Simmers, EV Run Away With It

AA

Last year’s State AA girls championship cross country team will defend its title next weekend in Pasco. The defending individual state champion will not.

Cheney sophomore Jeanette Zimmer finished 17th in the Millwood Albertsons/ District AA race at Hangman Valley Golf Course on Saturday and did not qualify.

“I don’t know what kind of a day it was,” the disappointed runner said. “It just wasn’t there.”

Her coach, Jay Martin, said her mother told him Zimmer didn’t feel well Friday.

“Or maybe it was one of those days,” he said. “I don’t know.”

For East Valley’s Angie Simmers and her teammates, it was a good day.

The defending state champion Knights stormed to a 37-55 team victory over West Valley and former state runner-up Simmers won her first district title after finishing second behind WV’s Jessica Riehle the last two years.

She caught teammate Ann Marie Adams after the first mile and cruised to victory, 8 seconds ahead of 1993 state champion Riehle, Jennifer Rea of Clarkston and Adams.

“I wanted to force the first mile so she’d get up with me,” Adams said.

Simmers thought, “Shoot, Ann, slow down.”

Both thought the pace of the first mile was too slow.

“I like a fast mile, but either way,” said Simmers, “it was my turn.”

Rea and Riehle had won the previous three Frontier League races. Now Simmers wears the crown.

“She sandbags until the end,” said EV coach Nick Lazanis. “I wish she would race consistently, but hey, if she does it in the big ones that’s what counts.”

EV ran without Carmen Cook, out with stress fractures. But Cara Smith finished seventh and Holly Weiler, who needed a run-off just to make the varsity for this race, was ninth. Jen Mills completed scoring in 16th place.

WV’s Heather Harmon, who placed fifth, also qualified for state.

“EV ran well,” said WV coach Jim McLachlan. “I would have liked us closer, but we couldn’t have beaten them.”

Lazanis was ecstatic about the win.

“As far as I’m concerned, this is the best girls team in league, bar none,” he said.

West Valley’s boys team, unbeaten during league, topped short-handed Riverside 40-54 for the state berth.

East Valley’s Chris Henderson, who won only one league meet during the year but was district runner-up last year, was the individual winner by 10 seconds.

“If they created a perfect course for my running style, this is it,” said Henderson. “But there was no way in my mind I thought I had it. I knew the league was a lot better and knew I had to be in the lead at the 2-mile mark. It was there today.”

West Valley’s pack was too much for the rest of the field, even if McLachlan didn’t think the Eagles ran particularly well.

They had five finishers among the top 11, including runnerup Clayton Holmes and seventh and eighth placers Matt Wheeler and freshman Sean McLachlan.

“We did not run as great as I wanted but ran well enough to win,” said McLachlan. “We expect to do better next week.”

By finishing second, Riverside’s seniors, who had been mainstays in previous State A meets and were part of a co-titlist as sophomores, stayed home.

Marc Horton, last year’s district champion, could not run because he injured a knee playing basketball two weeks ago.

“When you lose a defending district champion, that can’t help but have an impact,” said Rams coach Bill Kemp.

Aside from Henderson and Holmes, the other boys qualifiers were Jon Ashcraft and Nick Barth of Riverside, and EV’s Dustin Sletner.

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