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Predistrict may resolve uncertainties KU boys stand to dominate, but girls race is up in the air By TIM TROWER Some questions will be answered and others will surface today when the Southern Oregon Conference conducts its predistrict cross country meet at Eagle Point High School. The event starts at 3:45 p.m. and should give an indication of what's to come late next month at the actual district meet. But there are uncertainties, particularly on the girls' side: Can Ashland, which lost dominant champion Paris Edwards to graduation, win its third straight conference title with what remains a veteran nucleus? Are early-season successes by Grants Pass and Crater indicative of their strength? Will Klamath Union's Kiddie Korps - two sophomores, six freshmen - perform in a manner not befitting their youth? The boys' circuit is far less hazy: Will Klamath Union's Jacob Gomez be the best in the state? Will Klamath Union's Lauren Jespersen be the best in the state? Will Klamath Union's fifth runner close the gap enough to make the team as strong as some of its parts? Tune in. Ashland's girls won't have the shoo-in district winner they've had in the past. The last 10 individual winners have been Grizzlies, including Edwards - the only girl in history to win four titles. But Ashland returns three top-20 district placers from a year ago, when it nudged out Klamath Union for the crown. Junior Kendall Clark leads the way. She's the No. 2 SOC returner from last year and recently placed eighth in a large meet in Oregon City. "The placing there," says new Ashland coach Bob Julian Jr. - who takes over the program from his retired father - "is pretty reminiscent of state. I would say her race probably established her as a top-10 kind of a person at state." Therese McCaffrey, sixth at district, and Mariah Mayfield, 20th, will be key performers for the Grizzlies, who are further bolstered by the presence of Gretchen Buettner. Buettner ran for Ashland two years ago, spent last year in Colorado, and now is back in the mix as one of its top runners. Depth appears to be Ashland's strength. "The old man didn't leave the cupboard bare," laughs Julian Jr. "We've won it the last two years, and we'll try to do it again. We're looking at it like we have a very good chance to do it." The main competition should come from Klamath Union. Despite their youth, the Pelicans recently finished ahead of Ashland, Grants Pass and Crater at the Yreka, Calif., Invitational. Katie Leary of Klamath was the runner-up, edging Clark. "I think more than anything, we caught everyone off guard," says first-year coach Rob Coffman, who got the job after Marnie Mason-Johnson went to North Medford. Grants Pass finished only one point behind Ashland at Yreka and returns the Nos. 10 and 11 runners from district in Elise Aschwanden and Allison Nunnemaker, respectively. Crater, which is led by Sam Kezer, won a meet at Klamath Union, but the Pelicans' top runners didn't compete. North Medford features Sarah Dalton, who won the individual race at Klamath Falls, and Brittany Hodges, a top track sprinter who is using the season primarily for conditioning. South Medford is led by Amy Finney. Noi Hilgendorf would likely be a factor but is battling a sore knee. Roseburg has the top returning district placer in Melis Garner, who was third last year. Eagle Point has returners in Gaby Pimentel, Carlie Lund and Alyse Ringrose. On the boys side, Klamath Union continues to rule over the conference. It is expected to win its fifth straight title. Gomez is ranked among the top 50 nationally by one prep service, and Jespersen, the defending SOC champion, likely would be as well if he hadn't collapsed and placed 148th at the 2000 state meet after suffering an allergic reaction. "I think Jacob and Lauren are as good as anyone in the state," says Coffman. "What sets them aside is they're really trying to bring the rest of the team up to their level." Neither is very vocal, but both lead by example. They conducted running sessions in the summer and rounded up as many as 30 boys and girls at a time to work out. "They're huge leaders," says Coffman. They've split two cross country races, Gomez winning at Yreka and Jespersen winning an SOC four-way. In the longer, 10-kilometer Prefontaine Memorial that included open runners, Jespersen was second and Gomez fourth. Kevin Pellegrino and Alex Jayne give Klamath Union a solid top four, but it's the fifth and final scoring position that needs to come on. Patrick Rose has finished fifth each meet for the Pelicans and his times "are just dropping and dropping," says Coffman, indicating KU could be untouchable come the postseason. South Medford's Shaun Olson is the best returning runner who won't wear a Pelican uniform, having placed fifth at district. His specialty is middle distances in track. "His leg speed is his best strength," says coach Bill Rowan. "He's not really a 5,000 runner at this point in his career. But he's willing to do more work this year and focus on his training to be much more competitive at 5,000 meters." Panther teammates Alando Pacas, Chris McLean and Kyle Lundwall are strong enough to make South a contender for the No. 2 district spot, which would earn a state berth. However, it's not alone. At Yreka, Grants Pass, Ashland and Roseburg all finished ahead of the Panthers. Grants Pass is led by Ben Smith and Jamie Gunn. Ashland's top runners are Chris Faudree, Asha Stout and Andy Wright, who was within 10 seconds of the freshman record at the Prefontaine. Roseburg's Adam Wadsworth was seventh at district last year. Elsewhere, Trevor Palmer heads the Crater contingent, Tim Martinen does likewise for Eagle Point and North Medford will rely on Chris Vorgang, Casey Kostol, Khalub Doyle and Kyle Wells. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.