Boys cross country: Depth helps Mead cruise to State 4A championship

PASCO – It was a state championship season that would have made the Greater Spokane League Godfather of cross country proud.

The Mead boys crushed the 4A state field Saturday afternoon, finishing with 51 points and placing their five scorers in the top 20.

Mead finished with 49 points, outdistancing runner-up Gonzaga Prep (134). Kamiakin made it a 1-2-3 finish for District 6 by taking third with 151.

To put Mead’s dominating victory in perspective, if it was a football game, the Panthers would have won 40-0. If it were a basketball game it would have been 80-40.

“We like to say it’s all homegrown,” Mead coach Austin Stuchell. “There’s no guys coming from Idaho, no guys coming from a different area. We’re not bringing in other boys. This is just guys who were on a mission.”

It was a redemptive season to an extent. Last year, District 6 received just two team berths, and Mead missed out going to state by six points. The Panthers believe they would have captured a trophy (top four teams earn trophies) had they been at state.

“These guys were on a mission,” Stuchell said. “They ran for each other. They didn’t care about the fame and the glory.”

In a way, the Panthers were a bunch of no-names. They didn’t challenge for the individual state championship, but that didn’t matter. No team could match up to the Panthers’ depth.

Sophomore Stejer Franklin led Mead, finishing sixth in 15 minutes, 19.4 seconds on the 3.1-mile trek at Sun Willows Golf Course. Next was senior Jovanny Lieb (ninth, 15:32.5), followed by senior Jonah Wiser (13th, 15:40.7), junior Aaron Pooler (16th, 15:48.4) and senior Noah Reischman (20th, 15:56.5).

Overshadowed but not under appreciated was Gonzaga Prep’s runner-up finish. The Bullpups were making their first state appearance since 1997. G-Prep coach Geoff Arte was on that team.

Freshman Miro Parr-Coffin led the Bullpups, taking fifth (15:16.3) and senior Zach Frazier was seventh (15:28.0).

Lewis and Clark junior Elijah Tobin, who was part of the Tigers’ state title team a year ago, took 10th (15:33.5).

The field got out to a scorching pace in the first mile, turning it in 4:34. Mead’s quintet were in the top 21, and the Panthers sat in the same spots coming through the second mile.

The Panthers broke the field down in the final mile.

“I’m so proud of the boys,” Mead’s Franklin said. “They put in so much effort.”

Franklin said the Panthers had plenty of motivation.

“We were a podium team last year, but it didn’t happen,” Franklin said. “It is what it is. We moved on and we kept working for this year.”

Said Lieb: “We really wanted to prove what we had.”

3A: Mt. Spokane’s pack was deep in the field after the first mile. Then the Wildcats rallied.

Their comeback came up short. Mt. Spokane finished with 127 points, 23 behind winner Mercer Island.

Senior Gatlin Michaelsen led Mt. Spokane, finishing 15th (15:54.9).

Birds Beck of Shadle Park was the highest local finisher, taking fifth (15:330.8). Elliot Yegge of North Central was 12th (15:49.0).

1A: Malik Ortiz of Colville took fourth (15:45.6).

Cedar Park Christian won with 50 points.

2B: Freeman captured the state title with 59 points, besting runner-up Chewelah by 10.

Micah Bessire led Freeman, taking sixth (16:56.6).

“We knew it was a possibility,” Freeman coach Mallory McDonald said. “We didn’t know if it would happen or not. The kids have been working so far since last year.”

Freeman took fifth last year, one spot out of earning a trophy.

McDonald could sense the drive in her team going into the season.

“They just don’t run because they have to,” McDonald said. “They run because they want to. They went out hard and fought from the start. They knew the plan and they executed it perfectly.”

Emmitt Warren of Chewelah took second for a second straight year.

Warren finished in a time of 15:59.3.

“I went out too fast,” Warren said. “He (the winner) was a lot stronger than I thought he was. I thought it was going to be my day. I guess the Lord has a different plan for me.”

1B: Tanner Baerlocher of Colton took second (16:52.3). Wesley Hendrickson of Valley Christian (17:01.4) was third.

State champ a year ago, Valley Christian finished second with 61 points. Pope John Paul II won with 33.