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Wolverines, Lakers run at state

Dave Price
Sierra Nevada Media Group

Even though Lowry High comes in with the teams to beat for the NIAA State Cross Country Championships, runners from both Truckee and North Tahoe are looking to make their mark Saturday in Boulder City.

“It isn’t over yet,” North Tahoe coach Warren Mills said after the Lakers’ girls finished second behind Lowry at the Northern 3A meet in Reno last Thursday. “The girls have been solid, they’ve just been following Lowry everywhere. But we still have state to go, and that’s the one that matters.”

Truckee coach Robby McClendon echoed those words after the Wolverines finished second behind Lowry in the regional boys competition.



“We’re getting there,” McClendon said. “Lowry had the advantage today, but next week will be a new race. State will be a smaller field and we’re going down to Vegas hoping for good things. If you want the state title, you have to go after it. Anything can happen.”

On paper, both Tahoe teams face an uphill race in that Lowry’s girls have won six straight state championships while the boys have won three straight and four of the last five. The lone interruption during that span came in 2002, when Truckee won both the regional and state boys team titles.



North Tahoe’s boys and girls have combined to win 20 Nevada state team titles since 1981, all under the direction of Mills, who is in his 33rd season as the school’s cross country coach. The Lakers have won 14 state boys titles overall, including a streak of eight straight between 1991 and ’98 and the girls had a string of four straight between 1987 and ’90.

Saturday’s state boys race shapes up as a battle between Lowry’s Matt Pike, Truckee sophomore Micah Silver and Incline’s Philip Flanders. Silver led much of the way at the Northern 3A Regional meet before he was caught at the top of the final hill by Pike, the eventual winner in a time of 17 minutes, 34 seconds.

Flanders is the defending state champion. Pike placed sixth and Silver 10th at the 2005 state meet. Silver also placed third (4:49.25) in the 1,600 at the state track meet this past May.

Faith Lutheran’s Colin McAllister won the Southern 3A Regional gold medal last Friday with a 19:00 effort at Mountain View Park in Laughlin. The Southern 3A girls race was won in 21:37 by Pahrump Valley’s Dean McKenzie, who is the reigning state track 3,200-meter champion and runner-up in the 800 (2:23.99).

The Northern 3A girls race was won by Lowry’s Hailey Yadon in 21:39 ” at Reno’s 4,700-foot altitude. North Tahoe senior Erin Altick ran 22:46 to place third. Altick has placed among the top four at state each of the last three years.

Lowry’s girls outran North Tahoe by a 31-50 score to win the regional team title. On the boys side, Lowry bested Truckee by a 36-53 score.

Schedule

2A boys at 10 a.m.

3A boys at 10:40 a.m.

4A boys at 11:15 a.m.

2A girls at 12:15 p.m.

3A girls at 1:00 p.m.

4A girls at 1:40 p.m.

Cross country roll call of state champions

Individual

Jose Ramirez, North Tahoe, 2001-02

Heather Sandman, North Tahoe, 1998-99

G.O. Parsons, North Tahoe, 1998

Tyler Spurgeon, North Tahoe, 1996

Mike Cromwell, North Tahoe, 1991

Carrie Newman, North Tahoe, 1990-91

Bianca Sonnenberg, North Tahoe, 1988

Mike Anderson, North Tahoe, 1987

Tom Wood, North Tahoe, 1986

Michelle Buss, North Tahoe, 1985

Jeremy Mills, North Tahoe, 1985

Joe Tamblyn, North Tahoe, 1983-84

Adam Wilson, North Tahoe, 1981-82


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