B26
Fall Sports Preview
The Spotlight, August 30, 2012
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By JOHN WILLIAM HOWARD
The Spotlight
After a season in which the St.
Helens boys cross country team
overcame wild odds to take 10th
place at the OSAA state cross coun-
try championships, things are look-
ing up this season as numbers have
ballooned compared to the 2012 turn-
out.
“It goes in cycles. You get a bunch
of kids one year and it goes really
well and then you’re down a bit and
then it goes back up,” said Gerry
Tinkle, head cross country coach at
St. Helens High School. “Some pro-
grams, like Jesuit (High School), it’s
good year after year, but for the rest
of us, it goes in cycles.”
Just nine boys came out for the
team last year and, though a number
of recruits later jumped on the band-
wagon, the Lions definitely weren’t
supposed to do much. That team
pulled together in the latter stages of
the season, rallying to take second at
the district meet behind junior Bryan
Strang. Of the boys that finished that
race, five had personal bests enroute
to a surprising but satisfying finish
to the season.
This year Strang is back for his se-
nior season after finishing a close
third place at the district meet and
25th overall at state.
“He posted some good times last
season, and it built some confidence
in him,” said Tinkle, adding that
Strang had a successful track season
as well, but that his focus was all
cross country once track season was
over. “He knew he had to run all
summer, not take breaks, and get se-
rious about it, and he’s done that.”
“Starting off the season, he’s just
doing everything he can, and every-
thing he needs to do to have a suc-
cessful season and be a champion,”
said Tinkle.
A supporting cast for Strang
sprung up last fall, after late recruit-
ing efforts on Tinkle’s part were
largely successful. The boys’ team
grew from nine to 15 or 16 runners
by the time the season was under-
way in earnest, and many of those
runners are back at it again this time
around.
Casey Cooke, who was one of
those late recruits and finished third
for the Lions at the district meet, will
be one of the top two runners for St.
Helens this season along with
Strang. Another name who will “sur-
prise people” according to Tinkle is
Tanner Boyle, who has made signifi-
cant improvements over the offsea-
son after last year, his first season in
cross country. FullerWorman also
returns for his junior season with
two years of varsity experience un-
der his belt. Those four are joined by
Tanner Mattlock, who excelled on
the JV squad last year and posted a
time at the district meet that would
nearly have put him in scoring posi-
tion on varsity.
Other than those five, the spots
are still up for grabs and will be de-
cided as the year rolls forward. Tin-
kle said a number of different ath-
letes from last year’s jayvee team
have the potential to take a place on
varsity, and that time trials in the
coming days would help himmake
the final decision.
On the girls’ side, Tinkle is equally
blessed to have his top runner, Cyn-
thia Fenrich, back for her senior sea-
son. Fenrich was injured during
track season, and she has been
spending the summer recuperating
on a “low-mileage” workout plan.
Tinkle said her knee still gives her
fits from time to time, but she has
improved since spring. Added sup-
port from her surrounding team-
mates couldmean good things ahead
for the girls’ team.
“We have pretty much everybody
back from that team except Megan
Waite,” said Tinkle. “We’ve got three
new girls that have come out, two
freshman and a sophomore that are
St. Helens runners to reprise last year’s surprise finish
St. Helens was a surprise
second at district last
season and would like
to do it again
GERRY TINKLE
St. Helens Cross Country Coach
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Quick Notes:
•Bryan Strang returns as the teams
best and most experienced runner.
•The girls could have a much better
season with some hard work .
•Longtime coach Gerry Tinkle thinks
the boys could also do well if they
develop some depth to their line-up.
•St. Helens has the potential to pull
off another surprise at district.
Schedule
Sept. 6 Bill Chapman Inv.
Sept. 11 NWOC Preview
Sept. 21 3-Course, Seaside
Sept. 25 4-Way, St. Helens
Oct. 2
Star City Classic
Oct. 3
Trojan Relays
Oct. 9
4-Way, Sandy
Oct. 12 Adidas Classic,
Fern Park
Oct. 23 NWOC District
Nov. 2
5A State Meet,
Eugene
See LIONS XC, Page B27
1...,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25 27,28