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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bunch of Bears earn share of title

CV, Mead tie at GSL finish

There’s something to be said about togetherness.

Seven runners from Central Valley’s girls team roared home in a pack Wednesday afternoon, seven runners separated by 37 seconds, to produce a share of their third straight Greater Spokane League championship.

The host Bears defeated Mead 25-35 despite a 1-2 finish by the Panthers’ Baylee Mires, who clocked 19 minutes, 13 seconds, and Sara Stenerson. Both teams finished the league season with identical 9-1 records, ahead of Mt. Spokane and Lewis and Clark (both 8-2).

Six CV runners poured home before Mead’s third scorer to secure their piece of the title.

“I’ve never had a team like that,” coach Dennis McGuire said of an effort that saw all six finish in less than 20 minutes – between 19:24 and 19:45 – and the seventh varsity member just miss while placing 11th overall in 20:01.

“One through seven they’re just an awesome group of girls,” McGuire said.

The Bears had narrowly lost to LC 27-29 the second week of the season. But the mix of veterans and two freshmen kept getting better, McGuire said.

“It’s amazing how the dynamics of a team changes (as seniors graduate),” McGuire said. “The girls kept their focus and training, and we’ve been seeing this coming.”

Last week’s 26-32 triumph over Mt. Spokane at Seimer’s Farm was a harbinger of things to come on Wednesday.

Mires stormed to the front at the gun and left the rest of the field behind.

But the Bears bunched together and kept contact with Panthers Stenerson and freshman Danielle Maldonado.

As the race progressed toward the 2-mile mark, two CV runners fell in behind Mires. The others were part of a pack of Bears and Panthers.

Stenerson moved past in the final push to the finish chute, but after her came the long blue line of CV runners – Eden Lake, Madi Barnes, and after East Valley (4-6) standout Lauren Bergam, freshman Jamie Lambie, Bree Barsten, Josie Warner and the other frosh, Leah Amsden.

“It was astounding,” McGuire said. “I didn’t expect that.”

In other races, LC defeated Shadle Park (5-5) 24-31 and University (4-6) 23-32 at Shadle. The host Highlanders topped U-Hi 23-32 with Andrea Nelson the overall winner in a course-record 17:44. It was Nelson’s second course record in as many weeks. U-Hi’s Stevie Gildehaus timed 18:19 in second, well ahead of the four LC Tigers who finished next to secure the victory. … At Finch Arboretum, Mt. Spokane swept North Central (4-6) 18-38 and host Gonzaga Prep (3-7) 19-40 behind the 1-2 punch of Molly Cole and Courtney Zalud, who each timed 20:42.

Boys

North Central (10-0) completed a perfect season at Finch with easy wins over Mt. Spokane (7-3), Gonzaga Prep (5-5) and Ferris (5-5). Ferris’ Adam Thorne finished ahead of G-Prep’s Tate Kelly. The next five finishers were from NC, coasting home between 17:03 and 17:07. … Mead (9-1) had the first three finishers – Jordan Baker, Steven Kutsch and Eric Foss, who timed between 16:17 and 16:36 – to sweep Central Valley (3-7) 22-34, and East Valley (1-9) 15-48 and finish second in league. … LC (7-3) beat University (6-4) 24-31 and Shadle Park (2-8) 19-36 when Kenji Bierig raced past Shadle freshman Nathan Weitz and U-Hi senior Anthony Brown in the last half-mile for victory in 15:36.

Great Northern League

In Pullman, Colville’s Jake Hastings nipped Pullman’s Micah Adams by a second as his Indians (5-1) beat the Greyhounds (2-3) 23-34 and Clarkston (0-5) 15-46. Colville’s girls (3-3) also won over Pullman and Clarkston (both 1-4) 24-33 on the 1-2 finish of Jessica Cloke and Alaina Kowitz.