Tale Of The Tape Brian Smith Sep 14, 2007

Natosha couldn't stop smiling.

Buruse, a Ridgefield senior, had one more hour to wait before she competed in the Run-A-Ree cross country meet at Hudson's Bay last Friday, and she was buzzing with excitement.

For Buruse and many other high school runners in the Clark County area, the Run-A-Ree marked the official opening of the cross country season.

Hockinson's Shannon Porter was there. Columbia River's intimidating Purple Army took part, as did athletes from Battle Ground, Heritage, Union, R.A. Long, Skyview and Bay.

Buruse had waited all summer for this, and she was ready, right down to the hot-pink tape job around her right calf.

Making Some Big Strides Brian Smith Sep 08, 2007

Wednesday, September 05, 2007
BY BRIAN T. SMITH, Columbian staff writer

For someone who's first and true love is basketball, Erik Cronrath does a pretty good job of convincing everyone around him he's a runner.

"Maybe no one notices that I'm tall," the 6-foot-7, 185-pound Cronrath joked.

Cronrath, a 17-year-old Battle Ground senior, placed 27th at the Class 4A state meet on Nov. 4, 2006 in Pasco - the best finish of any 4A athlete from Clark County.

Camas\' Geiger, River girls run away with 3A district titles Brian Smith Oct 21, 2006

By Brian Smith Columbian staff writer Advertisement KELSO -- Camas junior Shane Geiger was indistinguishable from all the other runners in the 3A Greater St. Helens League district cross country meet at Kelso before the race began. He stretched. He looked anxious. Slightly nervous. He was lumped in with the pack. But as soon as the event started, Geiger did more than stand out. He became impossible to ignore. Jumping out to a commanding lead midway through the first mile on a rainy Wednesday afternoon, Geiger beat his personal best time by 19 seconds, as he took first place in district with a time of 15:00.

Geiger counts on having big year Brian Smith Sep 06, 2006

For Camas junior Shane Geiger, cross country is more than a race. More than a competition of which runner or team is fastest. For Geiger, it\'s a proving ground. The ultimate competition. \"I\'m very competitive,\" Geiger said. \"I run to win. I have a hard time holding myself back. I want to win, and I want everyone to know that I won when I did.\" That competitive streak has served Geiger well thus far. He placed 30th at the Class 3A state championships last year as a sophomore.

Sarah and Shannon Porter - Siblings & Rivals Brian Smith Sep 06, 2006

Like many other teenage sisters, Hockinson\'s Sarah and Shannon Porter often bicker over things like clothes. \"She told me she wasn\'t going to take anything out of my laundry, but she did,\" an animated Shannon Porter said, recounting the morning\'s drama. \"So, to get her back, I wore her socks. And then I took them off and --,\" \"She spit in them,\" Sarah Porter finishes her sister\'s sentence, not missing a beat. Then, with a big smile, Sarah adds: \"She\'s such a brat.\" Tension released, the siblings immediately begin to giggle and laugh so loudly that a once-quiet hallway at Hockinson begins to draw the curious looks of a group of straggling students.