Mariner cross country coach seeing double
Published 9:00 pm Monday, October 25, 2004
The Mariner High School cross country team has doubled up, and then some.
After fielding 18 boys and girls last year, the Marauders have 38 runners this season. In particular, 17 girls are running for Mariner compared to just five last fall. The participation spike is the result of an increased school-wide recruiting effort, according to Mariner cross country coach Dave McFadden.
The team, which includes Ethiopian and Arabic athletes, is as diverse as the Mariner student body, McFadden said.
But with so many more runners it’s taken some extra effort to get everyone to work together.
“It’s different,” McFadden said. “It’s harder to build that same team unity with more kids…but it’s a close-knit group. We have a lot of fun.”
One bonding experience came last week during Mariner’s annual homecoming run. Every year the Marauders run the game ball from their homecoming opponent’s school to their home field, Goddard Stadium. About 30 Marauders gathered Wednesday afternoon at Shorecrest High School and took turns running the ball all the way to Goddard. They ran through Hamlin Park in Shoreline, continued north on 15th Ave. NE through Mountlake Terrace and headed west on NE 205th St. Once they reached Ash Way they turned north, eventually winding up at Goddard. Coaches followed along in vans and picked up tired runners along the way.
Are we having fun, yet?: There are possible ties in the Wesco North in football, including a five-way tie for first place, which will have to be decided by tiebreaker playoffs. League president Greg Erickson said any such tiebreakers are likely to be played on Monday, Nov. 1.
The Kansas tiebreaker format will be used for all competitions. Each team gets a possession at its opponent’s 25-yard line and the team that is ahead after each team has had a possession wins. If the score remains tied, a second possession begins at the 25. The third and all subsequent possessions begin at the 10.
Swanson commits to Seattle University: Mountlake Terrace High senior forward Leigh Swanson has made a verbal commitment to play basketball for Seattle University, according to a statement released by the high school. The 6-foot-7 Swanson averaged 11 points and five rebounds per game last year, helping Mountlake Terrace compile a 17-3 regular-season record and make its second consecutive Class 4A state tournament appearance.
Swanson, who has a 3.99 grade-point average, also considered Princeton, Yale and Cornell, among others.
“During my visit to Seattle U., I found out I really liked the school and the academic opportunities,” Swanson said in the statement. “With the players S.U. has and the recruits that are committed, we have a chance to be very good in the future.”
Seattle University is led by third-year coach Joe Callero. The Red Hawks play in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
Terrace’s Boxley, Hammond getting looks: Mike Boxley and Luke Hammond, two of Swanson’s Mountlake Terrace hoops teammates, are also garnering attention from college basketball programs. According to Terrace coach Nalin Sood, Boxley is considering Boston University while Hammond is looking at Air Force.
Everett School District offering NCAA eligibility workshop: The Everett School District will host an NCAA Initial Eligibility workshop 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Cascade High School auditorium. The workshop, presented by Dr. Butch Kamena of Western Washington University, will provide information about the requirements to be eligible for NCAA Division I and II athletics. All area high school athletes are welcome. For more information, call Robert Polk at 425-385-4260.
Prep Editor John McDonald contributed to this report
