<< Previous   of   Next >> For the Enterprise/Daniel Berman  (click to enlarge) Shorewood cross country's Chip Jackson, left, and Erin Johnson, are two of the school's top running prospects. Here, they pose for a portrait at Shorewood High School Monday, Sept. 29.

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CONTACT THE ENTERPRISE David Pan, Sports editor entsports@heraldnet.com Tony Dondero, Asst. Sports editor entsports@heraldnet.com

T-birds' Jackson and Johnson aim for state

By Tony Dondero
Enterprise reporter

Standouts Chip Jackson and Erin Johnson return to lead the Shorewood cross country program under new coaches Dan Soler and Thor Anderson.

Jackson, a senior, won the Fort Steilacoom Invitational in 16 minutes flat, shaving about a minute off his best time from last year. His 5-kilometer time is the best in the Western Conference right now as listed on athletic.net ahead of Jackson's Ben Lance, who ran 16:15 at South Whidbey.

Jackson demonstrates good endurance, said boys coach Anderson, who is working with him on developing speed.

"He said he had more in him," after the Fort Steilacoom race, said Anderson, who believes Jackson can get down to about 15:45.

Jackson sets the pace for the boys squad, running about 30 to 40 meters ahead of the pack.

Junior Joe Gladow, sophomore Colin Wilkins, junior Kane Thomas and junior Alex Brock round out the varsity five. Gladow, Wilkins and Thomas are about even. "They're strong pacers, that entire group," Anderson said.

Senior Jacob Wilkins, Colin's brother, is the only other varsity senior besides Jackson.

Johnson, a sophomore who finished seventh at Fort Steilacoom in 19:30, was the only Shorewood runner to qualify for state last year, finishing 28th in 20 minutes at Pasco.

Shorewood's lineup includes junior Devon Geary, freshman Charlee Linton, freshman Ali Petrichko and sophomore Angela Evans.

Soler and Anderson, who both teach at Shorewood, talked with the captains to find what worked under the previous coaches Howie Wood and Brock Hogle.

"First year teaching, first-year coaching, first year with anything is a learning process," Anderson said.

One thing the new coaches have emphasized, is developing their athletes core muscle groups, Soler said. Pacing is another emphasis.

"You've either chosen a winning pace or you have room to improve," Anderson said. "Running against other people is only (important) that last final push."

They also held a team bonding retreat at Camp Casey on Whidbey Island earlier in the season.

The Western Conference South Division will probably be dominated by Jackson in both boys and girls. The Jackson boys are ranked first in 4A by the state cross country coaches association and the Jackson girls are ranked sixth.

Shorewood's Jackson and Johnson both have excellent shots at making it to state in Pasco in November, but it depends on what the competition is like statewide, Soler and Anderson said.