Hall of Fame - Women's Cross Country

Athletes

JOAN CORBIN, 1977-78-79

Joan Corbin Corbin was from Carroll HS in Yakima and was coached by Dale Kennedy at CCS in both Cross Country and Track. She was the Women’s Conference Cross Country Champion in 1977 and NWAACC Champion in the 1500 (4:39.75) & 800 (2:15.91) in 1978. Joan was the first of many great CCS women long distance runners who won individual NWAACC Championships in both cross country and track events. She played a key role in leading Spokane to the first NWAACC Women’s CC and T-F Team Championships.

KATHY KINNIBURGH, 1977-78-79

Kathie Kinniburgh Kinniburgh was from Mt. Baker HS in Deming WA who developed into an outstanding women’s cross country and track athlete under CCS Coach Dale Kennedy. She placed third in the NWAACC Cross Country Championship in 1977 and third again in 1978 as she helped lead the team to the NWAACC Title. Kathy ran the 800 in 2:19.53, the 1500 in 4:39.4 and the 3000 in 10:40.81 for the 1979 Track Team that won the NWAACC Team Championship.

KELLY WARREN, 1978-79-80

Kelly Warren Warren was from Cascade HS in Everett who became an outstanding Cross Country and Track athlete while being coached by Dale Kennedy at CCS. She was the NWAACC XC Champion in 1978 (18:43) and placed 3rd in 1979. Kelly ran the 3000 (10:19.95), 5000 (17:48.65), and the 10000 (38:02.76) in leading Spokane to the NWAACC Cross Country and Track Team Championship in 1980.

JOANNE LAHTI, 1978-79-80

Joanne Lahti Lahti was from Battleground HS and was coached by Dale Kennedy at CCS. Joanne was one of the greatest distance runners ever at CCS, leading Spokane to 4 NWAACC Team Championships in cross country and track and field in her 2 years at SCC. She placed second to CCS’s Kelly Warren in the 1978 NWAACC Cross Country Championships and came back to win the Individual NWAACC CC Championship in 1979. Joanne was the NWAACC Track Champion in the 5000 in both 1979 and 1980 and also won the 1500 in record setting time in 1980. Her times in the 1500 (4:34.77), the 3000 (9:49.9), and the 5000 (16:57.8) ranks her as one of the best female distance runners to ever attend CCS.

MICHELLE BALLENTINE, 1980-81-82

Michelle Ballentine Ballentine was from Federal Way HS and was coached by Dale Kennedy in her freshman year and Duane Hartman as a sophomore at CCS. She was a versatile distance runner who finished 6th in the NWAACC CC Championship in 1981 and 3rd in 1980. Michelle was outstanding in many track events as she competed and earned valuable team points in the 1500 (4:45.3), 3000 (10:32.7) and 5000 in winning both the 1981 and 1982 NWAACC Track Championships.

TRISH HENDERSON, 1981-82-83

Trish Henderson Henderson was coached by Duane Hartman at CCS after a great career at Battle Ground High School. She finished fourth In the 1981 NWAACC Cross Country Championship before winning the 1982 NWAACC Cross Country Individual Championship (18:46.0) as a sophomore. She led the CCS team to the NWAACC Women’s CC Team Championship in 1982 by finishing first and beating a great field. Trish was also outstanding in track as she ran the 3000 (10:05.31) and 5000 (17:52.8) in the NWAACC Championships each year.

SUSAN VOLKE, 1985-86-87

Susan Volke Volke was from Moses Lake HS and was coached by Duane Hartman as a freshmen and Ken Christen as a sophomore at CCS. Susan was another great CCS women’s distance runner in both cross country and track. She finished second and eight in her two NWAACC Cross Country Championships and won the 10000 (39:53.9) in the NWAACC Track Championship in 1986. Susan also earned valuable team points in the 800, 3000, 5000, and 10000 in her 2 years leading Spokane to the NWAACC Track Team Championships.

KARI McKAY, 1987-88-89

Kari McKay McKay was from Almira HS where she was a three sport star who scored 1,798 points in her basketball career. She was coached by Ken Christen at CCS and was one of the very best distance runners to compete for CCS in NWAACC history. She won the individual NWAACC Cross Country Championship in both 1987 (19:09) and 1988 (18:49) while leading CCS to the Team Championship both years. Kari was also outstanding in track as she won six NWAACC individual track titles in her two years at Spokane. She won the 1500, 3000 and 5000 in each year while running the 1500 in 4:39.0, 3000 in 10:06.30 and the 5000 in 17:52.50, these times ranking her with the best in the nation in 1989. McKay went on to EWU where she won the three Big Sky individual championships and earned All American honors. She finished her career at EWU with five college records.

PARA DRAINE, 1991-92-93

Para Draine Para was from Rogers HS and was coached by Ken Christen as a frosh and Curt Ransford as a sophomore at CCS. Para was an outstanding long distance runner for CCS. She won the NWAACC Individual Cross Country Championship in 1991 (20:52) and finished second in the 1992 NWAACC Championship. Para also competed in track at CCS and ran the 5000 and 10000 (40:14.84) to earn valuable points in the NWAACC Track Championships.

CHRISTINA (WERTHER) NELSON, 1996-97-98

Christina Werther Christina came to the Community Colleges of Spokane as a walk on in 1996 after being recruited by them two years earlier. She helped CCS win two NWAACC XC team championships by taking fourth place in 1996 and second in 1997 in the championship meets. Werther finished off her career at CCS by placing first in the 800m (2:16.96) and 1500m (4:49.75) races in the 1998 NWAACC track and field championship meet. She went on to compete at Montana State University were she ran the 800m (2:12.17) and 1600m (4:51.77) during the indoor track season. In 2001, she was recruited by Andrew Valmon to train post collegiate for the 2004 Olympic Games. Christina trained with two-time Olympian, Meredith Rainey Valmon, and eventually ran PR’s of (0:50.20) in the 400m, (2:03.16) in the 800m and (4:23.12) for 1500m. She now lives with her husband in Portland, Oregon and trains and runs for recreation.

ERIKA (COLIN) JACKSON, 1996-97-98

Erica Colin Erika Colin was one of Coach Larry Beatty’s first and best recruits for rebuilding the women’s cross country and track programs at the Community Colleges of Spokane. Colin came to CCS from Highland High School in Cowiche, Washington, where she was an outstanding distance runner, winning the 3200m state title in 1996. At CCS, she finished eighth in the 1996 NWAACC cross country championship meet her freshman year and then came back to win the individual title in 1997. Erika led the 1997 XC team to a perfect 15-point score as CCS swept the first five places in the championship meet. Their winning score (15) set an all-time NWAACC record. In track, Colin won the 3K in 1997 and came back in 1998 to sweep the three distance races, winning the 3K, 5K and 10K events. Erika’s time of 35:20.88 broke the national JC/CC record in the 10K. For her XC and TF efforts and her scholastic achievement, she was named CCS and NWAACC Female Athlete of the Year in 1998. Colin continued her running career at the University of Portland before starting a work career as a primary school teacher.

ANGIE SIMMERS, 1997-98-99

Angie Simmers Angie was a local Spokane runner from East Valley High School before she joined the Community Colleges of Spokane track and cross country (XC) programs. She was a member of two CCS women’s NWAACC XC championship teams. Simmers placed third individually on the 1997 championship team, which scored a perfect 15 points, and she improved to finish runner-up in the 1998 NWAACC XC championship meet. Angie was a CCS distance runner on two NWAACC champion track teams. She placed fourth in the 5K and fifth in the 10K in the 1998 NWAACC championship meet and placed sixth in the 5K and third in the 10k in 1999. Simmers continued her running career at Eastern Oregon University where she was the runner-up in the Cascade Collegiate Conference and finished as an NAIA All-American at the National Championships.

DEVIN (HUCK) TOWN, 1997-98-99

Devin Huck came to the Community Colleges of Spokane from Chelan High School where she was a four-time WIAA scholar athlete and part of the 1996 4x100 state championship relay team. At CCS she placed fifth in the 1997 NWAACC cross country championship meet, helping the team to a perfect 15-point score. She placed fifth again at the NWAACC XC championship her sophomore year assisting the team to repeat as champions. Devin was the 5K (19:02.9) champion and 3K fifth-place finisher in the 1999 NWAACC track and field meet. She was an integral part of the 1998 and 1999 NWAACC track and field championship teams and was a Junior College/Community College (JC/CC) All-American. Devin graduated from Eastern Washington University with a Bachelors in Exercise Science in 2001 and from Washington State University in 2004 with her Masters in Human Nutrition.

COLLEEN (HUCK) MILLER, 1997-98-99

Colleen Huck ran cross country and track for coach Larry Beatty from 1997-1999. Colleen was recruited to Community Colleges of Spokane from Chelan High School where she was part of the 1996 state championship 4x100 relay team and was a four-time WIAA scholar athlete. In 1997, she came in fourth at the NWAACC cross country championship as part of a perfect 15-point team score. Colleen was 1998 NWAACC cross country champion and led the Sasquatch to another team championship. In track, she placed second at the NWAACC track and field championship in the 3K and 5K races in 1998. In 1999, Colleen repeated her second-place in the 5K and finished sixth in the 3K at the NWAACC championships. Colleen graduated from Eastern Washington University in 2002 with a Bachelors in Education and then in 2005 received her Masters in Education from EWU. She taught elementary education for eight years before taking a break to stay home with her two boys.

JENNI SALING, 1998-99-00

Jenny Saling Jenni came to Community Colleges of Spokane from Central Valley High School (Spokane) where she qualified for the 3A high school track championships in 1995. Saling also qualified for the Kinney Footlocker Invitational in Fresno, California. She continued to develop in college and turned into one of the best long distance runners in CCS history. Jenni finished third in the 1998 NWAACC cross country championships and helped lead the team to the first place trophy. She followed that up in 1999 as she again led her teammates to the team championship and finished with the individual first place medal. Jenni had an outstanding track season in 1999 as well, winning both the 800 (2:22.09) and the 1500 (4:40.37) at the NWAACC track and field championships. After her career at CCS, Saling became a certified licensed massage therapist and reiki practitioner. She is a part-time landscape engineer and volunteers at Second Harvest and Head Start programs while being a full-time mother to her daughter Isabella.

ASHLEY (HADWAY) KAPUS, 2002-03-04

Ashley Hadway Ashley came to the Community Colleges of Spokane track and field and cross country (XC) programs after an outstanding career at Northwest Christian High School. She reached a new level in her running career under the expert training and guidance of her CCS coaches, Larry Beatty and Shawn Beitelspacher. Ashley placed eighth in the 2002 NWAACC women's XC meet and came back to finish second in the 2003 NWAACC championships. Hadway finished her final track season at CCS by placing second in the 10K and winning both the 1500m and 5K races at the 2004 NWAACC track & field championship meet. Ashley went on from CCS to receive a full-ride D1 scholarship at Montana State University. At MSU, she set new personal running records in the Big Sky Conference at the XC, Indoor, and Outdoor Track championships. Ashley is thankful for the time with her CCS teammates and coaches and is proud to join her dad, Mike Hadway, in the CCS Hall of Fame.

BRITTNEE SANCHEZ, 2007-08-2009

Brittnee Sanchez Sanchez graduated from Grandview High School where she won the 2004 WIAA 2A individual cross country championship after placing fourth in 2003. She was recruited to Community Colleges of Spokane and she earned four All-American awards during her CCS running career. In cross country, she won the 2007 NWAACC individual title and finished second in 2008. The Sasquatch won the 2009 NWAACC Track & Field Championship led by Brittnee’s second-place finish in the 1500m and her win in the 5k. Sanchez, coached by Erik Anderson and Sean McLachlan, helped Spokane win four NWAACC team championships in her four seasons with the Sasquatch. She continued her academic and running career at Boise State University where she ran PR’s of 2:19 in the 800m and 4:42.35 in the 1500m.

MIKEL ELLIOT, 2010-11-12

Mikel Elliot Elliot was recruited from White Pass High School by CCS cross country coach Sean McClachlan, after she had won five WIAA State B track championships in distance events. During her two cross country seasons at Spokane she finished second in the NWAC championship as a freshman and won the 2011 NWAC title as a sophomore. Mikel won five NWAC individual track titles; 3k Steeplechase (2), 1500, 5k, and 4X400 Relay. She also set an NWAC and CCS record in the Steeplechase (11:07.67) while winning seven All American honors. She continued her running and academic career at Concordia University where she earned NAIA All American honors in the steeplechase.

JESSICA MILDES, 2012-13-14

Jessica Mildes Mildes came to CCS after a high school distance running career at Riverside HS in Chattaroy, WA. She was recruited to CCS by cross country coach Sean McLachlan who saw the potential in her to become one of the very best distance runners in CCS and NWAC history. Jessica won the NWAC cross country championship in both 2012 and 2013, winning All American honors. She won six individual NWAC track titles in two years for the Sasquatch and helped lead them to team titles. Mildes was named the NWAC Female Athlete of the Year for Women’s Cross Country in both 2013 and 2014 and for Women’s Track and Field in 2014. She set the CCS and NWAC records for the 3k steeplechase (10:54.02) and the national record for the 10k (34:29.36). After graduating from CCS she continued her running and academic career for the D1 Gonzaga University Bulldogs.

Teams

1976-77 SCC Women’s Cross Country Team

1976-77 SCC Women's Cross Country team The 1976-77 SCC women’s cross country team won the NCWSA Community College Championship and was the first women’s cross country team elected to the CCS Hall of Fame. Coached by Dale Kennedy, their leading runners were Becky Curryer, Debbie Larson, Lois Hunt, Lynn Kinney and Anna Brown. This team was the first women's cross country team to ever run for Spokane CC. They set the pace and led the way for the 11 NWAACC Championship and 11 NWAACC runner up teams that have followed them at CCS.

1977-78 SCC Women’s Cross Country Team

1977-78 SCC Women's Cross Country team The 1977-78 SCC women’s cross country team won the unofficial NWAACC Community College Championship. This team was undefeated against all other two-year college competition. They were coached by Dale Kennedy in his second year at SCC and were led by Joan Corbin (first), Kathie Kinniburgh, Tracy Binsfield, Debbie Larson, Nancy Quatier, Becky Curryer, and Doris Lahti.

1978-79 SCC Women’s Cross Country Team

1978-79 SCC Women's Cross Country team The 1978-79 SCC women’s cross country team, which was coached by NWAACC Coach of the Year Dale Kennedy, won the first ever NWAACC Women’s Cross Country Championship. They dominated the competition with the second lowest winning score (16) of all time as Mt. Hood finished a distant second. The individual conference champion was Kelly Warren (first) and she was closely followed by team mates Joanne Lahti (second), Kathie Kinniburgh (third), Tracey Binsfield (fourth), Doris Lahti (sixth), Alison Smith (seventh), and Gayle Falconer (eighth). Spokane had all seven runners finish in the top ten, a mark that would stand as an all-time record for many years to come.

1979-80 Women’s Cross Country Team

1979-80 CCS Women's Cross Country team The 1979-80 Women’s Cross Country team won the NWAACC Title for the second straight year under NWAACC Coach of the Year Dale Kennedy. They had all 5 scorers finish in the top ten at the NWAACC Championships to score 31 points and beat Bellevue for the title. The team was led by Joanne Lathti, who won the individual championship, and was followed closely by Kelly Warren (3rd), Eve Nicacio (8th), Pam Schrieber (9th) and Alison Smith (10th).

1982-83 Women's Cross Country Team

1982-83 CCS Women's Cross Country team The 1982-83 women’s cross country team was coached by Duane Hartman as CCS won its third NWAACC Title with 26 points to edge out Bellevue (29) in a tight team race. Trish Henderson won the individual NWAACC title and she was followed closely by teammates Julie Engstrom in third, Gail Comer (sixth), Christine Ozer (seventh) and Julie Robins in (ninth). All five Spokane scorers finished in the top ten at conference to take CCS to the team title in the championship meet held at Wandermere golf course in Spokane.

1987-88 Women's Cross Country Team

1987-88 CCS Women's Cross Country team The 1987-88 CCS women’s cross country team won the NWAACC Championship at Wandermere Golf Course by scoring 33 points to tie Lane CC for the co-championship. The team was coached by Ken Christen who was a graduate of SCC, where he had competed in Cross Country in 1971 and 1972 for Coach John Buck. The 1987 Women’s Cross Country team was led by the great Kari McKay (19:00.9) who won the individual championship along with three other Spokane top-ten finishers. Following McKay with a strong second place finish was Orene Goldberg. Rounding out Spokane’s Championship team was Heather Maple (eighth place), Laurie Millet (ninth place), Michelle Vanderlinde (13th place), Audrey Meek (15th place), and Lorinda Bohn (18th place).

1988-89 Women's Cross Country Team

1988-89 CCS Women's Cross Country team The 1988-89 CCS women’s cross country team won their second straight NWAACC title by edging out Clackamas CC by a tight 49-50 score. This was the second straight win for Coach Ken Christen who was also named NWAACC Coach of the Year for the second time. The team was led by repeat individual champion Kari McKay (18:45.9) who defeated the second place finisher by a whopping 1:13 margin. Spokane had a close pack of runners near the top with Audrey Meek (ninth), Laurie Millet (10th), Renee Chamberlain (12th), Robin Harvey (17th) and Caryn Gray (23rd) rounding the championship scoring effort for Spokane. Clackamas (50), Bellevue (58), and Lane (84) followed the strong Spokane (49) team to the wire in the NWAACC Championships held at Lane CC in Eugene, Oregon.

1997-98 Women's Cross Country Team

1997-98 CCS Women's Cross Country team The 1997 CCS Women’s Cross Country team won the NWAACC championship with a clean sweep of the top five places and scorers to post a perfect score of 15 points, an NWAACC all-time record. They were coached by Larry Beatty, NWAACC Coach of the Year, and led by Erika Colin as the individual conference champion. In addition to Colin winning the race, they placed all seven runners in the top ten, an overwhelming team effort. They won the championship by 55 points (15 to 70), over the second place Clark team. The CCS team placers were Erika Colin 1st, Christina Werther 2nd , Angie Simmers 3rd, Colleen Huck 4th, Devin Huck 5th, Stephanie Pellegrini 7th, and Holly Weiler 8th. The team went 61-22 in scoring meets beating seven NCAA Division I colleges. Three of the ladies signed full scholarships and six of the seven women went on to successful running careers at four-year colleges. Other members of this record-setting team were Trisha Allen, Kendra Jaten and Brook Bryant, and assistant coach Wendy Crum.

1998-99 Women's Cross Country Team

1998-99 CCS Women's Cross Country team The 1998 CCS Women’s Cross Country team won the NWAACC championship by scoring 18 points to dominate second place Mt Hood who scored 72 points. The team was led by Colleen Huck as the individual conference champion under the direction of NWAACC Coach of the Year, Larry Beatty and his assistant, Janet Collar. The CCS team again ran as a pack, placing all seven runners in the top ten for the second year in a row. The CCS team placers were Colleen Huck 1st, Angie Simmers 2nd, Jenni Saling 3rd, Devin Huck 5th, Nichole Edwards 7th, Jenny Rodgers 9th, and Holly Weiler 10th. This team, like the 1997 team, was dominating at all levels. The lady Sasquatch harriers ended up with a record of 88-17 beating over 30 NCAA colleges. Five of the ladies had successful careers at four-year colleges and two of them signed full scholarships. Other team members were Shannon Ross, Melissa Baca, Lindsey McElroy and Julie LiaBraaten.

Coaches/Contributors

MAX JENSEN

Max Jensen Jensen was an outstanding distance runner in high school and at Washington State College where he competed in cross country and track for the Cougars. He became a legendary cross country coach at Richland High School in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. His teams won three WIAA state championships and he was named WIAA Cross Country Coach of the Year twice. Jensen was hired at Spokane Community College in 1972 to assist John Buck in cross country and track and field. He soon became the head cross country coach at SCC with his 1975 men’s team and 1982 women’s team each winning NWAACC championship titles. Jensen was named NWAACC Coach of the Year three times. Max retired in 2005 as a counselor at SCC and gave 33 years of outstanding service to many students. He has been selected for both the CCS and NWAACC Halls of Fame.

DUANE HARTMAN

Duane Hartman Hartman graduated from Bellarmine Prep High School in Tacoma as a multisport standout. He continued has higher education at Eastern Washington University where he was a four-year track letterman and a competitive weight lifter. Duane began his outstanding teaching and coaching career at Mead High School where he was head cross country (XC) and track and field (TF) coach and led his teams to many district and state championships. In 1978 Coach Hartman became head men’s XC coach at Spokane Community College and later added TF to his duties. His 1979 men’s XC team and six consecutive TF teams (1983-1988) all won NWAACC championship titles. Hartman also coached women’s XC and TF. His 1983 XC team captured the NWAACC championship. His coaching career included 16 second place winners. He was named NWAACC Coach of the Year ten times. Duane was a TF official for the National Junior Olympics, Olympic Trials, World University Games, and the 1966 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a member of the Washington State High School Coaches Hall of Fame and was a 25-Year Service Award winner from the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame. Duane was inducted into the CCS Hall of Fame in 2001 and became a member of the NWAACC Hall of Fame in 2003.

DALE KENNEDY

Dale Kennedy Kennedy was hired in 1976 to start the women’s cross country (XC) and track and field (TF) programs at Spokane Community College. He had been a highly successful XC and TF coach at Central Valley High School in Spokane before joining the Sasquatch. He quickly built a successful program at SCC where he won three straight NWAACC women’s TF championships during the 1978, 1979 and 1980 seasons. Kennedy also coached the distance runners to four straight NWAACC Women’s Cross Country championships in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979 seasons. He was selected as NWAACC Coach of the Year on seven different occasions. He left SCC in 1980 to become the women’s XC and TF coach at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. His teams at MSU have won numerous Mountain West and Big Sky titles. Kennedy has also been named to both the CCS and NWAACC Halls of Fame.

LARRY BEATTY

Larry Beatty Beatty graduated from Port Angeles High School before beginning his college career at Green River Community College. His track success at GRCC was highlighted by winning the 1984 NWAACC 400 hurdle title and being named to the NWAACC Hall of Fame. After competing for the University of Portland (BA, 1987), he helped coach track and field (TF) and cross country (XC) at Western Oregon State College (MA, 1992). Larry accepted a XC and TF coaching job at Clark College where his teams won two men’s NWAACC TF titles. In 1996, Beatty was hired by Community Colleges of Spokane’s Athletic Director, Maury Ray, to be head coach for both the men’s and women’s XC and TF programs. He quickly built the most powerful XC/TF program in the history of the NWAACC, winning four women’s and six men’s XC titles in nine seasons. Beatty retired from coaching the XC programs in 2004 but continued to dominate the NWAACC TF championships. His Sasquatch TF teams won a total of 12 women’s and 13 men’s titles during his 15 seasons at the helm. His record of 29 NWAACC Coach of the Year awards and 35 NWAACC team titles at Spokane is incredible. Beatty retired from coaching TF in 2011 but has continued his work as a tenured physical education and health instructor at SCC.

ERIK ANDERSON

Erik Anderson Erik was both an outstanding athlete and a great coach in the NWAACC. He ran cross country (XC) and track and field (TF) for Clark College where he earned All-American honors in both sports. Anderson then went on to run for Linfield College in Oregon. There he earned two NAIA All-American awards in TF and XC, including a third-place finish nationally in the steeplechase and 17th in XC. His coaching career began as an assistant at Community Colleges of Spokane (CCS) from 1996-1999. In 1999 through 2003, Erik served as head coach for XC and TF at Clark College. Then in 2004, Anderson returned to CCS, taking over as head XC coach for both men and women. During his career, Erik was named NWAACC Cross Country Coach of the Year consecutively from 2002 through 2008, and NWAACC Track and Field Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2003. His CCS men's XC teams won championship titles in 2004 through 2008. Anderson’s women's XC teams at Clark won in 2002 and 2003, then at CCS in 2006, 2007 and 2008. His Clark College women's TF team won in 2003. In 2009 Erik was inducted into the CCS and NWAACC Halls of Fame.