Sports - Sports News

POSTED: Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

PREP BOYS' CROSS COUNTRY: Hollander ready to return to state meet

For more than two decades, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association State Cross Country Championships have called Pasco home every fall. And for the past two seasons, the state meet has been a bit of a homecoming for Lynden Christian's Jacob Hollander.

Hollander was born a little less than an hour west of the Tri-Cities in Sunnyside, and his family moved to Richland when he was 7 or 8. It wasn't until after his freshman year that his family moved to Lynden and Hollander became a Lync, just like his father, Paul, who attended LC in the 1980s.

It didn't take Hollander long to make a return trip to the Tri-Cities, as he qualified for state as a sophomore and ended up finishing 30th in the Class 1A meet with his time of 17 minutes, 30 seconds last year.

By placing sixth on Saturday, Oct. 31, at the 1A tri-district meet in Lakewood in 16:52.2, Hollander once again earned a return trip to Pasco for the state meet on Saturday, Nov. 7.

"It's always exciting to go back and compete in your old home town," Hollander said in a phone interview. "You get to see some old friends and see the places you got to hang out and check out what has changed."

Hollander said he gained an appreciation for what the state cross country meet meant by growing up in the area and competing as a freshman for the Richland Bombers, who have been very successful on the girls' side in Class 4A.

Though he never ran on the course at the Sun Willows Golf Course until last year's state meet, he feels that growing up in the area also has given him a bit of a home-course advantage.

"I know the conditions there," Hollander said. "It's always windy. Even when it's sunny and warm, there will be a breeze in the Tri-Cities. And it's always dry there. This time of year it will be a bit colder, too. It will help to know what to expect there this weekend."

Not that Hollander needs all that much help.

He enters the Saturday's race with the sixth-fastest time in 1A this year after posting a 16:32.35 at the Northwest Conference Championships on Oct. 22 at Civic Stadium. Nooksack Valley's Oliver Bear Don't Walk (15:56.32) is the only 1A Whatcom County runner with a quicker time.

Part of the reason for Hollander's success has been the training he did during the winter and spring seasons with the Lynden boys' swim team and the boys' track and field team at LC.

Hollander went to the 2A state meet as a sophomore in the 200 individual medley and the 100 backstroke last February and helped the Lions place seventh in the 200 medley relay and fourth in the 400 freestyle relay.

His success continued in the spring season, when he placed eighth at the 1A State Track and Field Championships in the 800 meters.

"He had a good year as a sophomore," Lynden Christian cross country coach Darren Postma said. "I think the swimming helped raise his cardio level, and when he came back for track he was ready from the get go. That really helped him crank out some good times there."

The training he received during the track season has, in turn, helped him during the cross country season this fall, Postma said.

"As an 800 runner, he's developed a tremendous kick," Postma said. "If he stays with people near the front early on, he's going to get them at the end. He just needs to stay in contention until he smells the finish line, and then he's got that burst at the end to go for it."

Hollander said that burst has done wonders for him at the end of the race.

"I haven't been passed in the final 50 meters of a race this year," the junior said. "I've passed a number of people, but I haven't been passed. Last year, maybe one or two guys got me at the end, but not this year."

Hollander said he hopes that is enough to get him a top-10 finish at state.

Doing so would definitely help the Lyncs in their quest to back up their fourth-place finish from last season with another top-five finish. The team had only one senior on the squad it took to state last year, and Chris VandenBos and Zach Crenshaw join Hollander with top-50 times in 1A this season.

Port Townsend and Nooksack Valley, which finished 1-2 at the 1A tri-district meet last week, figure to be the top team contenders, with Royal and Charles Wright also in the mix. Meridian also had a strong race at tri-district, finishing one spot ahead of LC in fourth.

"The team is excited," Hollander said. "I'm excited. We only lost two seniors off last year's team and none of our top guys. Plus we had some stud freshmen come in ... We just want to go as far as we can. I don't think we've set anything in stone yet, as far as team goals. We knew we were going to make it to state, and now we just want to go out and run the best that we can."

Reach David Rasbach at david.rasbach@bellinghamherald.com or 715-2271.

STATE CROSS COUNTRY

When: Saturday, Nov. 7

Site: Sun Willows Golf Course, Pasco

TIME SCHEDULE

1A girls: 10:30 a.m.

2A girls: 11 a.m.

1A boys: Noon

3A girls: 12:30 p.m.

2A boys: 1:30 p.m.

3A boys: 2 p.m.