It is a tale of two vastly different district races today at Hanford and Wenatchee.
On one hand is the 3A district meet at Leslie Groves Park (3:30 p.m.), a truly all-inclusive event in which Hanford, Sunnyside and West Valley (Yakima) will run for 5 kilometers, and then everyone will move on -- even those who didn't run individually in the race -- to next week's regional race at Carmichael Middle School.
The 4A race at Walla Walla Point Park, on the other hand, has at least a little bit on the line.
The top six teams and 20 individuals not on those teams advance to the Richland regionals. In the past, the 4A has mirrored the 3A, with coaches able to treat it strictly like a training week. Though top teams likely will retain their laid-back attitude, those who may find themselves on the cusp of qualifying for regionals will go at it a little harder.
"Where it hurts you more is at state," Richland coach Lauri Sax said of having to start training hard at the start of the postseason. "That's why I didn't taper either of my teams. I know they're both going to be in the top four."
The change in the 4A regionals spelled bad news for the Greater Spokane League, which was forced to eliminate several of the state's top teams at its district meets Wednesday.
Mead and Ferris finished 1-2 in the boys race, which means Lewis & Clark, ranked fifth in the state coaches poll, can't qualify as a team for state. Neither can No. 6 Central Valley nor No. 8 University.
On the girls side, Central Valley and Lewis & Clark took the top two spots, so No. 6 Mead is out.
GSL coaches have been unanimous in their disapproval of the change.
"It's almost to the point where it's harder to qualify for regionals than state," LC coach Mark Vandine told the Spokane Spokesman-Review.
Although three teams will advance from each 4A regional meet to state, only two can be GSL teams. The CBBN is guaranteed one team.
What that means is that the league that has dominated state cross country -- Spokane teams have won every 4A boys state title since 1987 -- will leave home four ranked teams.
"If it had been the coaches voting, I would have just said, no let's take the best ones," Sax said. "The coaches didn't have anything to do with that decision. But the alternative is we could go our own ways and take our two or three berths each year and they could have their one."
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SPOKANE VALLEY -- Carly Garland of Richland and Kiya Bjorge of Southridge qualified for the state all-around championships with quality finishes in the gymnastic regionals Saturday at Central Valley High in Spokane.
Garland placed fourth overall in the 4A with a score of 35.2. Mead earned the team title their top two all-around finishers -- Victoria Moyer (2nd, 36.350) and Cadie Pratt (3rd, 36.125) -- did not figure into the allocation of the two available berths. Nicole Moss of Heritage won the all-around with a 36.375.
Bjorge tied with Shadle Park's Alana Norman for the 3A all-around title, as each posted a 37.35 score. Southridge seniors Nicole Claver, Courtney Giaramita, Maeloni Ogle and Lindsey Potts put in solid performances as the Suns placed fifth in the team race with an aggregate 148.650 score.
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The senior volleyball player, though, had other ideas.
Volleyball notes: Fraga shines at running Southridge's offense
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KENNEWICK -- While many coaches may have been fearful about having a sophomore be the floor general, Southridge's John Lengphounpraseut had no such fear.
Lengphounpraseut tabbed sophomore Kylie Fraga as the setter for this year's Suns team and the move has paid off, as Southridge has won three of its last four matches heading into a big week of contests.
"Andrea Smith started as a freshman at setter, so I got used to that a little bit," said Lengphounpraseut of Smith, who graduated this spring. "Kylie is coming into her own, as far as what she's willing to do. She had a tough time chasing the ball at the beginning of the season, because our passing was as good.
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RICHLAND -- The sport of running will never rival the likes of football for attention.
Tonight's football game between Kennewick and Kamiakin high schools figures to fill up the 6,800-seat Lampson Stadium.
The Richland Invite -- the area's biggest regular-season cross country meet -- likely will draw several hundred spectators, mostly family and friends. And even the all-classes state event at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco can't compete with a regular-season showdown between city rivals.
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