By Gail Wood
It’s as if their championships are contagious
Each time, as they lifted the state championship trophy above their heads the past five years, Northwest Christian’s girls cross-country team made a pledge. They commitment to repeating, to winning again.
And this year, with four of their top five runners back off last year’s state championship team and with front-runner Elizabeth Weber finally healthy from an iron deficiency, the Navigators are favored to win an unprecedented sixth straight 1B/2B state title.
“On paper, they have the potential to run their best combined time at state,” said Larry Weber, Northwest Christian’s head coach. “That’s if everyone stays healths and stays focused.”
Weber fell short of predicting a six-peat, saying a lot could happen along the road to a title. But Elizabeth Weber, the coach’s daughter and team’s best runner, is finally healthy after struggling through a tough season. Last year at the state championship, just two weeks after doctors finally diagnosed her iron deficiency, Weber finished seventh at the 1A state meet, gutting out a 20:21 to place seventh as she wheezed around the course.
The previous year as a sophomore, Weber finished nearly a minute faster, running a 19:41. This year she hopes to run under 19 minutes.
“She gutted it out,” Larry Weber said about his daughter’s race at state. “I’m more proud of that race than any she’s won in the past. She gave it everything she had for the team.”
Two weeks into the 2010 season, Elizabeth began wheezing as she ran, making it difficult for her to catch her breath. Initially, doctors diagnosed her to be asthmatic and prescribed an inhaler. But her breathing only became more labored.
“You could hear her breathing as she ran by. It was really pronounced,” Larry said.
At districts, doctors finally discovered Elizabeth had low levels of Ferritin, which results in the body’s inability to metabolized iron. With a low red blood cell count, her body couldn’t carry oxygen as it should. Now, after taking three iron supplements a day for over 10 months, Elizabeth is finally stronger.
“It takes six months to a year to recover,” Larry said. “We’re just building so she’ll gear up slowly and peak at the state meet. I’m not that concerned if she doesn’t run well in the first couple of meets.”
At a recent team time trial, Larry Weber was pleased by everyone’s times. After Elizabeth, a pack of five runners were only 10 seconds apart, indicating the team’s depth.
“We’ve really stressed personal bests,” the Navigator coach said. “If everyone can run a personal best, the outcome will take care of itself.”
Hailey Bredeson, after finishing seventh at state in 19:52 last year, is back for her junior year. Bredeson, who focuses on basketball in the summer, has the speed and endurance to again finish in the top 10 at state. Bredeson and Weber have both run 800 meters in the low 2:20s.
Megan Teigen, a junior, is back after placing 21st at state in 21:26, fourth fastest on her team. Kami Bates, Allison Sowers and Savannah Schilter give the Navigators added reason to be optimistic.
With its rich running history, Northwest Christian begins each season with high expectations, aspirations to run fast. Those expectations push the team to train hard in the off season, forcing everyone to log the extra miles. That rich tradition is an antidote against mediocrity and complacency.
“We set that bar high and that’s what everyone coming in learns to live up to,” said Mike Michael, Northwest Christian’s assistant cross country coach. “They find out where the bar is and they tend to rise to that occasion. I’ve seen a lot of athletes overachieve because of that.”
The bar is indeed set high. In 2010, Northwest Christian not only became the first team along with Sehome to win five straight state titles, but the Crusaders also won the WIAA’s All-Academic Team Award for 1B/2B.
The Northwest Christian’s boys team has won the state title two of the last three years, placing third last year. Lucas Graham, Aaron Michael and Josiah Shelman all return for Northwest Christian.
But Northwest Christian’s Justin Holden, who won the boys state meet, and Joanna Sowers, who placed sixth at the girls state meet, both graduated.
Girls cross country
Here are the top returning runners in girls cross country and their times and places at state last year.
4A
Sofia Kane, Olympia, soph, placed 80th at state in 20:08
3A
Aviva Browning, Capital, sr, 45th in 20:02
Madison Guscott, Capital, sr., 73rd in 2:35
Katelyn Lawton, Yelm, sr., 86th in 20:43
Nicole Hartman, Capital, soph, 94th in 20:55
Carry Larsen, Capital, jr, 100th in 21:09
2A
Hallie Whitley, North Thurston, soph, 28th in 19:51
Ellie Justice, Black Hills, sr., 44th, 20:17
Brianna Cowin, Centralia, sr., 70th in 20:46
Rachel Eshenbaugh, River Ridge, soph, 93rd in 21:17
Abby Strand, Tumwater, sr., 99th in 21:25
1A
Kenna Fosnacht, Rochester, jr, 19th in 20:30
Chloe Hanson, Tenino, sr, 42nd in 21:26
1B/2B
Hailey Bredeson, Northwest Christian, jr, 7th in 19:52
Elizabeth Weber, Northwest Christian, sr, 9th in 20:21
Megan Teigen, Northwest Christian, jr, 21st in 21:26
Allison Sowers, Northwest Christian, jr, 29th in 21:51
