MileSplit ONSITE COVERAGE
David "Hawaiian Five-Oh" Taylor
MEET PAGE
Boys Championships | Boys Team Scores | Girls Championship | Girls Team Scores | Photos
With over 40 years of history, the GSL Championships are one of the oldest and most famed league championships in the country. This years race is no exception as nationally ranked teams set sights on a Spokane Valley collision.
Meet Summary: Ferris and Shadle Roll
GSL Championships (WA): US#3 Shadle Park rocks the girls championship race with 34 team points. The individual championship went to Mead's Baylee Mires for the second year in a row with 18:08. Shadle Park freshman Kendra Weitz was again stellar finishing second in 18:11 over 5000 meters. Defending two-time state champion Andrea Nelson finished 4th in 18:53 and teammate Katie Morris was 5th in 18:58. Team Scores: 1. Shadle park 34; 2. Central Valley 81; 3. Mead 98. In boys action Ferris escapes a narrow defeat over the defending champions with a 56-56 tie-breaker over North Central. North Central standout Ben Johnston was dominant blazing the 5k course in 15:23. Second would go to Alan Schroeder of Mt. Spokane in 15:41, 3. Andrew Gardiner, Mead, 15:46; 4. Nathan Weitz, Shadle Park, 15:48; 5. Adam Thorne, Ferris, 15:52; 6. Tim Colliton, Ferris, 15:54. Team Scores: 1. Ferris 56; 2. North Central 56; 3. Lewis & Clark 106.
Preview
Boys Championship: Adam Thorne of Ferris and Ben Johnston of North Central will square off for the second week in a row. Last week, Johnston got the best of Thorne as he blasted the Audubon course in 15:12 to Thorne's 15:32. The darkhorse of the meet is Shadle Park sophomore and Mountain West Classic champion Nathan Weitz. He was at 15:36 in the last race, slightly off of Thorne. In action we have the resurgent Ferris boys squad whom recorded an amazing 15:52 team average on the Audubon 3-mile course which was superior to North Central's 15:54 in 2008. This meet could turn out to produce a climatic outcome with a clash of potentially two top 10 nationally ranked teams, Ferris and North Central. The Darkhorse team has to be the Mountain West Champion Mead who has yet to put all the puzzle pieces together. Additionally, watch the fast improving North Central squad as they are the defending National Champions.
Girls Championship: Andrea Nelson of Shadle Park is seeking a 3rd straight individual state championship as she leads perhaps the best girls team in GSL history. She will be closely followed by Mead standout Baylee Mires and Nelson's teammates freshman Kendra Weitz and sophomore Katie Morris. US#3 Shadle Park has been undefeated and at times untouchable in what has become a nostalgic season for history to measure. Heading into the Region Championships this will be the GSL League's final opportunity to prepare for a run against the state's best. US#3 Shadle Park is geared to seize the Championship and perhaps produce something more special.
We will be adding to this throughout the week to include race previews, pre-race analysis, as Milesplit editor David Taylor heads to Plantes Ferry. Stay tuned...
