With a full team of girls running junior varsity, Coach Wayne Spinney was impressed with results of their first meet at Thurston Thursday evening.
Four boys ran junior varsity, Coach Spinney said. Most of the older runners did not run because of illness, soccer or incomplete paperwork. All four ran junior varsity.
“My fastest person by far was Aaron Lovik,” Coach Spinney said. Lovik improved his 3,000-meter time from Bush Park time trials, 11:35 to 10:49, and finished 14th. Comparing that to Kyle Temple’s and Richard Westvik’s time at Bush Park, Lovik’s time bodes well for the Huskies, with the three of them running as a bunch under 11 minutes. Lovik’s time was a PR.
“Aaron ran out of his head,” Coach Spinney said. “He ran great.”
Chris Lovely ran slowly nursing an injury with 11:48 setting a PR. Sam Crain finished 15:58, down from 15:31. Shant Little finished 14:49, matching his PR and time from Bush Park.
Not running on the boys team were Kyle Aubert, Chris Burford, Tyler Kistner, John Lovik, Robert McGarry, Temple and Westvik.
On the girls squad, two runners improved scores dramatically from their Bush Park times.
Diane Kennelly improved from 17:57 to 16:34, setting a PR.
Kim Lovik went from 16:51 to 15:17, setting a PR.
“She really ran just great,” Coach Spinney said. She started out taking her time, “but then she got into it.”
Sonia Arroyo ran 16:19. Anne Helfrich ran 14:02 to lead the girls. Megan Snow followed her in at 14:30.
Danyel Cranford and Julia Henthorne did not run.
Coach Spinney was happy to see the girls team perform so well.
The girls times, from first to fifth person, have a gap of about 2:20.
Henthorne would have been “right in that mix,” Coach Spinney said. That gap will probably grow to three or four minutes on a 5,000-meter course, but the performance Thursday indicates “a pretty strong girls team.”
“I was really pleased with everybody that ran,” Coach Spinney said. “They ran the best they could do. They really all ran great.
“Just after yesterday, I’m really encouraged about what’s going on, on the girls side,” and the boys did well, as he anticipated they would.
Most of the team will likely run junior varsity again at Cascade Thursday, Coach Spinney said. Some might say they should be preparing to run the 5,000-meter, but “they’re training to the 5K now. This is just sort of a speed workout for them.”
This week, the Huskies will be watching Stayton, the team that will likely fight the Huskies for the second spot at the district meet.
“They’re going to be our target,” Coach Spinney said. “People are going be taking names and numbers,” evaluating whom they need to beat to go to state.