Shaffer wheels to title

PASCO – When Caitlin Shaffer rolled her wheelchair across the finish line first in the girls state cross country wheelchair race Nov. 5 at Sun Willows Golf Course, she was not only very excited but continuing a tradition at Cheney High School.

“It was really it was really amazing and thrilling,” Shaffer said in an interview. “I’m only a freshman. So, being able to go to state was really amazing.”

Saddled with cerebral palsy, Shaffer, the lone participant, wheeled through the 5,001- meter course in 12 minutes, 58.7 seconds to claim the championship.

In doing so, the freshman was rekindling memories of Isaiah Rigo who, from 2014-17 collected four titles in the division.

Rigo later went on to attend University of Illinois and compete in the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

It just so happens that Shaffer is quite familiar with Rigo.

“I’ve known Isaiah since I was 5,” she said. “He’s been a big role model, he’s like my older brother.”

Thanks to the urging from her physical therapy team, Shaffer is a multi-sport wheelchair athlete who also competes in track with Parasport Spokane.

“It’s been a life-changing relationship,” she said. It has opened the doors for Shaffer’s long-term goal of, like Rigo, reaching the Paralympics.

Often a lone entry in her class, it’s intrinsic motivation that is Shaffer’s driving force and chief competition. She competed in six different races from 1 to 2.5 miles in 2022.

“We really work on pushing and pushing efficiency in practice,” Cheney cross country Coach Derek Slaughter wrote in an email. The off-season goal, he insisted, is to smash Shaffer’s time from last week in Pasco.

But it’s also Slaughter’s goal to give Shaffer real competition.

“We really want to find her more competition for years to come,” he said. “When Isaiah was racing, he had 4-5 athletes in his race each year. We want to see that again.”

Shaffer brought home Cheney’s only state cross country title this year.

For coverage of other Blackhawk competitors, see Page B1.

Paul Delaney is a retired Free Press Publishing reporter. Email him at pauldelaney53@comcast.net.