Prep roundup: Mead boys, girls cross country sweep Battle for the 509; Hayden Anderson’s hat trick paces East Valley girls soccer

Roundup of Saturday’s high school sports action from the Greater Spokane League.

Some of the results have been updated after official standings posted. 

Cross country

Saturday afternoon at the Spokane Polo Club was a big day for two of the state’s top programs as Mead’s boys and girls teams came away with titles at this year’s Battle for the 509 Invitational.

Led by junior Charlotte Cullen, the reigning girls State 3A champions scored 63 points to capture the varsity team title, defeating Greater Spokane League foes Ridgeline and Mt. Spokane, which both finished with 116 points.

Coming off a solid outing at the Mountain West Classic in Missoula, Cullen crossed the tape first for the Panthers in a personal-best time of 18 minutes, 27.1 seconds to place fourth overall for the 5,000-meter race.

“My confidence has definitely been boosted,” Cullen said, who took seventh in the 800 at the 3A state track meet last spring.

“I’ve just been using the speed from track in the last little bits of races like the last 800. Just really use that speed to go for it.”

Mead had three more in the top 15: junior Raegan Borg was sixth (18:50.8), junior Elle Vanning took eighth (19:11.7) and senior Olivia Ferraro placed 12th (19:20.4).

“We’re getting a lot closer as a team,” Cullen said. “We’re all pushing each other in workouts so the goal this year has been working as a team.”

East Valley’s Logan Hofstee continued her winning ways this junior season with another dominating performance as she took home the individual crown in a lifetime-best effort of 17:48.6.

Central Valley senior Nicole Bissell had a career day, finishing second in a personal-best time of 18:15.4 to lead the Bears to a fourth-place finish with 123 points. Mt. Spokane was led by senior Charlotte Pedersen in third with a time of 18:21.4.

Ridgeline senior Alivia Bruno ran a personal best of 19:17.4 to finish 11th overall for the Falcons.

North Central’s Kendall Carter ran a season best of 19:02.3 to place seventh for the Wolfpack.

Other notable girls finishers: Sadie Meyring (Lakeside) fifth, 18L29.31; Josie McLaughlin (St. George’s) ninth 19:15.20; Abby Crossley (East Valley) 10th 19:16.80; Samantha Habegger (Cheney) 14th, 19:40.6. 

Mead’s Noah Holden earned a first-place individual finish and led his Panthers to the team title over Cheney 58-152.

The senior crossed the finish line in a personal-best time of 15:38.5, eclipsing his previous time by 37 seconds from the Fort Steilacoom Invitational on Sept. 17 in Lakewood, Washington.

“Just around mile one, it just started to feel good,” Holden said. “The front group started to slow down, and I just decided to do about a 10 second surge. At that point, I never saw anybody else.”

Holden led two other Mead boys into the top-10 to help in scoring as senior Jonathan Lieb ran a personal best time of 16:20.7 to place fifth and senior Jacob Marchesseault was ninth in a personal best time of 16:30.2. Senior Zach Zwiesler cracked his way into the top 20 for Mead in a time of 16:48.1, also a personal best effort.

“We’re starting to get in a groove again,” Holden said. “We had a big fall off with COVID. The whole charisma and attitude on the team kind of went down with COVID, but now it’s starting to come back, and people are getting serious again.”

Chewelah senior Cole Foster posted a best of 15:46.84 to earn the runner-up finish behind Holden.

Freeman junior Barrett Poulsen, winner of this year’s Highlander Invitational race, took third overall in a personal-best time of 15:54.71.

Sophomore Calvin Hilton placed fourth overall for second-place Cheney, running a personal-best 16:00.42.

Gonzaga Prep finished in third with 153 points and were led by a 22nd place effort from sophomore Luke Decker in a personal best time of 16:51.78.

Senior Hayden Blank led Lakeside to a fourth-place finish with 180 points behind his eighth-place effort in 16:29.95.

Shadle Park senior Luke Hammond grabbed seventh place in a personal best of 16:27.27. Chewelah junior Ty Crockett rounded out the top 10 in a personal best of 16:32.42.

Girls soccer

East Valley 4, Colville 0: Hayden Anderson scored a hat trick and the Knights (2-7) blanked the visiting Crimson Hawks (5-5) in a nonleague game.

Volleyball

East Valley 3, Colville 1: The Knights (2-5) beat the visiting Crimson Hawks (7-4) in a nonleague match.

Northwest Christian 3, Rogers 0: The visiting Crusaders (5-4) swept the Pirates (0-6) in a nonleague match.