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BONNEVILLE BASEBALL

1st Round

Defeated Rocky Mountain Girls Wrestling (70% to 30%)

Head Coach

Ryan Alexander, 13th Season

Key Athletes

Carter Bowen, 11, P/SS

Taye Lords, 11, CF

Greyson Martin, 12, P/2B

Coltan Spagnuolo, 12, P/3B

Lincoln Stuart, 11, P

Bonneville took the hard path to a state baseball championship, which made the final result that much sweeter.  Under a new format adopted this year, the Bees first had to win a “super regional” over Pocatello and Mountain Home to qualify for state.  Once at state, Bonneville had to navigate a four-team, true double-elimination bracket, and an early 11-9 loss to Twin Falls put the Bees’ backs against the wall.

After eliminating Vallivue 12-2 in the third place game, Bonneville faced Twin Falls again, needing to defeat the Bruins twice to claim the crown.  Bonneville exploded for seven runs in the top of the fifth inning, and the Bees took a 12-5 lead into the bottom of the seventh.  Down to their final three outs, Twin Falls scored five times and brought the tying run to the plate before Bonneville buckled down for the final out and a 12-10 win.

Half an hour later, the Bees and Bruins battled again, this time in a winner-takes-all championship showdown.  This time, it was Bonneville’s turn to rally late.  Trailing 6-4 when the bottom of the seventh began, Bonneville tied the game at 6-6 on a fielder’s choice by Carter Bowen.  Down to their final out, Lincoln Stallings was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Coltan Spagnuolo.  Spagnuolo was also hit by a pitch, which forced in the winning run and the walk-off state championship win for Bonneville.

RIRIE GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

1st Round

Defeated Sandpoint Girls Swimming (85% to 15%)

Head Coach

Pat Bragassa

Key Athletes

Jayci Baxter, 11

Liza Boone, 12

Lucy Boone, 11

Hailey Robson, 11

Lauren Robson, 11

Selecting one Ririe cross country team to highlight was difficult, as head coach Pat Bragassa engineered the Bulldogs to the rare boys-girls championship sweep at this year’s Class 3A meet.  But since the girls had the longer title drought, we’ll give them the nod here.  Ririe’s last boys cross country title came in 1996, while the girls hadn’t finished first since 1994.

Ririe’s girls went undefeated against Idaho teams in the 2024 season.  After finishing second to Soda Springs by a combined five points in 2022 and 2023, Ririe finally overcame the Cardinals, winning by seven points to claim the 2024 crown.

This year’s team featured a pair of sisters in Liza and Lucy Boone, as well as Hailey and Lauren Robson.  Lucy Boone finished second overall, while Liza Boone took fourth.  The rest of the Bulldogs’ lineup finished in the top twenty overall: Lauren Robson at 12th, Jayci Baxter at 18th and Hailey Robson at 20th.