PASCO -- A funny thing happened at the state cross country championships Saturday.
There was a lot of talk that Spokane was vulnerable for the first time in two decades in the 4A boys race, and the Gig Harbor girls, chasing a fourth straight 4A title, could become the new Mead, the gold standard for consistent excellence.
Instead, the old Mead showed up at Sun Willows Golf Course. The Panthers barely placed two runners on the medal podium, but their spread of 29 seconds proved enough to knock off top-ranked Henry Jackson 98-106.
It was the second straight title for the Spokane powerhouse -- and its 15th in 32 years, including nine in a row from 1988-96. And after claiming the Greater Spokane League's 21st straight 4A title, the Panthers celebrated with a traditional swim in the golf course pond.
"We felt what it was like to be the hunter instead of the hunted -- it's a lot more relaxing," said Mead coach Steve Kiesel, whose team finished third at regionals a week earlier and lost big to Jackson twice during the season.
As for the new Mead, Gig Harbor's girls just missed out on a four-peat, finishing one point behind top-ranked Eastlake. Tides senior Alyssa Andrews ran away with the individual title, finishing in 18:00, 20 seconds ahead of Davis' Sandra Martinez.
A cold, damp and gray day gave up some scorching times, with numerous course records set in the various classifications. Redmond's Mac Young, relatively unknown around the state, was the fastest of all, winning the 4A race in 15 minutes, 18 seconds and matching the second-fastest time since the course changed to 5 kilometers in 1997.
"That was a little bit of motivation," Young said of not being mentioned with the likes of Central Kitsap's Shane Moskowitz (15:21), Auburn Riverside's Julian-Blake Cowan (15:27) and Southridge's Andrew Gonzales (15:29), who filled out the top four.
There was nothing surprising about North Central's dominating win in the 3A race. The two-time defending champions and top-ranked team in the nation scored 24 points -- second in state history to Mead's 20 in 1992 -- with three runners finishing in the top 5.
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State cross country championships, race by race
State cross country championships, race by race
PASCO -- Here is a race-by-race look at the 2011 Washington state cross country championships at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco:
4A boys
Last year, the team title slipped from the grasp of Spokane schools for the first time in 23 years. On Saturday, the trophy went back to the west side of the Cascades for the first time since 1986 as Gig Harbor topped defending champ Eisenhower 55-78.
Strong field set for 43rd Richland Invite
Strong field set for 43rd Richland Invite
RICHLAND -- Some terrific battles have taken place on the 3-mile cross country course that loops about Carmichael Middle School.
Today's 43rd edition of the Richland Invite promises to rank among the best, with star power, powerhouse teams and top-flight individual talent on both sides of the ledger.
In the boys race, Kamiakin senior Anthony Armstrong is the defending champ and course record holder after last year's time of 14 minutes, 53.36 seconds.
2011 boys cross country state previews
2011 boys cross country state previews
PASCO -- Here is a preview of each classification for the 2011 state cross country meet:
Class 4A
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Delgado, Berger, Moreno claim Tri-State wrestling titles
Delgado, Berger, Moreno claim Tri-State wrestling titles
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -- Hermiston's Joey Delgado and Tyler Berger repeated as champions Saturday at Tri-State in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, perhaps the toughest high school tournament in the Northwest.
Delgado, a three-time state champ, won his second Tri-State title with an 11-4 victory over Orting's Shannon Maris in a battle of the top-ranked 138-pounders in Washington and Oregon.
Berger, just a sophomore, won the crown at 132 with a 7-6 victory over Tahoma's Joey Palmer in another battle of top-ranked guys.
Kamiakin's Armstrong wins state cross country (w/ galleries)
Kamiakin's Armstrong wins state cross country (w/ galleries)
PASCO -- Broken records and shattered dreams. Powerhouse programs and dethroned champions. Winning at the tape and victory by the mile.
Saturday's state cross country meet at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco had it all, plus more than a dash of local flavor to make the 2011 edition a big hit.
Anthony Armstrong, Kamiakin's standout senior who had won just about everything but a state cross country crown, finally got that elusive win in the day's most thrilling race.
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