Vikings on the run

They dominated the Sunfair Invitational in Yakima, Wash., earlier this month, with four of their five runners winning their respective flights.

But to send their lone senior Punky Duran out with a state 5A championship, all six runners on the Coeur d'Alene girls cross country team will need to have a hand in the Vikings' success.

"It would really mean everything," sophomore Josie Brown said. "Punky (Duran) really wants that state title, but being as young as we are - it would be amazing to get a state title."

Coeur d'Alene missed out on a title by four points in last year's meet.

"We want it more than last year because of coming up short," junior Noelle Ball said. "Especially since we lost by only four points. We've got a lot more drive this year."

Ball has missed a few races this year due to plantar fasciitis - an inflammatory process of the connective tissue in her right ankle.

"It happened toward the beginning of the season," Ball said. "I might need surgery to fix it."

She's since recovered to win the Flight 1 race at Yakima.

"I'm used to being more up there on the team, and right now I'm toward the bottom," Ball said. "Right now, I'm kind of borderline getting off varsity, but know I need to just finish off the season strong."

So far, so good as the Vikings finished the 5A Region 1 meet last Thursday with a perfect score of 15 at Hells Gate State Park in Lewiston.

“They’ve been working hard and all have been solid all season,” Coeur d’Alene coach Cathy Compton said. “They needed that competition (at Yakima) and push and the pressure going into the meet. I really think it catapulted them into where they are.”

As luck as it, the state meet this week is back at Hells Gate, on Saturday.

“I actually hate the course,” Ball said. “That’s where I got my PR as a freshman, so it’s not that bad — but I really don’t like it.”

“I’ve never seen the course,” Brown said. “We didn’t compete down there this year, but went to a camp and got to preview it.”

“Most of the other schools won’t have that advantage (of having run the state course prior to state),” junior Kara Story said.

Sophomore Clare Dumont likes the setting for state.

“It’s a great course with a lot of hills,” Dumont said. “We won’t be traveling as much, so we might not be as tired going into the race. We will have seen the course, so I think it will be good for us.”

“Knowing that we’ve got a good chance to win at state, we need to keep our minds on it,” Brown said. “Because there’s good teams out there and we can’t think we’ve got this, because there’s other really good teams out there.”

Freshman Emily Callahan, who missed the first two weeks with a knee injury, recovered to post the fastest time in Yakima among varsity girl runners at 18:16.66 — and also won the Region 1 girls race last Thursday.

“I was really excited,” Callahan said. “When I saw the times on the scoreboard and I realized I’d won the whole race, it was really amazing.”

“That’s where she realized that she could compete,” said Compton of Callahan’s performance at Yakima. “She really respects and admires her older teammates. Going into that meet, she was a little tentative, but it did her wonders. She couldn’t believe how well she ran — and none of us could believe it. She’s the real deal for sure.”

Winners in flight races at Yakima received a new pair of Brooks running shoes. The only person that didn’t win was Brown — who finished second in the Varsity 7 flight for No. 1 runners.

“We were all cheering for each other,” Story said. “All of us were yelling ‘do it for the shoes’ and it worked. We’ve been trying to set our minds on doing the best we can do and keeping a positive attitude. We just need to be able to stay together as a team and make sure everyone is healthy. I think our team is good and we work well together.”

“They’re a good group of kids and are all friends and care for each other,” Compton said. “All but one of them won a pair of shoes for winning their flight — so they made sure to pool their money to buy her (Brown) a pair. They look out for each other, on and off the field.”

Compared to last year, with a younger group, the Vikings know where they stand with the rest of the state.

“I think we know where we are this year,” Dumont said. “Last year, we didn’t know coming into state, if we were good or not. Now, I think we’re really good and are state material. I think it really gave us confidence last year.”

“It’s really been an exciting year,” Duran said. “It’s probably my favorite of all the sports I’ve played so far.”

Duran has been the oldest member of the team the past two years.

“Being the oldest, I’ve been pushing them and showing them how bad I really want this,” Duran said. “I was the oldest as a junior last year and it’s been different, but I like it because I like leading the team. I know I want to do my best, but with state, it all depends on how the rest of my teammates do. If we win, now that high school is almost over, that’s all I really want right now.”

But with only one senior on the team, all six know that if this is the year they break through — it would be special.

“It would mean a lot to us,” Story said. “We all want to get a title. Punky is our only senior and everyone else had a title in her family but her. We want to get her senior year started right and come through for her.”

“It’s everything,” Brown said. “Punky really wants to get a state title, but being as young as we are, it would be amazing to get a state title this year.”

“She really wants it,” said Ball of Duran. “I think all of us want it. But for Punky, if we won, she’d probably start crying. She’d be so happy she’d start crying.”

Coeur d’Alene’s girls last won a state cross country title in 2004.

“Running on this course should be a huge advantage because it’s so fresh,” Compton said. “Having it be so fresh, it’s going to be an advantage. We’ve ran a few times on it, but anytime you can run the regional course, then do it at state — it’s good. We know the climate and the area, so it should be a good thing for us. We’re healthy and ready to roll. These girls won’t give anything back because they’ll leave it out there.”