CROSS COUNTRY NOTES - OCTOBER 3, 2008

The Mid-Columbia had several outstanding performances at invitationals last weekend.

Southridge senior Andrew Gonzales finished sixth in the elite race at the Stanford Invite racing against some of the best competition in the western United States.

Meanwhile, Hanford sophomore Erin Hegarty finished third at the Spokane Valley Invite, bested only by a pair of Idaho state champions.

But something very interesting happened for the Richland girls at the Nike Pre-Nationals in Portland.

The Bombers placed third in the elite Jim Danner Championships, and their JV entry placed seventh among 18 teams in the Division I races competing against other schools' varsity squads.

"Isn't that just awesome?" asked always-ebullient coach Lauri Sax. "I've been telling them that -- that second group of girls would score on anybody else's varsity in league."

Other CBBN coaches have expressed a similar sentiment, and Sax refers to the non-varsity runners as the "second group."

"I cannot call those kids JV; my attitude with them is you're varsity," she said, noting that the "second group" has swept the top seven or eight spots in JV races this season.

Several of the area's top teams will be in Yakima this weekend for the 35th Sunfair Invitational, one of the North-west's top meets. Hanford, Kamiakin, Kennewick, Southridge and Walla Walla are scheduled to travel to Franklin Park as part of the 73-team field.

CROSS COUNTRY NOTES - SEPTEMBER 9, 2008

2007 Champions:

Richland (4A duals and districts) and West Valley (3A duals); Hanford (3A Sistricts).

Returning State Qualifiers:

4A--Davis, team (Sandra Martinez, sr.; Shawna Schooley, sr.; Kathryn Kibbe, soph.; Hannah Kaluzny, jr.; Maria Espinoza, sr.; Rachel Davis, jr.); Richland, team (Katie Mahoney, soph.; Kiley Johnson, sr.; Annie McDonald, sr.); Janette Rodriguez, jr., Pasco; Hannah Kiser, jr., Wenatchee; Marisa Vander Malle, jr., Pasco.

3A--West Valley, team (Lisa Olander, sr.; Aubrey Packard, sr.; Audrey Urlacher, jr.; Ashley Packard, soph.; Chantel Jaeger, soph.; Amy Larson, sr.); Hanford, team (Erin Hegarty, soph.; Haley Tank, sr.; Leilani Anderson, sr.; Megan Dart, sr.; Katie Thomas, soph.; Lauren Curran, jr.); Rachael Gerboth, jr., Kamiakin; Emily Butler, soph., Southridge.

Outlook: A slew of talented underclassmen from last year plus the combination of the CBL 3A and 4A into one league have created a ridiculously competitive CBBN girls field.

Among the top returners are Martinez, third in state 4A; Olander, third in 3A; and Hegarty, 10th in 3A.

But coaches say Richland starts at the head of the pack for the team race. Ranked fourth in the 4A preseason poll, the Bombers return Mahoney, Johnson and McDonald, three key members from a squad that finished eighth in the state. Sophomore Maggie Jones, a first-time runner in the sport, shows a lot of promise on a lineup that easily goes 10 deep. Also, sophomore Emily Hazen transferred from Wenatchee and was one of the Panthers' top runners.

Hanford, ranked seventh in the 3A poll, also is loaded, starting with Hegarty, who finished 10th at state and was named the Herald's MVP. Tank, Anderson and Dart are eyeing a move up from their team's ninth-place showing at state.

Davis, with Martinez and Schooley (22nd at state), returns six of its seven state runners and is ranked eighth in the 4A.

Kamiakin will rely on its youth, with Gerboth backed by sophomore Kaylee Brooks and promising freshmen Stephanie Rexus and Sydney Blaser.

Butler had a tremendous regional last year, finishing fourth for Southridge.

Pasco's Rodriguez and Vander Malle are looking to take another big step after an outstanding first year ever in the sport.

Walla Walla junior Denali Molitor is healthy again and has regained the form that got her to state as a freshman. Kennewick has high hopes for freshman Alexis Klippert.

3A FAVORITE: Hanford. The seventh-ranked Falcons could repeat as district champs with their entire scoring team back, but they will have trouble handling West Valley at the end of the season. Hanford’s top four had a 30-second gap most of last year.

AROUND THE LEAGUE (3A): West Valley will sorely miss four-year state qualifier Stephanie Shuel, but with Lisa Olander and the rest of last year’s team the Rams will be dangerous. Olander is a two-time district and regional champ, and Aubrey Packard and Audrey Urlacher were solid 3-4 runners last year who will move up. Sunnyside graduated its ’07 leader but sophomore Jocelyn Yanez should fill that spot nicely after a strong ninth-grade year.

TOP RETURNERS: Lisa Olander, West Valley, sr.; Erin Hegarty, Hanford, so.; Haley Tank, Hanford, sr.; Leilani Anderson, Hanford, sr.; Aubrey Packard, West Valley, sr.

PRESEASON STATE POLL: 1, Lakeside; 2, Seattle Prep; 3, North Kitsap; 4, Glacier Peak; 5, Mt. Spokane; 6, Mercer Island; 7, Hanford; 8, Enumclaw; 9, Capital; 10, West Valley-Yakima. Others: Columbia River, Shadle Park.

More Photos