Cross country: Mt. Spokane boys, girls win District 6 3A championships; Mead sweeps 4A titles

Thirteen months removed from a stress fracture that cut short his sophomore cross country season, Gaitlin Michaelsen finally feels healthy.

Michaelsen led Mt. Spokane to victory in the District 6 3A meet as the Wildcats posted 61 points to hold off Cheney, which finished with 69 at Wandermere Golf Course on a rainy and windy Saturday afternoon.

Mt. Spokane’s five-scoring runners finished in the top 20 in a 47-second pack. Michaelsen took third in a time of 16 minutes, 27.6 seconds. Leroy Lozano Mejia of Hermiston won (15:49.3), and Becks Bird of Shadle Park took second (16:19.4).

“It was definitely one of my better races,” Michaelsen said. “The course was a little long, so it wasn’t quite a (personal best). But that was definitely the hardest I’ve ever run in my life.”

And it came on a healthy leg.

Michaelsen said he and his teammates did a practice run Friday and measured the course at 3.2 miles – .1 mile longer than it should have been. But all that matters in cross country is where you place, not the time. It’s nearly impossible to compare times since not all courses are created equally.

Mt. Spokane coach Scott Daratha praised Michaelsen.

“Finishing third was a step up for him,” Daratha said. “It’s been a process for him coming back. He was just recently granted full ability to train. He’s getting in more miles and feeling good. When he went down, one of the better runners in Spokane. He’s showing that he definitely is now.”

As for his team, Daratha was underwhelmed. He expected a better showing Saturday.

“We didn’t run what we consider our best race,” Daratha said.

But Daratha said his team can still reach its goal. Michaelsen said Mt. Spokane wants to win state.

The Mt. Spokane girls fought through some sloppy conditions to capture the district title, finishing with 46 points. University was second with 63 and Ridgeline earned a state berth, taking third (70).

Jane Wycoff led Mt. Spokane, cruising to victory in a time of 19:22.38. Teammate Frances Rein was second (19:45.08).

“It went according to plan,” Wycoff said. “It felt harder today. I felt like I stayed focused, but it felt harder than some of my other races. Maybe it was because the temperature was a little cooler.”

Mt. Spokane coach Andy Sonneland, whose team took fourth at state last year, said his team wants another trophy next week when state takes place at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.

“We were focused on winning and we were more focused on individual placing rather than any one team,” Sonneland said of his team’s district strategy. “(Jane) was phenomenal. She looked really comfortable and unchallenged, and it’s a great stepping stone for next week.”

Wycoff handed University’s Kyla Roberts her first setback against Greater Spokane League runners. Roberts went undefeated in league, but slipped to fifth Saturday (19:58.78).

U-Hi coach Todd Hawley said the Titans’ goals are still in front of them and they’ll look to rebound at state.

In 4A, Mead’s boys and girls captured district titles.

Mead’s boys placed five in the top nine, finishing with 28 points. Gonzaga Prep, led by 1-2 finishers Miro Parr-Coffin and Zach Frazier, took second with 64.

Parr-Coffin, a freshman, won in 16:07.96 and Frazier, a senior, followed in 16:13.83.

Sophomore Stejer Franklin led Mead’s incredible pack, taking third (16:15.14).

Mead has been ranked No. 1 all season, and that’s where the Panthers want to finish next week.

“That’s the plan,” Franklin said. “We want to try to be at the top of the (awards) podium for sure. We’re definitely going to try to close our pack. We’d like to be within 40 seconds of each other.”

Mead’s girls won with 53 points, Kamiakin was next with 63 and Gonzaga Prep earned the final state berth with 70.

Kamiakin freshman Jaycee Jenkins won in a time of 19:20.52. Erin McMahon of Gonzaga Prep was second (19:35.2) and Avery Parker of Mead was third (19:36.15).

The 2A boys and girls also squared off at Wandermere.

In the boys, West Valley easily won with 23 points and Pullman was second with 41. Sophomore John Kiernan III of WV won (17:23.32).

Pullman’s girls blitzed to victory with 26 points and East Valley was second with 43. Ada Harris of Pullman won (21:35.53).

1A Bi-District: Lakeside’s boys and girls swept titles at Apple Ridge cross country course near Yakima.

Lakeside’s boys won with 43 points, and Colville was second with 50.

Malik Ortiz of Colville won in a time of 15:30.83.

Lakeside’s girls won with 43 points, and Medical Lake was second with 63.

Kaylee Dennler of Medical Lake took second (18:47.52).

Idaho: The Coeur d’Alene boys captured a third straight state championship Saturday at Lewis-Clark State College’s course in Lewiston Orchards.

Coeur d’Alene posted 30 points with its five-scoring runners finishing in the top 14. Junior Wyatt Carr, out for a month nursing an injury this season, took second in a time of 14:31.3. Sophomore teammate Rowan Henry took third (14:38.9), senior Mitchell Rietze was fifth (14:47.4) and sophomore Wyatt Morgenstern was sixth (14:48.8).

Annabelle Carr of Coeur d’Alene Charter won a second straight State 4A title, winning in a time of 17:53.5.

Timberlake’s girls won the 4A title. Lola Eggleston led Timberlake by placing third (18:10.1) and teammate Vanessa McLachlan took fourth (18:26.2).