High-octane octogenarians

MEDICAL LAKE - Just what are most 80-somethings doing regularly these days other than probably making sure their meds are in order?

Likely not what Gene Blankenship and Gary Blake do?

Both currently spend large parts of the days fueling their passion as coaches molding better young people.

Gary Blake

Blankenship, the senior of the pair at 82 guides the track and cross-country programs at Medical Lake High School. Blake, who just turned 80 in April, has coached Cheney softball since 2004.

"I thought I was the only 80-plus coach in Washington State," Blankenship said in a quasi-disappointed tone when learning he was not alone and there was another octogenarian coach just a few miles away.

For Blankenship, who arrived on the West Plains in 2010, his motivation for doing what he does is somewhat personal.

"I have never had any kids of my own, my runners I coach are mine," he said. "And I enjoy being around kids."

Blake got into coaching as a parent when his daughter wanted to play youth softball decades ago. And it stuck with him ascending the age groups and ranks from kids to college.

"I think that being around the girls at least keeps me thinking young even though chronologically I'm definitely not anymore," Blake said.

Blake established the Whitworth University fast pitch program in the late 1990s before landing at North Central in Spokane as an assistant before starting on his 20-year run in Cheney.

Neither just go through the motions, either.

A career spent in business and manufacturing, as well as a business owner, allowed Blake the freedom he needed to follow his coaching path.

He's consistently produced competitive teams that have won or knocked on the door of league titles in both the Great Northern and Greater Spokane Leagues. His Blackhawks won 2A GNL and District 7 crowns in 2015 and 2018 and took trips to state in 2010, 2012 and 2018.

A hall-of-fame coach in California based on his body of work at Hart High School in the San Fernando Valley, Blankenship put the same blueprint he used in California to shoot a spark into Medical Lake cross country and track.

His boys' cross country squads won back-to-back 1A state titles in 2013 and 2014, added another in 2017 with runner-up finishes 2015, 2016 and 2021. Cardinal track won the 2014 1A championship and were second in 2015.

A product of Rogers High School in Spokane and the Class of 1962, Blake did what most young men did at that time in athletics. He played park league baseball and just his freshman year of high school.

Perhaps foretelling of his career path, sports took a backseat to capitalism. "I had a pamphlet route, and you know I needed to make spending money on stuff," Blake said.

He maintained the interest playing recreation and intramural sports until the opportunities to coach knocked.

At Whitworth where Blake launched their program as a club team for two years before the "experiment" produced an intercollegiate program.

"I got to coach there for two years to start the program, but the (NCAA) Division III thing just for a business guy like me didn't really make sense because they offered no scholarships," Blake explained. It became problematic to try to recruit players who wanted to pony up $22K per year.

With decades behind each in coaching, Blankenship and Blake have pondered their futures.

Blankenship, who will turn 83 next February, would like to nab a fourth state cross country championship and then decide on retirement?

One sign that age might be catching up is Blankenship can no longer go train with his team, hanging instead under the tall pine tree that has been the gathering place for cross-country runners.

"My days of running with kids were over a long time ago," he said. "At one time I was proud that no freshman could beat me on our home cross country course."

If he could end up with a fourth title at Medical Lake - either girls or boys - Blankenship said, "I might consider I should do my long, long dream and take a vacation to Auckland, New Zealand."

A fourth championship would surpass the three from his California days.

While Blake has no exit date in mind, the pressures presented by parents and some of the mundane treadmill-like administration requirements of his job may open the door just enough.

"Those are those are the kinds of things that might eventually be the thing that makes me say, 'Okay, you know, I've had enough or do something else with my time,'" Blake said.

Blake says he feels so fortunate to still be able to physically do the things he can, including playing national champion caliber old-timers' softball.

Cheney and Medical Lake students, too, are also so fortunate to still be able to have coaches like Blankenship and Blake in their midst.

- Paul Delaney is the sports reporter for the Cheney Free Press. Email him at [email protected]