By PAUL DELANEY
Staff Reporter
Don't look now but there seem to be great strides being made – literally – by new Medical Lake cross country coach Gene Blankenship as his boys' team made an impressive showing this past Saturday.
The Cardinals earned a fifth place finish from Jacob Morrison who clocked a time of 17 minutes, 1 second on the 3-mile course and helped lead Medical Lake to a second place team finish at the Seaport Invite held in Clarkston.
“I had asked the boys if they had placed in an invitational,” Blankenship said. “They had at a JV meet running in a small school division at Farragut, but not in the varsity division the last four years anyway.”
Even more special for Medical Lake was beating Walla Walla, ranked No. 9 in state 4A cross country rankings. “I assume they had everybody there because they ran real well in the JV meet,” Blankenship said.
Peter Loeffler was 12th with a time of 17:17. “Josh Stebbins was our third man, he's been consistent,” finishing 20th overall at 17:48.
The Cards' competitor of the meet was Andrew Ryan, 30th overall in the race, finishing the 3-mile course in 17:38. That award is determined by a vote of coaches and team captains and is focused on effort, not necessarily a high finish. “He had his best race of the season so far,” Blankenship said. Sophomore Zeb Klemke was fifth, 34th overall, with a time of 18:35.32.
On the girls' side sophomore Kelby Wegner was the top finisher at 12th with a time of 21:44 and senior Amelia Cook 17th in her first competition after a later turnout at 17:48.
“We're pretty good for the top two and OK at third,” Blankenship said.
Medical Lake opened Great Northern League competition last Tuesday, falling to West Valley 21-38. Loeffler and Morrison finished third and fourth respectively. “Stebbins almost got their fifth guy,” Blankenship said. “Actually I thought we ran pretty well against them.”
Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].
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