Girls are runners-up by a point, boys also second in 3-mile race
Medical Lake’s cross country team took a big step forward, and a little one back at the Wenatchee Invitational staged at Walla Walla Park along the Columbia River.
The Cardinal girls surprised their coach with their runner-up finish in a six-team field, falling by a single point to host Wenatchee. The Medical Lake boys were a distant second to 4A Wenatchee 38-74 on the 3-mile course.
Medical Lake’s girls got three top-10 finishes, the best from Mariah Pena, a 20 minute, 25.3 second time, good for fourth behind leader, Eastmont High’s Betsy Arlt at 19:42.8.
“Last year we got hammered there with the girls’ team,” head coach Gene Blankenship said.
Maleeka Wegner was fifth at 20:38.8 and Sakaiya McCoy, running her first race of the season finished ninth in a time of 21:16.1. Bradyn Wegner (14th, 22:08.7) and Michaela Peterson (16th, 23:02) finished in the top 20.
Jacob Dingfield’s 16:04.3 topped the Medical Lake boys finishers, coming home third. The Cardinals ran without No. 2 Domenic Rehm who was home ill with the flu.
“If Dom’s there we still finish second and we’re like nine points(behind), assuming he’s with Jacob,” Blankenship said. Noah Kroeze was eighth at 16:50.7 and Micah Dingfield 12th with a 17:02.7.
“We got an excellent race out of two freshmen,” Blankenship said. Mason Williams, who won his division’s race at the Highlander two weeks ago, made the jump to varsity running fourth man and finished 26th in a time of 17:43.06. Tanner Henry topped the hoard of 160 junior varsity finishers in a time of 17:44.15.
“Overall times were not very good,” Blankenship said. ”It was hot and muggy and we are coming off a very difficult week — extremely hard week so they were a little tired.”
But there were some notable improvements from 2013. Jacob Dingfield ran a 16-second flat versus 16.08 a year ago. Kroeze improved by 1:30.
“Micah (Dingfield), we’re working on him, he’s coming along,” assistant coach David McNeill said. ”That’s the way we’re going at it, just bringing him up slowly.”
“We took it real easy on him in the summertime, now he’s working hard,” Blankenship said. He hopes one of his top runners for the 2013 defending state 1A champions returns to full form by the postseason.
This Saturday, Sept. 27, the Cardinals will take a select group to the Nike Pre-Nationals in Portland, Ore. This is one final tune-up before the start of Northeast A League competition Wednesday, Oct. 1, when the Cards host Chewelah at 3:30 p.m.
Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].
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