Nike Portland results very encouraging as NEA meets begin
The winning Medical Lake boys at Nike Portland. (L-R): Victor Long, Benjamin Henry, Zachary Lewis, Quintin Collins, Aden Carl, Nicholas Henry and Jeremiah Windle
Backed by a strong finish last Saturday amongst a stout field, the Medical Lake cross country teams now enter the part of the season where it begins really counting.
As Northeast A League dual-meet competition began this week with Medical Lake hosting its lone home event on Oct. 3, the Cardinal boys returned from "The Rose City" with a Division 3 championship. The girls tied for fifth.
A handful of invitational meets have head coach Gene Blankenship quite encouraged as his Cardinal boys seek to defend their 1A state championship, and the girls hope to send a team - not just individuals - to Pasco on Nov. 3.
"We've improved drastically in both boys and girls, the boys team specifically," Blankenship said. "I think we're going to get better."
"To be honest with you, I like winning dual meets, but unfortunately, Lakeside boys and girls are rated No. 1 in 1A," Blankenship said. Lakeside joined Freeman in that race on Wednesday.
He thinks his boys will challenge the Eagles, and "If we win, I would be ecstatic, but I'm looking for the kids to compete well against them," Blankenship said.
"Their girls are just way too tough for us, that's all there is to it, but you never can tell," Blankenship said, leaving open all possibilities.
At Portland Meadows Race Track last Saturday, the Cardinal boys outpointed Mt. Rainier 126-147 for the team title in the four-division meet.
"I got a little static from the meet director saying we were sandbagging, but it was just a race I thought we should be in," Blankenship said. "I felt we belonged in Division 3 and we did. If we would have gone in to Division 2 we would have got murdered."
The boys had the best race of the day, Blankenship said. "We had six out of seven PR and the seventh was a season best. It was a pretty good day for us."
From NEA the scouting standpoint for future competition, only Riverside was in the field, finishing 10th.
Sophomore Quintin Collins was once again the top Cardinal finisher at 13th in a time of 17:26. Matthew Frazeur of Stayton High School in Oregon was the overall winner in a time of 16:30.40. Junior Victor Long was second team-wise and 24th overall in 17:36.90.
"Nicholas Henry who is one of our seniors and has not run very well, he really improved," Blankenship said, running a 17 minute, 49 second time, 26th best, third on his team over the Portland Meadows 5,000-meter layout.
Zach Lewis clocked a 17:40.10 for fourth place on the team, 28th overall. "The only one that did not PR was Zach," Blankenship said, adding his time was a season-best.
Henry's younger sophomore brother, Ben, was fifth in 17:44.70 and 35th overall with junior Jeremiah Windle rounding out the top six in a time of 18 seconds flat. Freshman Aden Carl rounded out the varsity contingent at 18:25.70 and No. 87 overall.
The Cardinal girls were once again paced by freshman Allison Payne, who was fourth overall in a time of 20:16.50 in a group led by Oregon's McKay High School's Jazmine Liebl at 19:46.10.
Medical Lake's second-place runner, 45th overall, senior Jenavieve Cogswell, was the lone PR with a 21:39.70, closely followed by sophomore Paige Headrick's 21:41.20 in 48th.
Riley Olmstead, a junior (21:10.10) and sophomore Maris Tuck (22:11.70) rounded out the Cardinal contingent.
Now, outside of a trip for the entire team to the "Hole in the Wall" Invitational at Lakewood High School near Tacoma this Saturday, it's league meets. But Blankenship knows what is important.
"The districts and state are what really matters," he said.
Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.
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