he was unable to find a late kick in the final 500 meters like he did in Pasco. Kenny Klotz of Oregon won the 4.5-kilometer race in 14 minutes, 2.02 seconds, just ahead of Barnes (14:02.61). Barany finished fourth (14:08.56), two places in front of Spady (14:09.63). It was Spady’s best finish in three BorderClash runs.
“Despite what happened at state,” LeWarne said of Spady, “he’s not one the great kickers out there.”
“The big meet was two weeks ago,” he continued. “It would be nice to do well (at BorderClash), but he wasn’t quite as excited.”
Regardless, top area colleges are still excited about snagging Spady.
Fastpitch players Crosson, Monson and Iapala sign: Krista Crosson, Danielle Monson and Chelsy Iapala, all of the local Lake Breeze club team, have each signed a National Letter of Intent to play in softball in college, according to Lake Breeze coach Margo Leiter.
Marysville-Pilchuck’s Iapala will play for Eastern Illinois, joining Stanwood’s Tasha St. Clair, who signed last week. According to a statement on the Eastern Illinois Web site, coach Lloydene Searle sees Iapala fitting in as a center fielder who can provide speed at the top of the order.
“She is a very good defensive player who can cover a lot of ground and…can hit with power too. I expect her to mix in well with the returning team as she fit right in on her recent visit.”
Monson (Marysville-Pilchuck) is headed to Kent State. She led the Tomahawks in batting average, runs scored and stolen bases the last two seasons.
Monson, who will play outfield, also considered Hofstra, Syracuse, Seattle University and St. Joseph’s. But her visit three weeks ago to Kent State won her over. “I really liked the girls and the coaches,” Monson said. “I thought it would be fun to get away, too.”
Crosson, of Lake Stevens High School, will play for Loyola University Chicago.
The pitcher was 18-3 last year for the Vikings with a 0.77 earned-run average. Crosson struck out 174 batters and walked just seven in 139 innings.
“She is a leader of the team,” Lake Stevens coach Monica Bauer said. “She is a dominant pitcher, she’s very steady and strong (and) she’s got the best attitude of any pitcher I’ve ever met.”
Flawless?: After Saturday’s 34-7 loss against Archbishop Murphy High, La Center football coach John Lambert was gracious in defeat and frank about the difficulties his team faced in preparing for the game. “They have so many weapons. I always feel like I can get an advantage over teams, either with coaching or with players. With Archbishop Murphy I just didn’t see it.”
Chain of (happy) fools: The Archbishop Murphy football team prepared for Saturday’s game by repeatedly running stairs while Aretha Franklin’s hit song “Chain of Fools” played at Everett Memorial Stadium. Coach Terry Ennis promised his players he’d repeat the drill if his team defeated La Center. After the victory, Ennis fulfilled his vow to the obvious delight of players and fans alike.
“That was our main motto this week,” junior running back/linebacker Stan Smith said, as the song blared over the public address system. “My legs were burning. I couldn’t walk the next day (after practice).”
No time to dream: When Archbishop Murphy lineman Nick Pettinger intercepted a pass at the La Center 5-yard line Saturday, he was too busy trying to hold on to the ball to think about scoring a touchdown.
“(Teammate) Chris (Hoerauf) tipped the ball,” Pettinger said. “But I don’t have the greatest hands. I bobbled it before I caught it.”
Pettinger was immediately buried under a pile of players. “It should have been a touchdown,” teammate Tyler Terhar chided his friend. “That would have been a lineman’s dream.”
Herald Writer Bob Mortenson contributed to this report
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