It could be a breakthrough weekend for the Glacier Peak girls. Ranked No. 1 in 3A all season by state coaches and No. 23 nationally in the current Harrier Super 25, the Grizzlies clearly have the talent to win a state team title — not bad for a school that opened last year.
In addition to having four girls (Brenna Condon, Sarah Whybark, Stephanie Jones and Tara Kingston) who helped Glacier Peak place seventh as a team in 2008, the squad has two outstanding freshmen: Amy-Eloise Neale and Katie Bianchini, who placed 1-2 at the District 1 meet.
Neale of course, is a highly touted five-time Junior Olympic national track champion. Her fastest time on a 3.1-mile (5,000-meter) course this fall is 18 minutes, 5 seconds. Only one 3A runner has a better time this season, according to Athletic.net: Columbia River’s Allison Clark ran 17:37.6 on Oct. 3 at the Harrier Classic in Oregon.
Neale was noticeably upset about her winning district-meet time (18:49.2) on a sloppy course in Langley. “She was hoping for much more, and she’s a competitor. It wasn’t a perfect race,” Glacier Peak coach Dan Parker said.
As a team, Glacier Peak is on a mission that extends far beyond Pasco. The Grizzlies plan to compete in the Nike Cross Nationals Northwest Regional (Nov. 14 in Boise) and advance to the national finals on Dec. 5 in Portland.
“We’re focused on state first,” coach Parker said. “Let’s get that out of the way.”
Cross country love
The nationally ranked Jackson boys (Mill Creek) and Glacier Peak girls (Snohomish) teams attend schools located a mere 4 miles from each other. “It’s crazy,” Parker said of the talented runners’ close proximity. The teams don’t train together, but they certainly get along well — some more than others. Jackson runners Nick Schonewald and Nathan Calacat are dating Glacier Peak runners Sarah Whybark and Ashley Jensen, respectively. The main road that links the schools is 132nd Street SE.
“I guess there’s a lot of cross country love on 132nd Street,” coach Hruschka said.
1A girls King’s seeks 7th team title
Ranked No. 1 in 1A, the King’s of Shoreline girls team seeks its fourth-consecutive state team title and the program’s seventh title total, which would better its own state record. The Knights — coached by Rod Wilcox — took first from 2001-2003 and from 2006-2008. Only one other girls team won four straight team titles (3A East Valley of Spokane, 1994-1997). Seniors Adele Eslinger, Makenzie Taylor and Morgan Hamm have been on King’s last three 1A championship teams.
2A girls Can Cedarcrest stop Sehome?
After dealing with injuries and high expectations, the Cedarcrest girls team enters the 2A state meet on a roll. The top-ranked Red Wolves beat No. 2 Sehome at districts and will try to do it again at state, where Sehome is the three-time defending champ; last year Sehome edged Cedarcrest for the title by just six points. Cedarcrest, guided by coach Bruce McDowell, has never won the team title.
Also in 2A, Granite Falls freshman Rhiannon Alexander could have a special state debut. Alexander — the first Granite Falls girl to win league and district races in the same year, according to Tigers coach Tony Helgeson — is “passionate about winning and highly competitive whether it’s a game of tiddlywinks or organized sports,” said Helgeson. He praised Granite Falls girls coach Jennifer Fletcher for being an “intricate part of Rhiannon’s success.”
Finishing kicks
The 4A Lake Stevens boys team (second at districts) is state-bound for the fifth straight year. As part of their annual tradition, the Vikings will bleach their hair as a show of unity. “They are a crazy group of fun kids who understand the importance of encouraging one another,” Samantha Minor, one of two Lake Stevens girls who advanced to state, wrote in an e-mail. … Everett senior Cody MacDougall has been a member of three district-title teams, including the 3A 10th-ranked Seagulls’ triumph last week in Langley. MacDougall has a special place in team history, considering the program has won just six district crowns in the last 40-plus years, according to Everett coach Bruce Overstreet. … The unranked Arlington girls (4A) were ravaged by a flu outbreak that sidelined a dozen sick runners for the Wesco North championships. But the Eagles bounced back and placed second at the district meet, an effort that showed “true character,” Arlington coach Mike Shierk said. Arlington’s No. 1 runner, sophomore Teresa Wadey (fourth at districts), “should have a great state meet,” said Shierk. “If we remain healthy, she should be right up there with the state’s best.” … The Edmonds-Woodway girls team (4A, 3.98 combined grade-point average) and the Cedarcrest boys team (2A, 3.725) won Fall 2009 Academic State Championships. E-W junior Betsie Hopper, coached by Joel Hamilton, will represent the Warriors at state. … The final boy from 4A District 1 to qualify for state as an individual was Mountlake Terrace senior Michael O’Neill, who placed 15th in Langley. As a “chubby little freshman” in 2006, O’Neill didn’t seem destined to become a state-meet competitor, Terrace coach Todd Weber said. But O’Neill developed a love for competition and is intense, whether he runs, plays Ultimate Frisbee with teammates or earns impressive scores on “Guitar Hero,” said Weber.
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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