History will tell you that Medical Lake head track and field coach Gene Blankenship is never shy at making bold predictions like foreseeing success.
But as he approaches the 2023 season the veteran leader who has overseen immense accomplishments for the Cardinals in both track and cross country is playing his cards close to the down vest he might wear navigating the winter weather that does not want to let go.
Already more than a week into preparation for the season, Blankenship has to rely on the past to even hint at what Medical Lake will accomplish in the near future.
Normally his teams would be out on the track putting in the laps, or testing the pits for various field events. But snow, and before that bitter cold, has kept a lot of the preparation inside the gym.
“I would have run my first intervals section on Monday (Feb. 27),” Blankenship said of standard drills. But nearly an inch-and-a-half of snow fell that day, and triple that the following.
As the cross-country coach, too, Blankenship works with the distance running side of track so he found a way to get some running in, regardless.
The chore at hand is sifting through some 65 students, a few he knows, but most remain a mystery as to their strengths. Of that number the most at practice has been 55.
There are a handful of known commodities, led by state 1A cross country champion Reid Headrick who recently signed a letter-of-intent to attend the University of San Francisco.
“Reid is gonna’ be in contention to win eight (hundred) to 16 (hundred) and 32 (hundred),” Blankenship said of the Memorial Day weekend state meet that will take place in Yakima.
“He wants to run all three but I’m not so sure his coach thinks that is the best thing to do,” Blankenship said. “I try to listen to my kids all the time, but they’re the ones that have to suffer.”
Notable returnees for the girls are Kayla Ramsey and Jenna Castro who will team as part of the Cardinals 4X400 relay team. Castro, however, will branch away from running to test a field event — the pole vault.
Ramsey, who led her team to a third-place finish Nov. 5 at the state 1A cross country championships in Pasco, will stick largely to distance events. “Kayla’s main responsibility will be the 1,600 and 3,200 (meters),” Blankenship said.
One other notable in field events is Chiche Okemgbgo, a junior, who was eight in the shot put, 12th in the javelin and 11th in the triple jump last year at state. Her coach suggested those numbers could certainly improve and land her higher up on the podium at state.
“I wish I could talk about more kids, but I really don’t a lot about them,” Blankenship said.
That mystery should unravel somewhat as the Cardinals test themselves at an invitational meet, March 11, at Eisenhower High School in Yakima.
Paul Delaney is a retired Free Press Publishing reporter and can be reached at pauldelaney53@comcast.net.
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