Vargas just ran the best distance double in Valley track and field history last week, qualifying for the Class 4A state meet in the 1,600 (4:12.87) and 3,200 (9:01.82). His 1,600 personal best of 4:12.20 was set the week before.

Vargas, who also received scholarship offers from Montana, Washington State and New Mexico State, placed third in last year’s state cross country meet.

Senior teammate Mayra Chavez, also headed to state in the 1,600 and 3,200, has already signed her letter of intent with New Mexico State.

The Rams squad, which finished the season 35-0 and claimed its first state championship in more than 20 years, garnered five nominations — three in the athlete category, coach Katie Hinckley and the team.

Whether West Valley continues its dominance will be decided Wednesday, June 6 at the Yakima Valley Sports Awards luncheon.

The awards, sponsored by the Yakima Herald-Republic, KIMA-TV, Pepsi, Town Square Media, Yakima Parks and Recreation and the Yakima Valley Sports Commission, will be presented at the Yakima Convention Center.

The finalists and winners are selected by the Herald-Republic sports staff. The Monday Morning Quarterbacks Club also has a vote in the final balloting.

The Eisenhower cross country program, which had quite the haul at last spring’s luncheon, also has its share of finalists.

Three Ike boys runners and three girls runners, along with coach Phil English are all up for the awards.

English, who was the fall coach winner and also claimed the Jack Cleveland Coaching Award last June, Mayra Chavez and the Cadets boys squad — which shared the fall and overall team of the year honors last spring — are back looking for repeat victories.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Kyle Chapman, Eisenhower, senior

In his second 4A state meet, Chapman ran third for the Cadets while taking 40 seconds off his time.

Alberto Melchor, Davis, senior

Melchor dipped under 16 minutes in his first state meet, running 15:52 for 19th place in the 4A race.

Jeffrey Ott, Ellensburg, senior

Unbeaten in CWAC races for two years, Ott placed seventh in his fourth straight trip to 2A state.

Jaziel Rodriguez, Eisenhower, senior

On the awards podium for the second straight year, Rodriguez placed 10th in the 4A state race.

Santos Vargas, Eisenhower, senior

Ike’s top runner all season, Vargas placed third at state with the Valley’s best time by 23 seconds.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Mayra Chavez

Eisenhower, senior

With the Valley’s best time at state, Chavez placed sixth in the 4A race in her third straight trip to Pasco.

Kolby Childers

Prosser, junior

Running under 20 minutes at state, Childers was the CWAC’s top runner at regional and state.

Kaitlin Kaluzny

Davis, senior

Won 4A district and regional titles, set a Valley record in the Sunfair Invite and placed 19th at state.

Alyssa Pena

Eisenhower, sophomore

Pena ran third for the Cadets in the state meet, slicing 38 seconds off her time as a freshman.

Elise Tello

Eisenhower, sophomore

Placed third at district, fourth at regional and 12th at state, clocking the Valley’s second-best time.

FOOTBALL

Kolney Cassel

Eisenhower, junior

Co-offensive player of the year in CBBN 4A, Cassel set school records with 2,664 passing yards and 27 TDs.

Denzel Jones

Eisenhower, senior

School records of 75 receptions, 1,494 yards and 22 TDs for the CBBN 4A co-offensive player of the year.

Mike Jones

Eisenhower, senior

Offensive lineman of the year in CBBN 4A for team that averaged 451 yards, unanimous first team both ways.

Cooper Kupp

Davis, senior

Unanimous all-CBBN 4A at DB and WR, Kupp set school records with 60 receptions, 1,059 yards and 22 TDs.

Deion Wright

Davis, senior

League-leading school records of 2,988 passing yards and 34 TDs, both CBBN 4A/Big Nine records.

GIRLS SOCCER

Lindsay Burns

West Valley, junior

Voted by coaches as a CBBN 3A first-team all-league defender for the third straight year.

Yasi Mohsenian

East Valley, senior

The CWAC offensive MVP scored 13 goals for the unbeaten league champs and district champs.

Mackenna Morton

Davis, junior

The CBBN 4A co-MVP, Morton’s 14 goals led Pirates to a 13-6 record and one win from state.

Helen Petersen

Prosser, senior

Petersen scored a Valley-best 36 goals to push her career total to 151, an all-time Valley record.

Delaney Romero

Naches Valley, junior

Voted the SCAC MVP, Romero rolled up 20 goals for the league runner-up during its 14-3-1 season.

GIRLS SWIMMING

Keely Hausken

West Valley, senior

The 3A district champ in the 100 back competed in four events during her fourth trip to state.

Landon Hopkins

Eisenhower, freshman

Valley leader in the 100 back placed 10th at state and ranks sixth on the Valley’s all-time list.

Hailey Rankin

Prosser, junior

The Valley leader in four events, Rankin was 2A state runner-up in the 100 fly and 500 free.

Heather Seaman

West Valley, senior

Competing at 3A state in four events, Seaman moved up to fifth on Valley’s all-time 100 free list.

Taylor Wilson

Ellensburg, freshman

Wilson rose to third on Valley’s all-time rankings in the 100 breast and fourth in the 100 free.

VOLLEYBALL

Justine Benner

Naches Valley, senior

After sharing the SCAC West MVP award in 2010, Benner owned the honor for herself this season.

Tori Dexter

Selah, senior

The two-time first-team CWAC outside hitter was also the best passer for unbeaten league champs.

Morgan McDowell

West Valley, senior

The Rams’ star outside hitter was named MVP of the CBBN 3A season and again at the 3A state tournament.

Julia Nathe

West Valley, junior

The three-year starting setter was a first-team all-league pick and made the state all-tournament team.

Linnea Phillips

West Valley, senior

Anchoring West Valley’s defense at libero, Phillips was CBBN 3A first team and all-tournament at state.

COACHES

Phil English

Eisenhower cross country

Boys and girls won league, district and regional titles, then boys were second at state with the girls fifth.

Dan Eyman

Eisenhower football

The Cadets were 8-2 with an offense that led the CBBN 4A in average yards (451.6) and scoring (41.5).

Lindsey Golob

Zillah volleyball

The SCAC West coach of the year guided the Leopards to a 12-0 league season and district title.

Katie Hinckley

West Valley volleyball

The CBBN 3A coach of the year led the Rams to a 35-0 season capped by a 3A state-tournament title.

Tim Ostrander

East Valley girls soccer

Ostrander has 33 wins in two seasons, including a 17-1-1 campaign in 2011 with league, district titles.

TEAMS

Eisenhower boys cross country

After losing two key seniors to graduation, the Cadets earned a second-place 4A state trophy.

La Salle girls soccer

The SCAC champs were 10-0 in league, won the district title and reached the 1A state quarterfinals.

Selah volleyball

The CWAC regular-season champs won district and regional titles and placed third at 2A state.

Prosser football

Unbeaten in the CWAC, the Mustangs reached the 2A state semifinals with an 11-game win streak.

West Valley volleyball

The Rams were 14-0 in league, won two tourney titles and captured the 3A state title to finish 35-0.

The Border Clash pits the top high school cross country runners from Washington against their counterparts from Oregon.

Vargas finished in 14 minutes even, which was 12 seconds behind winner Anthony Armstrong of Kamiakin.

Washington runners claimed the top eight spots in the boys race, winning the team title with a perfect 15 points to Oregon’s 50.

Alberto Melchor of Davis finished 24th in 14:32, while Ike’s Jaziel Rodriguez (30th in 14:49) and Ellensburg’s Jeffrey Ott (42nd in 14:48) also participated.

In the girls race, Eisenhower’s Mayra Chavez finished 21st in 16:53, while teammate Elise Tello came in 29th with a time of 17:03.

North Central’s Katie Knight won the race in 15:44.

The Washington girls also claimed the top five positions for a perfect score of 15 to Oregon’s 48.

PASCO, Wash. — Santos Vargas knew it immediately. When Jaziel Rodriguez realized it a few moments later, his eyes lit up.

What these senior leaders of Eisenhower’s boys cross country team held up as ambitious individual goals they delivered exactly on point at Saturday’s Class 4A state cross country championships.

Third place finisher Santos Vargas of Eisenhower runs in a tight pack that includes winner Jacob Smith of Wenatchee and second place finisher Amdrew Gardner of Mead during the first mile of the 4A cross country state championship Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 in Pasco, Wash. (Andy Sawyer/Yakima Herald-Republic)

Vargas felt a great effort would put him in the top three of the day’s final race. And that’s precisely what he gave and what he got, placing third in 15 minutes, 13 seconds on Sun Willows Golf Course’s 5,000-mile layout.

Rodriguez, likewise, yearned for a top-10 finish and he rallied for exactly that, finishing 10th in 15:36 on a bright and chilly afternoon that saw fast times for the taking.

It was like that throughout Ike’s team — the best effort was put forth and kids ran to their limits — but it wasn’t enough for the second-ranked Cadets to pull an upset over No. 1 Gig Harbor.

The Tides became the first westside team to win the largest classification boys title in 25 years, scoring 55 points with stellar pack running and stopping an eastside streak that Eisenhower, the defending champion, was hoping to continue.

Behind Vargas and Rodriguez, the Cadets went out cautiously, perhaps too cautiously, and then came on with a rush to lock up second with 78 points and the program’s third team trophy in as many years.

“We would’ve liked another quarter mile,” said Ike coach Phil English. “We were closing well and gaining ground, but there was a little too much to make up. Gig Harbor had an exceptional score. We were close to our score last year (Ike won with 73 in 2010) so even on a perfect day we probably wouldn’t get them.”

And yet there was some perfection.

Like the timing of Vargas’ recent illness, which slowed him at last week’s regional meet but finally relented a few days ago.

“I still had this fever and runny nose in the middle of the week, and it felt like everything was falling on me at once,” Vargas said. “But yesterday I finally felt better and today, about a mile in, I knew I’d be OK.”

Vargas shadowed his regional rivals, Wenatchee’s Jacob Smith and Mead’s Andrew Gardner, and that was a wise thing to do. Steadily through miles two and three, that trio gapped the other front runners.

“That second mile hurts but that’s when you really have to work at it,” Vargas said. “I watched Gardner and Smith and really wanted to be in the top three with them. At the end, seeing the time and place, that was a great feeling.”

Smith outsprinted Gardner for the victory, 15:03 to 15:07, and with Vargas the eastside got a 1-2-3 finish.

Rodriguez wasn’t far off their pace and finished one spot in front of Gig Harbor’s No. 2 runner.

“At about a mile and a half it felt like the group I was in was breaking me,” Rodriguez admitted. “But I told myself it was my last year and I can’t have any excuses. I was hurting, but kept pushing it. The top 10 was my goal and I got it.”

Davis senior Alberto Melchor, in his first trip to state, placed 19th in 15:52. Melchor was hoping for an invitation to the Nike Border Clash on Nov. 20 and he just may get it.

The top 17 runners in the 4A races received invitation cards after the race, and Nos. 18 and 19 are alternates.

“That’s what I was shooting for,” he said of the Oregon vs. Washington all-star race. “It was weird out here for my first time, not knowing the course very well. But I felt strong at the end and that got me in the top 20.”

Seniors Kyle Chapman and Delfino Dominguez, who ran on last year’s title team, sandwiched sophomore newcomer Drew Schreiber to round out Ike’s top-five scoring team. Chapman ran third for the Cadets, placing 33rd to shave 57 spots off last year’s finish.

Ike’s split between Chapman and its No. 7 runner was just 17 seconds.

As the state meet loomed, coach Rick Becker grew concerned about the team’s approach and attitude. As he put it, “There were questions about dedication and loyalty.”

Becker wanted his boys to think about the coming season, where they wanted to go and how they would get there. “I locked them in a room and went home,” he said.

Ellensburg's Thatcher Montgomery and Selah's Brad Kahn compete near the finish of the 2A cross country state championship Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 in Pasco, Wash. (Andy Sawyer/Yakima Herald-Republic)

The next day, he heard what came out of it: “Their goal was to win league, district, regional and make the top four at state,” he said

Check, check, check and — Saturday at the Class 2A state meet — check.

Senior Brad Kahn, junior Matt Schwittay and freshman Matt Schrenk led the way as the Vikings grabbed a fourth-place trophy, Selah’s first cross-country hardware since the early 1980s, according to Becker. Selah’s team result highlighted a strong showing by Yakima Valley runners against stiff statewide competition at Sun Willows Golf Course.

Leading local individuals was Ellensburg’s Jeffrey Ott, whose seventh-place finish in 15 minutes, 46 seconds over the 5,000-meter course marked a personal best for both place and time at state. His teammates just missed a state trophy, finishing in fifth — one place and 12 points behind Selah.

“We ran well,” said Ellensburg coach Jeff Hashimoto. “This was our best race of the season.” He was especially pleased with Ott’s final cross-country race in an Ellensburg uniform. “You can’t ask for more than a PR at state,” he said.

Ott ran a controlled race, though with a 5:02 first mile, perhaps not as controlled as he would have liked. He was about 10th at that point and moved up from there. “I wanted to start out a little slow and move it up,” he said. “I felt good and kept going.”

Farther back, though not far apart, were the Selah runners. None made the top 16 that lands runners on the state-meet podium: Kahn was 23rd in 16:27 seconds, Schwittay 28th in 16:34 and Schrenk 44th in 16:48. Senior Cameron Ford and junior Ben Hoffman rounded out the scoring five in 17:03 (62nd) and 17:10 (70th). But their 43-second spread was the second lowest of the meet, only two seconds shy of state-champion Lindbergh. That, said Becker, was the key.

“They are so close,” he said. “They’re a tight-knit group. They feed off each other.”

That early-season get-together in the room led to Saturday’s gathering at the state podium, where they hoisted their fourth-place trophy. “This is what we were hoping for,” said a satisfied coach.

PASCO, Wash. — Mayra Chavez smiled with pride and cried with disappointment almost in the same breath. It was that kind of day for Eisenhower’s girls cross country team.

All too aware they came in as the defending champions and wanting to deliver another trophy — whatever the size — the Cadets came up short of the team podium, placing fifth in Saturday’s Class 4A state championships at Sun Willows Golf Course.

It was a fine effort with no regrets about having a bad day for third-ranked Eisenhower, but for landing hardware on this day the Cadets were stretched too thin in a deep field.

Eisenhower's Mayra Chavez runs in the pack at the start of the 4A cross country state championship Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 in Pasco, Wash. (Andy Sawyer/Yakima Herald-Republic)

They weren’t alone.

Redmond and Bellarmine Prep, ranked first and second, were surprised by Tahoma, which earned the program’s first state title with an 11-point victory over Bellarmine Prep.

Amid their letdown from missing a trophy, Ike had plenty to feel good about and Chavez’s effort was at the top of the list.

Running in the lead group from the start, Chavez held strong when the group broke apart in the second mile and didn’t yield position en route to a sixth-place finish.

“I knew I had to be up there at the start to have a chance at the top 10,” said Chavez, who timed 18 minutes, 26 seconds for the 5,000-meter course. “I didn’t want to overdo it so I tried to be patient. That’s not easy for me because I’m not a patient person, but it worked out great for me.”

Sophomore Elise Tello, who was so instrumental in Ike’s title run last year as a ninth-grade newcomer, was equally poised in her run and was rewarded with 12th place in 18:46 — an improvement of 19 places and 25 seconds over last year.

“There were times when I thought the start was too fast for me, but I didn’t want to back off,” Tello said. “After a while I got into my own pace and felt pretty good. It was the best I could do so I’m happy with that.”

Tello was also happy to get an invitation to the Nike Border Clash on Nov. 20. The top 17 runners in the 4A race got invites to the Oregon vs. Washington all-classes race.

Davis senior Kaitlin Kaluzny will be an alternate for the Border Clash, having finished 19th in 18:59. Kaluzny, the regional and district champ making her fourth appearance at state, was in the top 10 at the first mile but slipped back over the final mile. It was still her best finish of the four state races.

Sophomore Alyssa Pena and junior Tori Klein both dipped under 20 minutes for Ike, and freshman Keana Fine rounded out the Cadets’ top-five scoring team for a score of 157 points — 14 away from a fourth-place trophy.

“We were the defending champions so of course we wanted to repeat,” Tello said. “But we gave it everything.”

“It’s hard because this was my last race and I wanted so much for this team,” Chavez added. “For my teammates and my coaches, we wanted so much. It was still a good year and one I’ll never forget.”

Time Runner School Grade

15:13 Santos Vargas Eisenhower sr.

15:36 Jaziel Rodriguez Eisenhower sr.

15:46 Jeffrey Ott Ellensburg sr.

15:52 Alberto Melchor Davis sr.

16:11 Kyle Chapman Eisenhower sr.

GIRLS

18:26 Mayra Chavez Eisenhower sr.

18:46 Elise Tello Eisenhower so.

18:59 Kaitlin Kaluzny Davis sr.

19:40 Alyssa Pena Eisenhower so.

19:56 Kolby Childers Prosser jr.

Team trophies: 1, Gig Harbor 55; 2, Eisenhower 78; 3, Jackson 129; 4, Wenatchee 143.

Winner: Jacob Smith (Wenatchee) 15:03.

Locals: 3, Santos Vargas (E) 15:13; 10, Jaziel Rodriguez (E) 15:36; 19, Alberto Melchor (Davis) 15:52; 33, Kyle Chapman (E) 16:11; 40, Drew Schreiber (E) 16:15; 44, Delfino Dominguez (E) 16:19; 48, Jesus Medina (E) 16:21; 65, Tyler York (E) 16:28.

CLASS 3A

Team trophies: 1, North Central 59; 2, Seattle Prep 80; 3, Kamiakin 81; 4, Bellevue 98.

Winner: Anthony Armstrong (Kamiakin) 14:58.

CLASS 2A

Team trophies: 1, Lindbergh 112; 2, Sehome 113; 3, Deer Park 148; 4, Selah 172. Local: 5, Ellensburg 184.

Winner: Patrick Gibson (Squalicum) 15:28.

Locals: 7, Jeffrey Ott (Ell) 15:46; 22, Thatcher Montgomery (Ell) 16:26; 23, Brad Kahn (Se) 16:27; 28, Matt Schwittay (Se) 16:34; 44, Matt Schrenk (Se) 16:48; 57, Caleb Carolan (Ell) 17:02; 62, Cameron Ford (Se) 17:03; 70, Ben Hoffman (Se) 17:10; 77, Bradley Buttars (Prosser) 17:12; 80, Sam Darda (Ell) 17:13; 82, Ben Solem (Ell) 17:14; 106, Robby Cousins (Se) 17:30; 107, Jose Ibarra (Ell) 17:30; 116, Gabe Merrill-Steskal (Ell) 17:37; 129, Ethan Smith (Se) 17:59.

CLASS 1A

Team trophies: 1, Lakeside 79; 2, Colville 108; 3, King’s 109; 4, Charles Wright 167. Local: 13, Highland 274; 16, Zillah 350.

Winner: Hap Emmons (King’s) 15:44.

Locals: 28, Jack Espinoza (H) 17:06; 45, Zach Collins (Z) 17:30; 59, Alfonso Cervantes (H) 17:38; 65, Rodrigo Ventura (H) 17:42; 70, Omar Cardoza (Granger) 17:46; 98, Troy Dunbar (Z) 18:20; 106, Luis Cortes (H) 18:32; 109, Jessy Gonzales (Z) 18:44; 117, Sergio Sanchez (Z) 18:56; 119, Isaac Estrada (Z) 18:59; 126, Jorge Marin (H) 19:10; 129, Kasey Johnson (Z) 19:18; 134, Saul Ruiz (H) 19:41; 138, Kody Johnson (Z) 19:47; 141, Michael Burns (H) 20:16; 142, Brandyn Bettis (Cle Elum) 20:29.

CLASS 2B-1B

Team trophies: 1, Tri-Cities Prep 56; 2, Northwest Christian-Lacey 89; 3, Davenport 144; 4, Republic 152. Local: 12, Bickleton 285.

Winner: Lucas Graham (NWC) 16:17.

Locals: 39, Peter Clinton (B) 18:02; 49, Michael Hickman (Lyle-Wishram) 18:25; 61, Troy Roberts (B) 18:44; 81, Brandon Berk (B) 19:09; 91, Kane Lowe (B) 19:30; 96, Dusty Bender (Riverside Christian) 19:43; 125, Joshua Cummings (B) 21:27; 134, Michael Underwood (B) 22:34; 140, Christian Mittring (B) 37:45.

GIRLS
CLASS 4A

Team trophies: 1, Tahoma 88; 2, Bellarmine Prep 99; 3, Redmond 100; 4, Lewis & Clark 140. Local: 5, Eisenhower 157.

Winner: Jordan McPhee (Mt. Rainier) 17:25.

Locals: 6, Mayra Chavez (E) 18:26; 12, Elise Tello (E) 18:46; 19, Kaitlin Kaluzny (Davis) 18:59; 57, Alyssa Pena (E) 19:40; 75, Tori Klein (E) 19:58; 96, Keana Fine (E) 20:17; 99, Edith Zaragoza (E) 20:19; 103, Samantha Gil (E) 20:23.

CLASS 3A

Team trophies: 1, Camas 58; 2, Glacier Peak 60; 3, Peninsula 116; 4, Kamiakin 155.

Winner: Katie Knight (North Central) 17:11 (course record).

CLASS 2A

Team trophies: 1, Cheney 71; 2, Sehome 78; 3, Interlake 137; 4, Bellingham 173.

Winner: Emily Pittis (Sehome) 18:17.

Locals: 38, Kolby Childers (Prosser) 19:56; 52, Mariah Farris (Ellensburg) 20:19; 89, Katrina Radach (East Valley) 21:18; 95, Quinn Carolan (Ell) 21:22; 104, Heidy Rodriguez (Wapato) 21:29.

CLASS 1A

Team trophies: 1, Lakeside 59; 2, Riverside 86; 3, Northwest 92; 4, King’s 118. Local: 15, Zillah 419.

Winner: Maddie Meyers (Northwest) 17:54 (four-time winner).

Locals: 47, Olivia Newman (Highland) 20:54; Claire McIntyre (High) 21:17; 99, Jamie Lambert (Cle Elum) 22:49; 104, Samantha Robillard (Z) 23:00; 112, Criselda Diaz (Z) 23:25; 117, Marisa Nelson (Z) 23:37; 118, Haily Sechser (Z) 23:39; 122, Anna Skiba (CE) 23:44; 124, Britten Ellis (Z) 23:48; 130, Jessica Walker (Z) 24:42; 131, Caitlin Myers (Z) 24:58.

CLASS 2B-1B

Team trophies: 1, Northwest Christian-Lacey 30; 2, Reardan 94; 3, Asotin 99; 4, Morton-White Pass 109.

Winner: Morgan Willson (Colfax) 18:36.

Locals: 23, April Soelberg (Riverside Christian) 21:33; 55, Courtney Widhalm (RC) 24:12.

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The Selah boys took fourth in Class 2A, while Ellensburg took fifth.

Eisenhower’s girls finished fifth in Class 4A.

• More details to come.

YAKIMA, Wash. — A year ago, Eisenhower’s boys and girls were both ranked No. 1 heading to the state cross country championships. And by living up to those lofty dual expectations, the Cadets made history.

On Saturday, Eisenhower returns to Sun Willows Golf Course with a little less heat on them — the boys are ranked second and the girls are third. Those numbers represent trophies the Cadets would dearly like to have to cap a highly successful encore season that saw both squads graduate three seniors from the 2010 title teams.

Eisenhower's Santos Vargas runs during the 38th Annual Sunfair Cross Country Invitational Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011 at Franklin Park in Yakima, Wash. (Andy Sawyer/Yakima Herald-Republic)

“There don’t seem to be dominant teams on either side so it could be more wide open,” said Ike coach Phil English. “If it’s higher scoring it’s a little more unpredictable. After regionals, we like how we’re running.”

Eisenhower was impressive indeed on Saturday in Spokane, especially the boys. Wenatchee and Central Valley are ranked third and fifth in the state, respectively, and Ike handled them by 30-plus points.

Top-ranked Gig Harbor clearly looks like the team to beat after winning the West Central district by 71 points with all five runners in the top 18. But the Tides are young with two sophomores and a freshman in those five.

What Ike has going for it is experience. Seniors Jaziel Rodriguez and Santos Vargas led last year’s title effort, and Kyle Chapman and Delfino Dominguez are also Sun Willows veterans who helped the Cadets shave 24 seconds off their 1-5 split from district to regional.

“We’re two totally different teams,” said English, comparing Ike and Gig Harbor. “They might not have the front-runners like we have with Santos and Jaziel, but they have a very tight pack. To beat them we’d have to break up that pack a little.

“We have the four who ran at state last year, but we also have three who are running cross country for the first time,” he added. “It’s an unusual mix. What we like is those new kids closed very well at regionals last week. We’ve been in big meets all year long and they haven’t been rattled by it.”

Eisenhower's Mayra Chavez runs during the 38th Annual Sunfair Cross Country Invitational Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011 at Franklin Park in Yakima, Wash. (Andy Sawyer/Yakima Herald-Republic)

Ike’s girls, too, had little difficulty repeating as regional champs with a 25-point win over eighth-ranked Lewis & Clark.

Mayra Chavez and Elise Tello provide the same upper-tier 1-2 for the girls that Vargas and Rodriguez give the boys. Also, Alyssa Pena and Tori Klein are state veterans in Ike’s scoring five just like Chapman and Dominguez.

The challenge for the girls is cutting down their 1-5 time gap, which at regionals was 1 minute, 42 seconds.

Top-ranked Redmond posted a 1:01 split last week and has two solid podium contenders (top 16), and No. 2 Bellarmine Prep has a no front-runners but turned in a dangerous 38-second split last week with its No. 6-7 runners just a few seconds back.

“If we get too spread out it will be difficult,” English said. “But again I think it will be high scoring — maybe over 100 points will win it. If we bring that gap down some I think we’ll be in the thick of it. We’re looking forward to another good day.”

Saturday’s 10-race schedule starts at 10 a.m. For a full list of local qualifiers and time schedule, see page 2C.

 CLASS 2B-1B GIRLS 

10 a.m.

Local qualifiers

Individuals: April Soelberg, jr., Riverside Christian; Courtney Widhalm, sr., Riverside Christian.

Coaches poll: 1, Northwest Christian-Lacey; 2, Bear Creek; 3, Mt. Rainier Lutheran; 4, Oroville; 5, Morton-White Pass. Others: Asotin, Reardan, Tri-Cities Prep.

Lead pack: Sierra Speiker, so., Oroville (defending champion); Morgan Willson, sr., Colfax; Kim Barry, sr., Lake Roosevelt; Elizabeth Weber, sr., NW Christian-Lacey.

CLASS 1A GIRLS

10:30 a.m.

Local qualifiers

Teams — Zillah: Criselda Diaz, jr.; Britten Ellis, sr.; Caitlin Myers, jr.; Marisa Nelson, fr.; Samantha Robillard, sr.; Haily Sechser, so.; Jessica Walker, jr.

Individuals: Olivia Newman, sr., Highland; Claire McIntyre, so.; Jamie Lambert, sr., Cle Elum; Anna Skiba, jr., Cle Elum.

Coaches poll: 1, Lakeside; 2, Northwest; 3, King’s; 4, Riverside; 5, Cashmere; 6, La Center; 7, Omak; 8, Castle Rock; 9, Chelan; 10, Hoquiam. Others: Zillah, Cedar Park Christian, Lynden Christian.

Lead pack: Maddie Meyers, sr., Northwest (defending champion); Sally Larson, jr., Cedar Park Christian; Hazel Carr, fr., Northwest; Lindy Jacobson, fr., Lakeside.

CLASS 2A GIRLS

11 a.m.

Local qualifiers

Individuals: Kolby Childers, jr., Prosser; Mariah Farris, sr., Ellensburg; Heidy Rodriguez, fr., Wapato; Katrina Radach, sr., East Valley; Quinn Carolan, sr., Ellensburg.

Coaches poll: 1, Interlake; 2, Sehome; 3, Kingston; 4, Cheney; 5, North Kitsap; 6, Bellingham; 7, Mark Morris; 8, Cedarcrest; 9, Lindbergh; 10. Hockinson. Others: East Valley-Spokane, Pullman, Centralia.

Lead pack: Brittany Gappa, jr., Squalicum; Marina Roberts, sr., Kingston; Reagan Colyer, jr., North Kitsap; Sanne Holland, jr., Cheney.

CLASS 2B-1B BOYS

11:30 a.m.

Local qualifiers

Teams — Bickleton: Brandon Berk, fr.; Peter Clinton, jr.; Joshua Cummings, jr.; Kane Lowe, 8th; Christian Mittring, jr.; Troy Roberts, 8th; Michael Underwood, fr.

Individuals: Michael Hickman, fr. Lyle-Wishram; Dusty Bender, sr., Riverside Christian.

Coaches poll: 1, Tri-Cities Prep; 2, Northwest Christian-Lacey; 3, Republic; 4, Davenport; 5, Northwest Christian-Spokane; 6, Asotin; 7, Seattle Waldorf; 8, Mossyrock; 9, Mt. Rainier Lutheran; 10, Seton Catholic. Others: Bickleton, Pomeroy, Sherwood Christian.

Lead pack: Lucas Graham, sr., NW Christian-Lacey; Seth Deal, jr., Waitsburg-Prescott; Josiah Shelman, sr., NW Christian-Lacey; Zack Speiker, sr., Oroville.

CLASS 1A BOYS

Noon

Local qualifiers

Teams — Highland: Michael Burns, sr.; Alfonso Cervantes, sr.; Luis Cortes, sr.; Jack Espinoza, jr.; Jorge Marin, sr.; Saul Ruiz, jr.; Rodrigo Ventura, fr. Zillah: Zach Collins, so.; Troy Dunbar, sr.; Isaac Estrada, sr.; Jessy Gonzales, jr.; Kasey Johnson, so.; Kody Johnson, so.; Sergio Sanchez, sr.

Individuals: Brandyn Bettis, sr., Cle Elum; Omar Cardoza, so., Granger.

Coaches poll: 1, Lakeside; 2, Colville; 3, Lynden Christian; 4, King’s; 5, Meridian; 6, Montesano; 7, Toledo; 8, Charles Wright; 9, Cashmere; 10, La Center. Others: Royal, Highland, Omak.

Lead pack: Ruben Riordan, jr., Charles Wright; Hap Emmons, sr., King’s; Stephen Bottoms, jr., Onalaska; Kody Shriver, sr., Kalama.

CLASS 3A GIRLS

12:30 p.m.

Coaches poll: 1, Glacier Peak; 2, Camas; 3, Peninsula; 4, Kamiakin; 5, Prairie; 6, Liberty; 7, Mercer Island; 8, Lakeside; 9, Oak Harbor; 10, Shadle Park. Others: Columbia River, Mt. Spokane, Capital.

Lead pack: Amy-Eloise Neale, jr., Glacier Peak (defending champion); Katie Knight, jr., North Central; Kendra Weitz, jr., Shadle Park; Alexa Efraimson, fr., Camas.

CLASS 4A GIRLS

1 p.m.

Local qualifiers

Teams — Eisenhower: Mayra Chavez, sr.; Keana Fine, fr.; Samantha Gil, so.; Tori Klein, jr.; Alyssa Pena, so.; Elise Tello, so.; Edith Zaragoza, sr.

Individuals: Kaitlin Kaluzny, sr., Davis.

Coaches poll: 1, Redmond; 2, Bellarmine Prep; 3, Eisenhower; 4, Tahoma; 5, Snohomish; 6, Jackson; 7, Issaquah; 8, Lewis & Clark; 9, Central Valley; 10, Stanwood. Others: Puyallup, Jefferson, South Kitsap.

Lead pack: Jordan McPhee, so., Mt. Rainier; Kaitlin Kaluzny, sr., Davis; Alexis Fuller fr., Union; Chandler Olson, jr., Woodinville.

CLASS 2A BOYS

1:30 p.m.

Local qualifiers

Teams — Selah: Robby Cousins, jr.; Cameron Ford, sr.; Ben Hoffman, jr.; Brad Kahn, sr.; Matt Schrenk, fr.; Matt Schwittay, jr.; Ethan Smith, jr. Ellensburg: Ben Bottcher, so.; Caleb Carolan, sr.; Sam Darda, sr.; Jose Ibarra, sr.; Thatcher Montgomery, sr.; Jeffrey Ott, sr.; Ben Solem, sr.

Individuals: Bradley Buttars, jr., Prosser.

Coaches poll: 1, Lindbergh; 2, Sehome; 3, Interlake; 4, White River; 5, Mark Morris; 6, Cedarcrest; 7, Squalicum; 8, Selah; 9, Cheney; 10, Renton. Others: Deer Park, Ellensburg, Tumwater.

Lead pack: Patrick Gibson, jr., Squalicum; Marcus Dickson, sr., White River; Sean Eustis, jr., Washougal; Poli Baltazar, jr., Aberdeen.

CLASS 3A BOYS

2 p.m.

Coaches poll: 1, North Central; 2, Kamiakin; 3, Bellevue; 4, Seattle Prep; 5, Mt. Spokane; 6, Camas; 7, Blanchet; 8, Nathan Hale; 9, Oak Harbor; 10, Columbia River. Others: Lakes, Glacier Peak, Capital.

Lead pack: Nathan Weitz, sr., Shadle Park; Anthony Armstrong, sr., Kamiakin; Hunter Johnson, sr., Mt. Spokane; Izaic Yorks, sr., Lakes.

CLASS 4A BOYS

2:30 p.m.

Local qualifiers

Teams — Eisenhower: Kyle Chapman, sr.; Delfino Dominguez, jr.; Jesus Medina, so.; Jaziel Rodriguez, sr.; Drew Schreiber, so.; Santos Vargas, sr.; Tyler York, jr.

Individuals: Alberto Melchor, sr., Davis.

Coaches poll: 1, Gig Harbor; 2, Eisenhower; 3, Wenatchee; 4, Jackson; 5, Central Valley; 6, Skyline; 7, Puyallup; 8, Kamiak; 9, Tahoma; 10, Bellarmine Prep. Others: Garfield, Kentwood, Beamer.

Lead pack: Andrew Gardner, jr., Mead; Jacob Smith, sr., Wenatchee; Korey Krotzer, sr., Auburn Riverside; Santos Vargas, sr., Eisenhower.

One Friday night he’s on crutches watching his once state-ranked team getting shut out.

A few weeks later he’s a standout during one of the program’s finest nights ever.

“It still feels surreal,” Karn said a day after the Pirates defeated Wenatchee and Richland in Tuesday’s CBBN third-seed tiebreaker. “I was in a haze for the longest time until it finally started to sink in — we actually won it.”

Davis has had more than its share of injuries this season and when Karn went down with an ankle injury three minutes into the Chiawana game on Oct. 14 all the momentum was going the wrong way.

“We knew the ankle was bad because I couldn’t put any pressure on it,” said Davis’ senior captain, middle linebacker and center. “I had to spend the rest of the night on the sidelines on crutches. A lot of things were going through my mind and none of it was positive.”

Davis then lost a third straight league game to Wenatchee, setting up the tiebreaker scenario, before restoring some confidence with a 61-41 non-league win over Hermiston. Karn missed those games and did everything you can to speed recovery, but time was running out.

“I hated slapping a smile on my face for the team. It was killing me inside,” he said. “I’d have my foot in a bucket of ice and people would ask, ‘You gonna play?’ I didn’t get my first full practice until Monday, but nothing was going to keep me off the field.”

There was more to it than just returning to the team. Karn couldn’t stand the thought of not being a captain on the field.

A year ago, Davis played Mead in a non-playoff crossover to finish the season and fell 24-19. Senior Josh White Elk, a captain and middle linebacker, took Karn aside afterward.

“He told me there’s no one else he’d rather have fill his role than me,” Karn recalled. “I’ll never forget that. That’s the night I made a commitment to this season and this team.”

Today, the Pirates will face Mead again but this time — thanks to Tuesday’s tiebreaker victory — it’s a playoff crossover with the winner headed to the 4A state playoffs next week.

Karn said he was determined to play every down Tuesday like it was his last. So it was no surprise that he was in on the game-winning defensive stop when Richland fell short on a two-point conversion attempt in double overtime.

“I don’t know if it was a botched snap or what, but David (Trimble) and I sort of went over the top of the guy,” he said. “Like everything else, it was a team effort. We needed to make so many plays and we did.

“To tell you the truth, after we stopped (Richland’s conversion attempt) my first thought was we’re going to triple overtime,’” he added. “That’s the haze I was in. What an amazing feeling. Today I don’t hardly feel the ankle at all.”

Today’s Albi doubleheader

It’s a fitting tribute to the seasons that Eisenhower and Davis have dazzled us with — back-to-back games on the same field with state berths on the line.

On the turf at Spokane’s Joe Albi Stadium, Davis (6-3) and GSL champ Mead (8-1) will kick off at 5:30 p.m. followed by Eisenhower (8-1) and Ferris (8-1) at 8 p.m.

What Ike and Davis can expect is a ton of run.

Neither Mead nor Ferris has passed for even 1,000 yards and with ground games like these, who needs to? Mead averaged a GSL-best 306 yards rushing while Ferris checked in at 263. The Saxons, last year’s 4A state champs, had the GSL’s best defense.

• Ike’s Denzel Jones and Trevon Harris and Davis’ Cooper Kupp all have 20 touchdowns through nine games. … Davis’ Deion Wright finished with 497 yards, according to this week’s league stats, in last week’s 61-41 win at Hermiston. That ties the Valley record set two years ago by Ellensburg’s Ethan Sterkel. … Jones collected 249 all-purpose yards last week against Walla Walla, boosting his league best to 1,845.

Davis’ regional run

Kaitlin Kaluzny’s 12-second victory in the 4A regional cross country meet last Saturday gave Davis its fifth girls regional title since 2000. Her predecessors include Sandra Martinez (2008), Stephanie Lenihan (2003) and Meredith Crane (2001, 2000).

In the 17-year history of the regional meet with the CBBN and GSL, Davis’ five girls titles ranks ahead of Mead, Ferris and Shadle Park, who have three each.

Kaluzny will be competing in the state meet on Saturday for the fourth straight year. After spending the summer focused on running rather than basketball, she’s a lock to vastly improve on her best finish of 38th.

A week before regionals, Kaluzny’s victory in the CBBN 4A district race marked the seventh year in a row that a Yakima runner won the race. That streak includes Ike’s Mayra Chavez (2010) and Berenice Penaloza (’09), Davis’ Sandra Martinez (’08-’07-’06) and Ike’s Chelsea VanDeBrake (’05).

Run the numbers

Selah and Ellensburg both extended their streaks of qualifying for the 2A boys state cross country meet to six years. The eighth-ranked Vikings, who earned the program’s 19th state appearance, had a stellar 37-second split between their first and fifth runners while winning Saturday’s regional title.

• Zillah’s boys and girls kept their streak going, qualifying for the state cross country meet together for the fifth straight year. The girls, who won the SCAC district title by 23 points, are making their eighth consecutive state appearance.

• Thanks to her repeat SCAC title last week, Olivia Newman gave Highland its fifth girls district champion in the last six years. Newman and Kaluzny are four-time state qualifiers along with Ellensburg’s Jeffrey Ott and Cle Elum’s Jamie Lambert.

• Watch out for Megan Glenski next year. The Wilson eighth-grader won last week’s Yakima All-City Middle School cross country race in 10:18.6 for 1.5 miles. That was good enough to place third in the boys race.

• Scott Spruill can be reached at 509-577-7686 or sspruill@yakimaherald.com

Heather Seaman, West Valley swimming, senior

Scoring 48 1/2 points for the Rams at the CBBN 3A district meet, Seaman clocked season bests in the 50 free (25.81) and 100 free and swam on two top-four relays.

CLASS 2A

Kailee Wood, Selah volleyball, junior

In 3-0 sweeps over Ephrata and East Valley in the CWAC district tournament, Wood collected 19 kills and 25 digs and helped the second-ranked Vikings repeat.

CLASS 1A

Whitney Winters, Zillah volleyball, senior

After putting together 20 kills and 11 digs against Naches Valley to finish SCAC play 12-0, Winters put down 13 kills in a 3-0 sweep over River View to open district.

CLASS 2B-1B

Peter Clinton, Bickleton cross country, junior

Bickleton’s ASB president led the Pirates to the school’s first district title, placing third. The versatile Clinton also placed third in the state pole vault last spring.