Mt. Spokane Runner Returns Healthy for State Title Push

Mt. Spokane enters Saturday’s state meet with an undefeated Greater Spokane League season behind it and a chance to claim a boys cross country championship for the first time. The races will take place at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco. Senior Gatlin Michaelsen has led the Wildcats at every meet this season, while the runners behind him have consistently stayed close together.

Michaelsen placed 15th at state last year and is expected to contend for a top-10 spot, with fifth also within reach. He is now training more fully after a Grade 2 stress fracture limited his running during the past two years. His season included a career-best 15 minutes, 0.7 seconds at the Bob Firman Invitational at the Course. He also anchored the championship 4x400-meter relay at last spring’s state track meet.

Coach Scott Daratha’s lineup has depth beyond Michaelsen. Logan Nave has regularly run second for Mt. Spokane, followed in varying order by Asher Thomas, Eli Hewa, Cole Julian, Grant Lange and Jackson Miller. Thomas did not compete at last Saturday’s District 6 meet, and the other six Wildcats are prepared to carry out the same approach if he cannot race. Hewa is also returning to form after a late-summer injury, bronchitis and a sinus infection kept him out for three weeks. Mt. Spokane plans to open near a 5-minute first-mile pace, increase the effort during mile two and compete for the win over the final mile. The team’s target is to place its first five runners within one minute of each other.