ON THE ROAD WITH FERRIS: Showdown at Shadle

ON THE ROAD WITH FERRIS: SHOWDOWN AT SHADLE

 Greater Spokane League Action
Shadle Park H.S., Ferris H.S., Lewis & Clark H.S., Mead H.S.

September 16, 2009,  Shadle Park, Spokane, WA

By David "Hawaiian Five-Oh" Taylor

 

 

Boys Results

Meet Webpage

Girls Results

 

GREATER SPOKANE LEGACY

 

Ok, lets see if you can keep up with this:  Ferris Coach Mike Hadway roomed with Mead Coach Steve

FERRIS COACH MIKE HADWAY

MEAD COACH STEVE KEISEL

Keisel for three years while in college, both were each others best man and they are best friends; Coach Keisel went to high school with Pat Tyson; Pat Tyson roomed with Steve Prefontaine at the University of Oregon; Coach Keisel took over at Mead for Pat Tyson; Coach Hadway and Keisel know and run with Fmr Olympian and Bloomsday genius Don Kardong;  Don Kardong roomed with current Shadle Park Girls Coach Bob Isitt for three years while he was training for the Olympics; Coach Bob Isitt ran for Tracy Walters in the 1960s at Rogers High School with Gerry Lindgren and competed against Rick Riley of Ferris and Len Long of Rogers, currently coaching at North Central.  Coach Isitt was ranked number 1 in the nation for NAIA while at Whitworth.  Tracy Walters, Len Long and his son Kelly Walters (who ran at Mead!) assist with Coach Knight at North Central High School.

 

That is what you get when you come to Spokane and experience the running culture up here.  Everyone is just one person away from being connected.  Some connections are simply amazing as shown above.  When you dig below the surface you discover that it is not necessarily a singular dynasty that dominates, but instead there is a Greater Spokane Legacy and Dynasty bred by brothers in a shared artform.  These are programs led by men who carry the Spokane Legacy of 21 straight state titles won by a Spokane team, and they don't want that trend to stop, so they call each other, help each other, and compete against each other frantically often times 3 times per week, just to mold a team that is resolute enough to get the job done.  For much of the late 1980s and 1990s that team was Mead High School, then it became University to close out the 90s and back to Mead and Ferris in the 2000s.  3A powerhouse North Central even went as far as to claim the 2008 National Championship.  The Greater Spokane League and Spokane in general is a Legacy of Excellence through coaching collaboration.  As Coach Keisel states: "I want these kids (meaning from all teams) to be my age and still running, still spending that time together and wanting to do this",  and So there you go, the big secret is out of the bag!   

 

 

US#15 SHADLE PARK GIRLS OBLITERATE FIELD!

 

Shadle Coach Bob Isitt sent his girls team out with a mission:  start and finish as a pack.  It is safe to say that they accomplished the task by placing 5 in the top 6 taking places 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 averaging a team time of 19:34 over the difficult course.  According to Coach Isitt this is his best team he has ever had, "in 1998 we had a team that I thought was the best, but this team has a better 4 and 5". 

 

What most people don't know is that two time defending state champion Andrea Nelson is the sister

COACH ISITT ENCOURAGING

of Rich Nelson who is currently competing on the NCAA #9 BYU Cross Country Team under the guidance of American Great Ed Eyestone.  This is a rare occurance for any family or sport, and their success is encouraged by parents Doug and Edie Nelson,  "Andrea thought about getting that three peat" her dad said, "but winning as a team would be so much more meaningful, and its great that her BYU is doing so well too.  Their successes kind of build each other up and I think they have supported each other a lot this fall". 

 

Today Andrea, Katie Morris, and Kendra Weitz made a commitment to run together and when the race was over they finished within .5 seconds of each other (19:22.0/19:22.2/19:22.5).  Chelsea Chandler (19:44.9) and Shayle Dezellum (20:00) made a valiant effort through two miles to stick tough with the front trio and were able to secure overall places 5 and 6 to assist in the what is a remarkably low team score of 20 points.  The Nationally ranked Shadle Park girls looked primed and ready for a compelling state title run.

 

RACE RECAP:  BAYLEE MIRES RUNS ALONE AND SHADLE GIRLS OBLITERATE FIELD.

 

State 800m and 1600m Champion Baylee Mires has started off 2009 on the right foot.  As a

BAYLEE MIRES PULLS AWAY (18:51.6)

freshman and Sophomore Baylee suffered disappointing falls at the state meet and as such never truly fulfilled the same accomplishments that have came so easy in track and field. On the race Baylee stated,  "I was so excited about the Shadle track being in the course, that is where I pulled away".  "I am just so glad I was able to run well today, I have had some difficulties in the past, fell twice at state, and almost had kidney failure last year".  On running for Mead: "My dad is actually the track coach, so I feel the Mead tradition is very important, they say at our school that when you run with your past you don't run alone".  Well, Baylee had an impressive win and certainly will make an impact in next monday's individual state rankings!

 

 

SHADLE CONFIDENT IN WARMUP	SHADLE TO THE FRONT WITH MIRES (MEAD)
SHADLE RUNNING AS A PACK	SHADLE FINISHES AS A PACK

 

FERRIS WINS BIG 

 

US#16 Adam Thorne leads Ferris to victory as they place 5 in the top 9 and defeat defending state champions Mead H.S. 28-49.  The Hadway instructed boys were determined not to leave themselves vulnerable despite the necessity to use this meet as a tempo run according to Coach Hadway.  Saturday is the Highlander Invitational at the same location, only the distance will be shortened to 2.5 miles and races will be by class and not school.  Ferris is determined to perform well individually.  

 

After going through a tightly packed first mile Adam Thorne and the Ferris squad drastically dropped the hammer and within a quartermile the field was strung out with the looks of calm replaced with absolute resolve to make the second mile a burner.  As individual standouts from Mead and Shadle Park were in a race for 2nd, the Ferris squad finished out the quick second mile and then remained relaxed over the last mile only showing spurts of speed in the last quartermile, seemingly unconcerned about the efforts of any other participant.  Adam Thorne was actually so far ahead that with about 300 meters to go he put the engine in cruise control and looked back to such a degree it appeared he was almost turning around as if curious about the intense battle occuring in second between Shadle's Nathan Weitz (15:58.4) and Mead's Andrew Gardner (15:58.8).  In what could have been a half minute victory, Thorne stuck to the plan and cruised to a remarkably easy victory.  He additionally was very interested at the finishline about how his Saxon brothers were finishing due to the effects of the hard second mile.  Despite it being a tempo run Ferris ran remarkably well and sent a message to the rest of the state: Spokane is once again ready to keep the 21 state title streak alive. 

THORNE 1ST (15:49.4)	KINSEY 4TH (16:03) COLLITON 6TH (16:21)	DOMINI 8TH (16:31)	ZIMMERMAN 9TH (16:39)

 

 MEET PICTURES

 

JUNIOR VARSITY

 

	MEAD SENIOR MONICA BISHOP TAKES THE GIRLS JUNIOR VARSITY CROWN IN 22:36.6.  MONICA FIRST BECAME INTERESTED IN RUNNING THROUGH HER OLDER BROTHER WHO COMPETED ON THE STATE WINNING 2007 BOYS TEAM.  SHE STATES, "I AM SO HAPPY TO WIN TODAY, ITS TRUE, WHEN YOU RUN WITH YOUR PAST YOU DON'T RUN ALONE"
	FERRIS JUNIOR KEITH FECHNER (JV1st 17:43.0) HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR A LITTLE UNDER TWO YEARS.  HE WAS INSPIRED TO JOIN THE TEAM BECAUSE OF COACH HADWAY.  HE HAS A SEASON GOAL OF BREAKING 17 MINUTES AND MOTIVATING THE VARSITY BOYS TO THE STATE TITLE!

 

 

 

RACE PREVIEW: 

 

US#6/WA#1 Ferris High School begins Greater Spokane League competition 16 September, 2009 at Shadle

WILL FERRIS ROLL OR WILL MEAD STEP UP?

Park in Spokane, Washington.  Most importantly they face off against defending state champions Mead High School. 

 

Due to significant losses from their 2008 varsity squad Mead has been withheld from team rankings pending this meet.  Undoubtedly, no team in the state possesses the legacy of Mead High School, and for that reason alone we must remain optimistic about their prospects in 2009. 

 

FERRIS LEGEND RICK RILEY 8:48.3 TWO-MILE (1966)

The Saxons of Ferris High have their own legacy, began with the great Rick Riley of the late 1960s, honed over the last two decades under the hard edged grit of Coach Mike Hadway through a philosophy labeled "the hardway".  Can the Big Red Wave roll Mead and the Legacy? 

 

If the Tracy Walters Invitational is any measure of capability, the Saxons have to be feeling pretty good about their chances.

 

That tradition of excellence and history established by Pat Tyson during his remarkable reign at Mead has continued under Coach Steve Keisel who claimed back to back State titles in 2007 and 2008.  However, Keisel lost 6 of 7 runners from last years varsity squad.  How good will they be this year?  That is the million dollar question on everyones mind as we enter the GSL league meet tomorrow in the Showdown at Shadle Park.

 

 

PREVIEW:

BOYS: US#6/WA#1 FERRIS H.S.; US#16/WA#1Adam Thorne (Ferris)