Class 1B Herschel Sanchey, Klickitat cross country: Sanchey, a junior, was a runaway winner in his flight at the Sunfair Invitational in Yakima, covering three miles in 16 minutes, 52 seconds.
Whether it\'s the high-level of intense competition or the carnival atmosphere that pervades Franklin Park, inspiration can be found in abundance at the Sunfair Invitational. So much so that anxiously waiting for your race can be the toughest part of the day. But as West Valley\'s Stephanie Shuel and Davis\' Sandra Martinez warmed up for the featured event Saturday afternoon
For much of its 33-year history, the Sunfair Invitational has been touted as the Northwest\'s largest single-day high school event. There\'s certainly no doubt of that since over 2,500 runners are expected at Franklin Park on Saturday. In recent years the Northwest influence coming from outside Washington has become more and more with Flathead, Mont., emerging as the meet\'s dominant team in the depth-testing seven-flight scoring format. The Braves are the defending Sunfair boys champs and they won the 2004 girls title. Last year, Thousand Oaks, Calif., edged Flathead for the girls crown. But this year the distant visitors will face a formidable in-state foe in Gig Harbor\'s girls, who rank 13th in the nation and just won a big meet in Boise last week. The Tides won last year\'s state 4A title by a hefty 34 points and they return four of their top five.