‘Jane is competing at another level’: Offseason work pays off for Mt. Spokane runner Wycoff as she heads to state meet

Mt. Spokane long-distance standout Jane Wycoff can pinpoint exactly where her improvement has come this fall.

It was well before the season – and the reward was an undefeated Greater Spokane League season.

Wycoff, a junior, had done minimum training previously. But this summer, she increased her training to 35 miles a week, finishing with about 250.

“That’s part of the reason why it’s been a better season because I trained harder this summer than I have before,” she said. “I learned the importance of summer training, so I’ll probably train even harder next summer. I’ll try to push the pace on my runs and try to be consistent. Sometimes it’s hard to do when there’s less structure, but I want to be super consistent and upping the pace on my normal runs so my body can get used to going faster.”

The results don’t lie. She had the best time in the GSL by 19 seconds. Coach Andy Sonneland saw it coming during the preseason.

“Jane was just seconds off Charlotte Pedersen’s course record at our team time trial in late August and Charlotte went undefeated in the GSL in 2022,” Sonneland said. “So while the league is very strong with individual runners this fall, we thought an undefeated GSL season was a challenging but obtainable goal.”

The secret to Wycoff’s success is simple, Sonneland said.

“Jane is competing at another level compared to where she’s been,” he said. “First, her training this summer was more consistent than past offseasons, and that’s carried over to this fall. Second, she is much tougher mentally.”

He said Wycoff took a big step at the Bellevue Invite in late September.

“That was a huge breakthrough,” Sonneland said. “Mentally, she was pedal to the metal start to finish. She finished fifth in a high-quality field and (had a personal best) by nearly a minute. She hasn’t looked back.”

Wycoff was never challenged in the four GSL duals.

“It’s not easy to be out there by yourself, maintaining the necessary focus to hold off a group of very talented competitors for 3.1 miles,” Sonneland said.

Wycoff’s career-best time came at Bellevue when she finished in 18 minutes, 7.2 seconds.

She cruised to victory in the District 6 state-qualifying meet at Veterans Memorial Golf Course in Walla Walla in 18:21.82, 28 seconds faster than the runner-up.

Now she heads to state Saturday at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco to go against a deep field. She’s ranked 12th among 3A runners with seven seniors ahead of her.

Wycoff finished 68th at state as a freshman and moved up to 21st last year, one spot out of earning a medal in a time of 19:01 – an improvement of 1:40.8 from her freshman season.

“It was kind of a bummer. I didn’t realize I was that close to the (awards) podium until the end of the race,” said Wycoff, who also fell a second short of breaking 19 minutes. “It’s been a big motivation this year.”

She didn’t want to be specific about her goal at state this week, but finishing in the top 10 is more than realistic. And her time should be in the mid-18s.

Wycoff, who carries a 4.0 grade-point average and wants to be a nurse, is looking forward to state.

Her team won the district title and five of Mt. Spokane’s runners had personal bests. The Wildcats are ranked fourth and all of a sudden find themselves in contention for a state trophy.

“We’ve been inconsistent much of the season, but we’re coming into form lately,” Sonneland said.

“If we can bring that same fire and focus at state we have a shot at a top four finish.”

Wycoff has running in her genes. An uncle, Samuel Ahlbeck, won a State 3A title in 2004 at Lindbergh High in Renton. He talks with Wycoff frequently about her race and training.

“My goal at state is just to be aggressive the whole time,” she said. “I just want to do the best for my team and have a good end to my season and know that I did my very best.”

Sonneland appreciates Wycoff for her character and leadership.

“Jane’s best quality is she doesn’t confuse running fast with being a successful person,” Sonneland said.

“Her self-worth is not tied to her performance. Twenty years from now, she’ll be a blessing to her family, friends and community – not because she once ran fast but because she loves others so well. She is a leader on the team because she models what it looks like to be an other-centered teammate.”