The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT Oct. 31, 2012

There's a good chance that days like Saturday won't be soon forgotten for a few different reasons.

To me, it will be remembered for a lot of other reasons - both on and off the field.

WATCHING THE finish of the state 5A girls race during the cross country championships on Saturday at Hells Gate State Park in Lewiston, you could sense that things were looking promising after runners had completed the first lap.

For the Coeur d'Alene girls, who had a lot of success running as a group, that didn't stop in the final race of the year with most within seconds of winning the race. Sophomore Josie Brown finished second in 18 minutes and 13.5 seconds, with teammates Punky Duran (fifth), Kara Story (sixth), Emily Callahan (seventh) and Krista Story nearly 30 seconds behind Brown's time.

It was their first championship since 2004 and could be the first of many as they only graduate one senior - Duran - and their sixth and seventh runners finished in the top 50.

After winning the championship last year, the Coeur d'Alene boys didn't do too shabby either, finishing with three medalists (top-20 finishers) on the way to a third-place finish. Of that group, only one (Michael Dunton, who finished eighth) is a senior.

Timberlake brought back a trophy for the fifth straight season, with a fourth place showing in the girls 3A race. The Tiger boys team missed out on a trophy to Kimberly by three points, with Intermountain League rival Bonners Ferry just five points behind them.

Behind junior Leif Fredericks and a third-place finish in the boys 2A race, Coeur d'Alene Charter finished fourth with 128 points, but was only three points out of a third-place trophy. David Conway, who was ninth, also returns for Charter, which also had two freshmen finish in the top 50.

Throw in a near title in the 4A boys race by Sandpoint junior Sam Levora, and it was a really good day for schools located in the northern part of the state.

So good in fact, that a little rain didn’t even rain on their parade.

BUT ALL of that just served as a distraction from the reality that was that morning.

A few years back, I’d find myself taking photos at Silver Hoops 3-on-3 basketball tournament for the newspaper in Kellogg, as well as The Press. Somebody eventually had the idea that while I was taking photos, I could help them out by officiating a couple of games.

This person could get me to help with anything, whether it was volunteering at a basketball tournament or moving a refrigerator down an icy street in Mullan in the middle of the night.

While Debbie Angle passed away from pancreatic cancer on Saturday morning, her memory won’t be forgotten.

Much like those runners trying to finish the race that day, giving up wasn’t an option.

No matter how bad things got.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com.