By Don Ketchum

Roll call at Glendale Mountain Ridge cross country practices has been interesting this year.

Wagner? Here.

Wagner? Here.

Hanson? Here.

Hanson? Here.

Gray? Here.

Gray? Here.

The six pairs of shoes belong to three sets of twins, and that’s what makes it fun for Don Tate, who coaches both the boys and girls teams.

There are seniors Steven and Michael Wagner, juniors Mark and Karen Hanson and freshmen Wesley and Nicole Gray.

The Wagners and Grays are identical, the Hansons fraternal.

“They are all a lot of fun,’’ said Tate, a long-time coach at Valley high schools. “They are all smart athletes. They ask good questions. They are very consistent. And they have very supportive parents.’’

Anchors aweigh

The Wagners have applied to the U.S. Naval Academy and hope to become either electronic or mechanical engineers.

Michael said he and his brother first began to run long distances with their father, who was doing it to stay in shape.

“Then we found out that we were pretty good at it,’’ Steven said.

It is interesting to be one among three sets of twins.

“It probably would be even more so if we were all girls or all boys,’’ Michael said. “With the other two (sets), it’s more like a normal brother and sister. But with us, you see the resemblance right away.’’

They are inclined to play tricks on people once in awhile.

Such as . . .

“We might switch classes on April Fool’s Day,’’ Michael said.

Both are good in the classroom and Steven has helped design this year’s cross country team T-shirts, according to Tate.

And who is the better runner?

“They’re pretty even,’’ Tate said.

“I don’t have as good of a (finishing) kick, but I do all right. It’s still a lot of fun,’’ Steven said.

“That would be cool’’

Mark Hanson is in his third year of cross country, but for Karen Hanson, this is her first.

While her brother was running through the terrain, she was swimming.

“But I finally got sick of swimming,’’ she said. “I had also been in track (as a hurdler and sprinter), so I told him (brother) that I was thinking about coming out for cross country.’’

Said Mark: “I thought that would be cool.’’

And it has been thus far.

“We push each other,’’ Karen said.

Tate said it is somewhat unusual for a sprinter or hurdler to switch to longer distances, but said Karen “has made the adjustment very well.’’

Mark said he enjoys being part of the trio of twins.

“We all get along, the whole team does,’’ he said. “It’s good to be out there, trying to help everyone improve.’’

Mark is involved in theater (he currently is in the play “Our Town’’) and in media production. Karen is interested in the beauty/cosmetic industry. They hope to attend Northern Arizona University, where their older brother, Roger, attends. Being in Flagstaff would allow them to be closer to camping spots. They have done a lot of family camping during their earlier days in Illinois.

Learning on the run

This first season has been a learning experience both on the course and in the classroom for the Grays.

They both joined the team recently at the Stanford Invitational in California. Wesley ran and Nicole cheered him on.

“It was kind of scary,’’ said Wesley, who finished 112 out of 170 runners.

“Everybody ran so fast,’’ Nicole said in amazement.

She hopes to be able to run in the race next year.

Wesley began running at an earlier age, but by fifth grade, both were involved. They were part of a club back in their native Tennessee, in Clarksville, not far from Nashville.

“In Tennessee, it’s a lot more humid, but here, it is hotter. I like it here,’’ Wesley said.

“We like the atmosphere, kind of like being a family,’’ Nicole said.

Once you get to high school, there isn’t much time to mess around.

“You always have to push yourself, try to get better,’’ Wesley said.

Nicole also plays soccer, Wesley club volleyball. Cross country practice has been starting around 5 a.m., in order to avoid the afternoon heat. Then there is school, including homework at night.

“You have to make sure you get your homework done. You have to try to stay awake,’’ Nicole said.

The older twins have given the Grays good examples to follow. That’s what it’s all about, helping each other.