St. George’s cross country runners Josie McLaughlin, Regan Thomas push each other to top of Class 2B/1B

Rick Riley knows a thing or two about cross country.

At Ferris, he was a state champ in 1965.

Riley, 76, is the head coach at St. George’s, where he has arguably the best two 2B/1B runners in the state. They may be the best two runners in the area regardless of classification.

Senior Josie McLaughlin is back after winning a state championship as a sophomore and missing her junior year because of an avulsion fracture in her left hip. After bouncing back to form at state track last spring, McLaughlin is poised to finish atop the 2B/1B heap.

If McLaughlin doesn’t do it, her teammate and good friend, junior Regan Thomas, is right on her heels.

McLaughlin barely broke a sweat in a meet last month in Lewiston, winning despite fighting through illness. Thomas was second.

But McLaughlin hasn’t raced since. She’s been recovering from a mysterious infection in her lungs.

“Although I was sick at Lewiston, I felt in great shape,” McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin is returning just in time. She placed second at a meet in Newport, Washington, on Tuesday, and Thomas beat her friend for the first time.

With the state meet five weeks away, though, McLaughlin said she can get herself ready.

On advice from her doctor last fall, McLaughlin took nearly three months off . She started doing light running in early January and was back ready to go in track.

She led the Dragons to a state championship, winning the 800- and 1,600-meter titles and teaming with Thomas in the title-winning 4x400 relay.

McLaughlin was stoked to get her final cross country season underway. Then she was slowed by the illness.

She has won 10 state titles, nine in track. She’s won state titles in the 800 and 1,600 along with running a leg on the 4x400 relay for three years in a row.

It’s not even a question which sport she likes most.

“Her and I negotiate a lot when it comes to cross country,” said Riley, who also coaches distance runners in track. “She would much rather do track than cross country. Cross country doesn’t excite her as much as track does.”

While McLaughlin runs 3.1 miles in a cross country meet, she refuses to run an eight-lap 3,200 .

“I asked Rick when I was a freshman to never put me in a 3,200,” she said. “So far, he’s kept his deal.”

Every time McLaughlin takes to the starting line in either sport, she becomes a different person. Gone is the quiet McLaughlin and out comes the competitor.

“I get a lot of adrenaline,” she said. “Once I start, I’m like in a whole different mode.”

Thomas said the personality change in her teammate is obvious at race time.

“She switches gears so fast,” Thomas said. “It’s so cool to watch.”

McLaughlin’s favorite event is the 800. Thomas’ favorite is the 3,200 – an event she won at state last year.

While McLaughlin relies on speed and a sprint finish, Thomas is a grinder.

“She has strength and determination,” Riley said of Thomas. “They run different kinds of races.”

Thomas has improved measurably this season. It started even before the season began when she dropped soccer to solely focus on running.

She split time the previous autumns between cross country and soccer. She ran more than 400 miles during the summer, coming into the season in her best shape .

“It’s really paid off,” Thomas said.

She took second Saturday at the Battle for the 509 on a flat and fast course at the Spokane Polo Grounds. Thomas ran a personal-best 18 minutes, 16.9 seconds – an 83-second improvement over a year ago.

“She is a tough, fearless girl,” Riley said. “I thought she could run under 18:40, but 18:16.9 was astounding.”

All of a sudden, it appears state could come down to a 1-2 finish between teammates.

That would be fine, as far as McLaughlin and Thomas are concerned.

McLaughlin wants to win a second state title, especially after not having the chance to defend last season. But she would be just as pleased with placing second to Thomas if St. George’s could do something special – win a team championship.

The Dragons were ranked No. 1 in the coaches’ 2B/1B poll until Sunday when they dropped to third. Their chief competition will be Pope John Paul and Rainier.

McLaughlin and Thomas are near the top of their classes academically. McLaughlin has a 3.97 grade-point average and Thomas’ is 3.985.

McLaughlin plans to compete in cross country and track next year at Amherst College in Massachusetts.

Thomas is visiting Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire, next month.

Riley expects McLaughlin to finish her senior year strongly and Thomas to take over next year.

“She’s definitely on pace to be at Josie’s level next year,” Riley said.