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Andrew Gonzales came into the fall with every expectation of becoming just the third runner from the Tri-Cities to win a state cross country title.
Unfortunately for the Southridge senior, the 4A state meet was one of just three races he didn't win during the high school season, though his outstanding overall performance made him an easy choice as the Herald's All-Area boys runner of the year.
Umatilla senior Nancy Cardenas earned the girls honor, providing consistent performances throughout the season -- culminating in a state championship in the Oregon 1A/2A/3A race -- during an inconsistent year for the area's top runners.
Despite knocking nearly a minute off his time from last season, Gonzales couldn't move up from his fourth-place finish in the 3A race and again finished fourth, this time in the 4A field.
He ran the Sun Willows GC course in 15 minutes, 29 seconds, sixth fastest overall among all classes. That was 51 seconds faster than his time the previous year on the same course.
Gonzales' Southridge team took on one of the most aggressive invitational schedules in the state, including stops at the Bellarmine Prep, Highlander, Sunfair, Richland and Stanford invites. Gonzales set a meet record at Bellarmine, won a prestigious Sunfair title and placed sixth in an elite field at Stanford.
In the last two seasons, he has finished first or second in 15 of 19 races.
"His only really bad race that I've ever seen was Sunfair his sophomore year when he finished last in the seventh flight," said Suns coach Jamie Monroe, who praised Gonzales' consistent career.
The other members of the All-Area team are senior Jordan Ringe of Hermiston, junior Evan Fiske and freshman Anthony Armstrong of Kamiakin, sophomore Aaron Nelson of Walla Walla, senior Jose Marcial of Kiona-Benton and sophomore Ethan Tonnemaker of Royal. Both Gonzales and Ringe were repeat members of the first team, while Marcial and Tonnemaker were on the second team.
Cardenas was a model of consistency for Umatilla, winning her last four races of the season and finishing no worse than third this year. She repeated her district title and then finished the state meet in 19:03, 20 seconds better than two-time defending champion Ashley Baldovino of Lakeview.
Among Cardenas' best performances was a second-place finish in the Varsity II race at the Bob Firman Invitational in Boise. Her time would have been good enough to place in the top 25 of the elite race.
Cardenas is joined on the first team by senior Haley Tank and sophomore Erin Hegarty of Hanford, junior Marisa Vander Malle of Pasco, sophomores Maggie Jones and Emily Hazen of Richland and senior Cristal Delgado of Hermiston.
Hegarty, Cardenas and Tank all were on the first team last season, and Vander Malle was on the second team.
Richland's Lauri Sax is the coach of the year. The Bombers girls won their third straight district title and advanced to state as a team for a fourth straight season, a record for the program. The boys finished 9-4 and tied for fourth in the league.
Sax said she was disappointed that the girls team failed to finish among the top four at state and win a trophy after being ranked near the top in state and Northwest polls throughout the season. But, she added, with Jones, Hazen and fellow sophomore Katie Mahoney (all-area second team), there is much to look forward to next season.
