This Saturday will be the WIAA State XC meet in Pasco. What are everyone's thoughts going into it?
Can Eisenhower edge Central Valley? (Last they met, Tracy Walters, CV beat Ike by 1 point)
North Central will win another state title, but can Kamiakin bounce back after a rough regional race to get 2nd at State?
Can Gardner, Hardy or Wilmot break Anthony Armstrong's course record of 14:57?
Should be a great meet...maybe the strongest in years (and it is always strong).
I think CV has to be a favorite but Tahoma, Gig and Ike will challange them and I am thinking it will be close.
NC should win but there #1 did not race at Regionals. Could be a lot closer if he doesn't race. You gotta think Kamiakin is the favorite for 2nd but Nathan Hale is very good and young and could give them a run. Depends on perhaps Kamiakin's #2 guy who hasn't raced in a few weeks?
The course record definitly could go down. Lots of good runners this year.
will there be a live feed? I really want to see Katie Knight vs Amy Eloise Neal!! That will be one heck of a dual!
Futurestar wrote:
Should be a great meet...maybe the strongest in years (and it is always strong).
I think CV has to be a favorite but Tahoma, Gig and Ike will challange them and I am thinking it will be close.
NC should win but there #1 did not race at Regionals. Could be a lot closer if he doesn't race. You gotta think Kamiakin is the favorite for 2nd but Nathan Hale is very good and young and could give them a run. Depends on perhaps Kamiakin's #2 guy who hasn't raced in a few weeks?
The course record definitly could go down. Lots of good runners this year.
I heard Wilmot had a slight IT band injury, and they let him take the meet off. They'll race him next week.
Kamiakin's #2 had some surgery done a couple weeks back. From what I understand from Rotten Tea.
Crazy to think its time for State already in some parts of the country. We're just gearing up for league here in CA.
It's gonna be awesome!!
I'm not sure the records will fall, but feel confident in saying there is more than enough talent to significantly lower ALL the records (teams and individuals, boys and girls).
An absurdly talented bunch this year... and a whole lot of them are going to be back next year!!
As for the 4A team race... I think Central Valley's pack might be strong enough to call them the favorites, but they are FAR from having it in the bag... Gig Harbor has the best 1-2-3 punch in the field and their #4 has been improving quite a bit lately, so if their #5 has a good day they'll probably win it.
Eisenhower was close last time they met, as you point out, though I think CV has come along better recently... but then again, Eisenhower hasn't really been challenged much in the run up to state, so they might be the most fresh and confident team when they toe the line - a dangerous combination.
Both Olympia and Lewis & Clark should be in the mix as well -- they have good front runners and decent packs, so it's a question of how far up their packs finish. Same with Jackson.
Tahoma, Camas, Garfield, and Kamiak are all teams that should be watched for as well... especially Tahoma, since they won the Southwest regional last weekend (over Gig Harbor, Olympia, and Camas).
It should also be noted that Jackson and Kamiak both beat Eisenhower last time they met (South Whidbey, though that was only a week after Tracy Walters)
Lots of teams in the mix... it's just a question of who is going to step up and take the title.
If I had to pick favorites, though, I'd say it's probably between Gig Harbor and the three Eastside teams, though I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Tahoma or Jackson pulled off the upset either. It's looking like a real dogfight.
Futurestar wrote:
Should be a great meet...maybe the strongest in years (and it is always strong).
I think CV has to be a favorite but Tahoma, Gig and Ike will challange them and I am thinking it will be close.
NC should win but there #1 did not race at Regionals. Could be a lot closer if he doesn't race. You gotta think Kamiakin is the favorite for 2nd but Nathan Hale is very good and young and could give them a run. Depends on perhaps Kamiakin's #2 guy who hasn't raced in a few weeks?
The course record definitly could go down. Lots of good runners this year.
Since North Central won their regional handily, over Kamiakin, without Wilmot I think they'll win without difficulty as long as more than half the team isn't significantly off.
Battle for second should be fierce: Kamiakin, Nathan Hale, and possibly either Seattle Prep or Mt. Spokane... I think all four of those teams are close enough to pull it off.
As for the course record, I think it'll depend on how the races unfold. Wilmot, Hardy, and Gardner are all capable of breaking the boys record. Neale, Efraimson and of course Knight are all capable of it on the girls side. For each side, that's 2 athletes in 3A and 1 athlete in 4A... that will be very interesting to watch, since none are guaranteed to win (though Efraimson losing would be a huge shocker, having already crushed all of her top competition outside of Olson).
Unfortunately, it sounds like Kamiakin's #2 will not be in top form this weekend. Might leave the door open for the #2 spot. Rumor is he had an appendectomy a few weeks ago and is just starting to be able to run again.