XC Coach Hoping For Banner Season

WAITSBURG - The first WP cross country practice will be held Aug. 20 and head coach Joanna Lanning couldn't be more excited.

This year, Lanning is expecting 10 to 12 athletes to turn out for the cross country season, including two Jubilee Youth Ranch athletes from Africa.

"I'm pretty excited about our possibilities," Lanning said. "Last year, we couldn't even field a boys team."

Although Lanning isn't expecting any high-school level female runners this season, she is expecting to have more than the re­quired five young men for a full men's team to com­pete this season. WP cross county runners have had to compete as individuals in the past.

In addition to four re­turners and four to six Jubilee athletes, Lanning said she may even have an exchange student who loves to play tennis and run. Also, a Prescott run­ner who didn't participate last season is expected to turn out again, she said.

In addition to all of these high school athletes, she expects to have five to seven junior high athletes as well coming up through the program. Standout junior high runner Emily Adams will be back for her eighth grade year, Lanning said.

Lanning is hoping the large turnout will have some strong talent to com­pete with WP veteran run­ner Seth Deal. Deal placed 16th at the state cross coun­try competition last year after an unexpected bout of flu. As Deal prepares to go out with a bang for his senior year, Lanning hopes other talented runners help challenge him and push him to the limits to see what he can do.

"It could be a really good send-off year for (Deal)," Lanning said.

Mark Hauck, the stu­dent activities and athletic director for Jubilee Youth Ranch, said one Jubilee athlete, Corey Braxton, went to cross country camp with the WP team this summer. Lanning has been taking the athletes at Jubilee out running to help prepare them for the season, Hauck said.

The ranch had wanted to provide three sports for its athletes this year, but Hauck said the ranch just couldn't make it work, so the athletes can choose between participating in cross country and football for WP. Jubilee athletes have played soccer before, but that is not an option for them this year.

"We don't quite have the resources to do three sports yet," Hauck said.

Two Jubilee athletes, both born in Ethiopia, will really take the cross country meets by storm, he said. At a fun run 10K at the camp earlier this summer, these two natural- born runners came out of the woodwork. Jacob Dingfield, from Medical Lake, and Tewedros Mc- Dowell, from Stanwood, ran the 10K, 6.2 miles, in 42 and 44 minutes.

"This was without work- ing out at all," Hauck said. "It was incredible. This was right off the couch."

Both Dingfield and Mc- Dowell are freshmen and have since the fun run began running regularly to turn out for the cross country season.

"We're excited about both of them," Hauck said.

Dingfield was adopted when he was five and moved to the states. Mc- Dowell was adopted when he was 10 with his sister and has been living in the United States for four years, Hauck said.

In addition to Dingfield and McDowell, Jose Es- parza, who competed for WP in track and field last spring, is expected to turn out for cross country because soccer is not being offered, Hauck said.

There will be about 20 Jubilee athletes participating in sports this fall, he said. About 15 will turn out for football and four to six for cross country.

Lanning said she is already looking at the schedule for the season and scouting out the competition. It will be a tough season, but she knows her larger team will work hard.

"We have a really com- petitive schedule again this year," Lanning said. "The kids will be challenged."