Columns & Blogs

I am being committed ...

A new school year is upon us, and I’ve decided to make a New School Year resolution: 365 bylines in the paper or blogs on the website.

For those who struggle with math (sportswriters included), that will average out to one a day for the next 365 days (who said algebra would never come in handy?).

What does that mean for you the reader? Well, probably a lot of meaningless drivel hastily rat-a-tap-tapped out on the keyboard so I can catch up after I inevitably procrastinate for the first 364 days.

But lets get off to a good start with something that really does belong: the preseason state cross country coaches poll.

Our good friend Phil English, the venerable Eisenhower coach, does all the hard work — tallying the votes, wrangling the coaches — and gets it sent out each Sunday, which means I’ve already got a head start on that procrastination stuff since it’s been sitting in my email for four days now.

Local cross country fans — yes, like Bigfoot, they do exist, just don’t like to have their picture taken — will be pleased to see the usual suspects haunting the top 10s.

The Kamiakin boys (ranked third in 3A) and girls (ranked second) may have lost their No. 1 runners, but they still have a lot of gravitas.

In the 4A ranks, the Richland girls grabbed the No. 10 spot, with Walla Walla receiving votes. The Wa-Hi boys also are ranked 10th.

Not much love in the 2A or 1A polls — Royal got votes on the boys side — but two-time defending state champ Tri-Cities Prep is ranked second in 2B/1B boys, and the Jaguars are fourth on the girls side.

Here are the polls:

Boys 4A

1, Gig Harbor

2, Henry Jackson

3, Central Valley

4, Tahoma

5, Kamiak

6, Eisenhower

7, Mead

8, Garfield

9, Camas

10, Walla Walla

Others: Lewis & Clark, Redmond, Skyline

Girls 4A

1, Bellarmine Prep

2, Camas

3, Tahoma

4, Henry Jackson

5, Redmond

6, Eisenhower

7, Central Valley

8, Snohomish

9, Issaquah

10, Richland

Others: Lewis & Clark, Union, Walla Walla

Boys 3A

1, North Central

2, Seattle Prep

3, Kamiakin

4, Mt. Spokane

5, Nathan Hale

6, University

7, Columbia River

8, Oak Harbor

9, Bishop Blanchet

10, Bellevue

Others: Lakeside, Lakes, Hazen

Girls 3A

1, Glacier Peak

2, Kamiakin

3, Peninsula

4, Interlake

5, Shadle Park

6, Prairie

7, Lakeside

8, Mercer Island

9, Liberty-Issaquah

10, Mt. Spokane

Others: Oak Harbor, Bellevue, Enumclaw

Boys 2A

1, Sehome

2, Squalicum

3, Bellingham

4, Deer Park

5, Cedarcrest

6, Selah

7, Mark Morris

8, Lindbergh

9, Lakewood

10, Tumwater

Others: WF West, Colville, Capital, Cheney

Girls 2A

1, Cheney

2, Sehome

3, Burlington

4, Bellingham

5, North Kitsap

6, Mark Morris

7, Cedarcrest

8, Kingston

9, Deer Park

10, Ephrata

Others: Lakewood, Hockinson, Sumner

Boys 1A

1, Charles Wright Academy

2, La Center

3, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls)

4, King's

5, Lynden Christian

6, Omak

7, Cashmere

8, Montesano

9, Meridian

10, Toledo

Others: Royal, Highland, Northwest

Girls 1A

1, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls)

2, Meridian

3, Northwest

4, King's

5, Riverside

6, Cashmere

7, Nooksack Valley

8, South Whidbey

9, Lynden Christian

10, Montesano

Others: Chelan, La Center, Mt. Baker

Boys 2B/1B

1, NW Christian-Colbert

2, Tri-Cities Prep

3, Davenport

4, Northwest Christian-Lacey

5, Asotin

6, Republic

7, Mossyrock

8, Seattle Waldorf

9, Liberty Bell

10, Seton Catholic

Others: Mt. Rainier Lutheran, Bickleton, Morton-White Pass

Girls 2B/1B

1, Northwest Christian-Lacey

2, Rearden

3, Asotin

4, Tri-Cities Prep

5, Morton-White Pass

Others: Bear Creek, Oroville, Mt. Rainier Lutheran

This story was originally published August 30, 2012 at 5:04 PM with the headline "I am being committed ...."

Get one year of unlimited digital access for $159.99
#ReadLocal

Only 44¢ per day

SUBSCRIBE NOW