Cheney boys, girls' teams make state

Cheney boys' and girls' cross country teams have traded places from a year ago and both earned berths in the state championship meet Nov. 5 on Pasco's Sun Willows Golf Course.

"We had an amazing weekend, a complete flip from last year," head coach Derek Slaughter wrote in an email. The Blackhawk boys' races from a fifth to third in Greater Spokane League competition while the girls went from last to third.

Mt. Spokane (31) was the team champ followed by Mead (53) with Cheney scoring 71 points. Walla Walla's Brody Hartley won the individual title in a time of 15 minutes, 23.91 seconds over 5,000 meters at Veterans Memorial Golf Course in Walla Walla.

Calvin Hilton in sixth was Cheney's top boys' finisher at 16:00.73 with Brayden Martin (11/16:25.08), Adam Estock (13/16:32.25), Ethan Martin (17/16:43.13), Lucas Matos (24/16:59.31), Conor Thomsen (44/17:43.39), Cameron Frenk (45/17:45.23) completing the Blackhawks' state contingent.

In the girls' competition the finish was virtually a carbon copy with the Greater Spokane League sweeping the top-three spots. Only the scores differed as Mt. Spokane (66 points) edged neighborhood rival Mead (70) with Cheney in at 91.

Charlotte Pedersen (18:19.58) was the top individual finisher out of Mt. Spokane and

Sam Habegger 11th (19:38.09) to lead Cheney. Hannah Ward (15/20:02.63), Karlee Pope (16/20:06.93), Tenaya Belsby (23/20:55.09), Mika Corneil (27/21:16.30), Maggie Boggs (32/21:29.24) and Nia Guest(64/24:00.14) round out Cheney's state qualifiers.

"All of the girls PR'd for the year and most of them lifetime PR's," Slaughter pointed out, adding "Huge credit (goes) to coaches Camille Moseley, Susan Brown, Jeff McGlocklin and Bridget Clevinger. They get these kids ready to run fast at the right time."

In the wheelchair division, Caitlin Shaffer was the only participant but still finished with a PR in 16:40 on an adjacent street course.

"(This is the) biggest crew we have sent to state - ever," Slaughter said with wheelchair added and both teams for the first time since 2013 - and in a larger classification. 

Paul Delaney is a retired Free Press Publishing reporter and can be reached at [email protected].