Saturday, Nov. 07, 2009

In good company

By Kevin Anthony, Herald staff writer

When Andrea Nelson toes the start line today at the 3A state cross country meet at Sun Willows Golf Course, the senior from Shadle Park might feel a little off.

A two-time state champion who was a runner-up as a freshman, Nelson could look to her left and her right at that starting line and recognize a lot of faces she's run against -- and beaten -- over the years.

But if she looks over her shoulder, she will see something completely new to her. At least, new at state.

Teammates.

For the first time in her storied career, Nelson is bringing friends from Spokane -- teammates who have the Highlanders among the favorites to win the 3A title.

"I love it so much," said the ebullient Nelson, who flew solo her first three trips to state. "I definitely wanted my team with me this year."

"She's in heaven right now," said her coach, Bob Isitt. "She is a team-oriented runner. She wants the team to excel. She was so excited coming back from Mountain West in Missoula. She won and our team won easily, and she said, 'I feel like I'm in a dream.' "

Mountain West, an elite meet with the top teams from Idaho and Montana, proved the Highlanders belong in the race with top-ranked Glacier Peak for the state title.

After not sending a team to state since 2002, Shadle's rebirth into a state power this season came from three key arrivals -- freshman Kendra Weitz, like Nelson one of the top runners in the state; Chelsea Chandler, who won a state title with SP's volleyball team last fall and played for the runner-up basketball team as well; and Shayle Dezellem, a soccer transfer and hurdler from the track team.

Mix in consistent sophomore Katie Morris and senior Megan Inman -- Nelson's running buddy for state the previous three years but a first-time competitor this season -- and it adds up to a contender.

Nelson, the youngest of six brothers and sisters, will continue her career at BYU, where her brother, Rich, is an All-American steeplechaser.

She already is the most decorated cross country runner in Shadle Park history and owns about a dozen course records in Spokane and around the state, including at the Carmichael Middle School course for the Richland Invite.

But for all those medals, that one that stands out the most -- which put her on the national map -- is a second-place award for the 3,200-meters from state track in 2008.

The story is legend -- even made Sports Illustrated -- and it ended with Nelson, then a sophomore, handing her state championship medal to another girl, Nicole Cochran of Bellarmine Prep, who had been wrongly disqualified from the race.

"She is an amazing young lady," said Isitt, who nominated Nelson for the Hoopfest Sportsmanship of the Year Award she won that year.

The irony for Nelson, who remembers being an upstart freshman who burst onto the scene and right away challenged the established juniors and seniors, is that today will be her toughest state meet since that freshman season, and it's because of all the new kids on the block.

The top challengers are all freshmen: Weitz; North Central's Katie Knight -- who won regionals going away; and Glacier Peak's Amy-Eloise Neale, who has been blowing everyone away.

"The last two years, I've kind of come in with a little bit of a gap," Nelson said. "(This year) I expect an all-guts race at the end. It's gonna be good."