KENNEWICK -- With the graduation of the area's most dominant running talent, the Southridge boys seemed poised to fall out of consideration as one of the Mid-Columbia's premier programs.
Now that Andrew Gonzales is chasing down the competition while pursuing a degree in biology at Washington State, the Suns lack that runner who can challenge for a win in any race.
And that's just fine with coach Jamie Monroe.
"We don't have that front-runner guy that we always did (with Gonzales)," Monroe said. "But these guys, maybe they've stayed hidden a little more."
Not for long, though.
Seniors Colby Cravens, Kyle Sturdefant and Quinton Olivas are off to the kind of start that won't leave them strangers to the competition for very long. The trio is leading a Suns team deep in seniors and juniors that went 5-1 at its opening CBBN meet last week -- losing only to Kamiakin, ranked No. 15 in the nation by one website and third in the state by the coaches.
Southridge's measure as a challenger to the Braves for the league title was confirmed at the Highlander Invite, where the Suns finished second to national powerhouse Ferris in the senior meet.
"I think we're more evenly matched with Kamiakin than it appeared (in the CBBN race)," Monroe said, noting the Braves placed their top three runners ahead of his No. 1 -- and he doesn't expect that to happen again.
"It's a nice rivalry," he added.
There should be room for both teams at state this year. The Eastern Region has four team berths to state, one of which will go to a CBBN team because of the weighted regional against the Greater Spokane League. With top-ranked Ferris and Kamiakin odds-on favorites, that leaves two spots for four likely contenders, including the No. 8 Suns.
-- The Richland girls moved up three spots to No. 4 in the 4A state rankings, while Hanford held steady at No. 10 in the 3A ranks.
This is a quiet week in the CBBN -- there are no league events scheduled, and most teams are forgoing invitationals this weekend.
Tuesday is the next league meet, and then the Sunfair Invitational is Oct. 3, followed the next week by the Richland Invite.
-- The big invite in the area this weekend is the 38th annual Connell Invitational. Twenty-four teams are scheduled to take part.
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Armstrong, Kamiakin lead talented pool of runners
Armstrong, Kamiakin lead talented pool of runners
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.
League wrestling titles at stake this week
League wrestling titles at stake this week
A big week of wrestling is on tap for Mid-Columbia teams in the hunt for league titles.
In the CBBN 4A, Chiawana (4-0) travels to Moses Lake (3-0) on Thursday for a dual that should decide the regular-season crown. That same day will see Pasco travel to Sunnyside in a battle of 5-0 teams in the CBBN 3A.
This is the second consecutive season the Bulldogs and Grizzlies will meet with unblemished records. Last year, the Grizzlies won 34-18 and went on to secure the league title.
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.
Couple quick cross country notes
Couple quick cross country notes
Just a couple of quick cross country notes.
First, I must have had a brain freeze when I was putting together a quick overview for the area cross country scene earlier this week. I forgot to include Southridge senior Rachel Dahl in a list of runners to keep an eye on.
Let's see ... All she did as a junior was place consistently in the top 10 throughout the season, then finish fifth at district, eighth at regional and 19th at the 3A state meet, easily the best finish for a Suns girl at state ever.
A few thoughts on girls soccer
A few thoughts on girls soccer
It's been a pretty good year for girls soccer in the Tri-Cities. Not only in high school, but at the club level, too.
For our purposes, I'll stick to high school soccer though.
In the CBBN 4A, Richland, as expected, is in the mix for another league championship. What wasn't expected was that Moses Lake would be right there with them. The Chiefs have put up some truly impressive wins. One week after being Chiawana on the road, they beat the Bombers in a shootout at home.
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