Injury, illness leaves Cheney limping into postseason
The injury and illness bugs have hit both Cheney High School cross country teams at just the wrong time — if there is such a thing as a good time.
Several key runners were sidelined as the Blackhawks traveled to face a good Pullman team last Wednesday, Oct. 15. The Greyhounds, a team Cheney head coach Jay Martin said is much better than last year and were “home and hungry” ran great in downing the boys 25-34 as well as the girls 23-34.
“We ran OK,” Martin said. “We were out a few kids. (But) I’m not making any excuses. We gave them the best shot we could.”
Leading the Blackhawk boys was Kameron Galm, who captured first with at time of 17 minutes, 55.6 seconds. Kaleb Lerch was fourth in 18:15.6 and Carson Kerr sixth in 18:50.00 as the Greyhounds landed all seven of their varsity runners in the top 10.
Britton Williams, Luke Huguenin, Justin Barker and JT Gould finished 11 – 14 for Cheney.
On the girls side the Greyhounds had similar success, landing six of seven runners in the top 10. Hannah Spakousky led Cheney, finishing second in 21:01.1, with Mattie McNair fifth in 22:02.2 and Jolene Whiteley sixth in 22:08.2. Rounding Cheney finishes were Jessica Vietzke and Shannen Gladden, ninth and 10th, and Linsay Sweitzer and Sadie Knutsen, 13th and 14th.
The Cheney boys were without three of their top runners, Steaven Zachman, Mason Van Stone and Matthew Christianson. Van Stone has left the team while Zachman has been battling a little tendonitis in his foot. Martin said he would be ready to run at the District 7 competition Saturday in Clarkston.
Christianson has been battling pneumonia for a couple of weeks, longer than what Martin said his doctor had anticipated. The sophomore began running last week after a nine-day layoff, and hopes to be ready for Saturday.
“If we can race him, we will,” Martin said, adding that they will err on the side of holding him out if they have any questions about his condition.
The Cheney girls were without both of the Brooks sisters, Alecia and Lexi, who have been sidelined with severe colds, Martin said.
The Blackhawks will have their work cut out for them in Clarkston this weekend if they hope to advance to “glue-in” competition with the Central Washington Athletic Conference during their district meet Nov. 1. The Cheney boys face stiff challenges from East Valley, West Valley and Pullman while the girls will likely duel it out with the Greyhounds and try to fend off a hard-charging West Valley squad.
“We’ve got to have our best day, just to make it,” Martin said. “But, that’s the way it should be.”
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
Reader Comments(0)