SEE GAME PHOTOS

Photo: 4A state boys champion, Sugar-Salem's Darrel Dickson, runs ahead of the pack (Courtesy of Marlowe Hereford)

POCATELLO--The Coeur d'Alene High boys cross country program has attained numerous memorable 'firsts' since the 2023 season.

Among those firsts was becoming the first Idaho boys team to win Nike Cross Regionals Northwest and the first Idaho boys team to qualify for Nike Cross Nationals.

Saturday at Portneuf Wellness Complex provided the latest first, as the Vikings became the first boys team in Idaho's largest classification to win a fourth consecutive state championship. The U.S. No. 11 boys team as ranked on Oct. 29 by DyeStat, the Vikings won the 6A title with 32 points and got a 1-2-3 individual finish from senior Wyatt Carr (15:10.8), junior Wyatt Morgenstern (15:20.5) and junior Rowan Henry (15:27.2) and also had medalists in senior Gabriel Heule (10th, 16:13.1) and junior Blaise Howard (17th, 16:30.4).

Carr, a Syracuse commit, said he dealt with a bone edema--a precursor to a stress reaction--that kept him sidelined 21 days to begin the season. Now with Saturday's win, Carr became Coeur d'Alene's first boys individual cross country state champion since Michael Armon in 2004.

Carr said the potential of going 1-2-3 was not something that was vocalized with his teammates, but each of them did enter state with a goal of being individual state champion. Coeur d'Alene head coach and Wyatt's dad, Emry Carr, also said he did not think about a possible 1-2-3 finish.

"We came up with a race plan to work together and try to break the field and put it between us three," Wyatt Carr said. "That's ultimately what happened."

Five of Coeur d'Alene's seven boys competing in Saturday's state meet are underclassmen. Both Carrs acknowledged the progression the underclassmen have made since a year ago, and how they have learned from the examples of those before them.

"It's amazing," Coach Carr said. "It started with Jacob King and Lachlan May, then it was Max and Zack (Cervi-Skinner). It's just trickled down. Everybody knows and sees what they have done and they emulate that."

The Vikings ran with a visible tribute to May on their jerseys Saturday: blue patches with the letters 'LM' in black. May, a 2024 graduate who was a senior on the 2023 NXR Northwest championship and NXN qualifying team, was a Tulane University student who died by suicide in September.

Wyatt Carr, a teammate of May's as a freshman on varsity in 2023, pointed to the patch upon winning Saturday's race. He said his dad had the patches made and the Vikings have been wearing them on their jerseys to every meet since learning about May's passing.

"We wanted to do something for him," Wyatt Carr said. "It's to remember who he was, the impact he had on everyone who knew him."

The Vikings will next compete Nov. 21 at the Nike Cross Regionals Northwest (NXR) at The Course in Spokane. The top two teams to place in the boys and girls championship races there automatically qualify for Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) in December in Portland.

Boise won the 6A girls title with 84 points, moving to the top of the podium for the first time since 2022 upon getting medals from sophomore Isla Remington (fourth, 18:26.5), freshman Mary Meyer (eighth, 18:48.1) and junior Maddi Tookey (17th, 19:08.4).

"We knew if we had an 'A' day, we'd do great things together," Boise head coach Aaron Olswanger said. "We were really strong one through seven."

Saturday's title gave the Boise girls six wins this season, including a four-point win over Eagle at the 6A District 3 championships the week before state. District 3 claimed all four 6A girls state trophies Saturday.

Olswanger added how proud he was of his boys team, which placed second to Coeur d'Alene with 92 points. Junior Austin Johnston (fourth, 15:35.1) and senior Luke Bruce (fifth, 15:44.8) medaled for the Brave to help secure the runner-up trophy.

"It was really cool to see," Olswanger said of Johnston's and Bruce's finishes. "They do have different strengths. We knew that as long as Luke and Austin were up front, we'd have a good shot."

Eagle freshman Adalyn Bello won the 6A girls individual title in 17:57.5, giving her four wins this fall. Her teammate, senior Betsy Reeder, finished third in 18.19.9. Bello is Eagle's first girls individual state champion since Lizzie Dildine in 2019.

Eagle head coach Nick Hampton, a 2009 Eagle alumnus, said Bello is the daughter of Hilary McClendon, the 5A girls individual state champion for Eagle in 2004, and that he believes they are the first parent-child duo to be individual state champions in Idaho's largest classification.

Bello ran 2:18.51 for the 800 meters at Nike Outdoor Nationals and in 2024, she ran 7:10.93 to place third in the girls 13-14 age division 2k steeplechase finals at the USATF National Junior Olympics, the top sixth grade finisher in those finals. She also won the Bob Firman Invitational middle school race in 2024, the last year the meet took place in Idaho before being relocated to Spokane. Hampton added that Bello has also hurdled and competed in the 200.

"Her 200 time she ran in middle school would've qualified her for the (high school) state meet," Hampton said.

Bello, who has broken 18 minutes four times this fall, has a personal best 17:23 from placing second at the Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational girls elite race on Oct. 10. Hampton acknowledged that her personal best is faster than 2020 Mountain View graduate and two-time USATF women's steeplechase national champion Lexy Halladay's high school freshman season personal best 17:26.

Because of this achievement, Hampton said he has reached out to retired Mountain View coach Tracy Harris, Halladay's high school coach, for guidance on coaching Bello. He said he has been 'super cautious' with her training as she gains experience as a cross country runner.

"She's still learning the sport," Hampton said.

Bello will next compete at NXR Northwest on Nov. 21 at The Course in Spokane.

The 5A individual state champions were the same as last year. In the girls race, Twin Falls senior Raelee Richardson won a third consecutive title in 18:35.5. The win puts her in elite company, as she is the first three-time 5A (formerly 4A) state champion since 2024 Skyline graduate and four-time Idaho state champion Nelah Roberts of Skyline and 2020 Twin Falls graduate and three-time Idaho state champion Mattalyn Geddes.

Richardson said Roberts, who she placed second to as a freshman, and Geddes are both 'incredible girls.'

"They've left behind an amazing legacy, so I'm so happy to be a part of that," Richardson said. "I love the sport. I'm so happy to be able to show the hard work I've put in and how much I love it by winning today too."

Richardson added that the kindness from her competitors is to be commended.

"All the girls I get to run against, I love how kind everyone is," Richardson said. "Every team, we always wish each other good luck. Everyone's so nice. me and Clare (Murphy of Bishop Kelly), we're such good friends and I love it."

Century senior Ethan Hansen repeated as 5A boys individual state champion in 15:11.9, becoming Century's first back-to-back boys individual state champion since Aaron Wolfe (2002, 2003). His best friend and Century teammate, senior Ammon Bitton, finished third in 15:41.4.

Going into Saturday, Bitton had finished first and Hansen second at seven of nine meets this season, including a week earlier at the 5A District 5-6 championships on the same course. The two are training partners who run in and near Pocatello and are more than familiar with each other's racing strategies and tendencies.

"The plan was just to kind of stick together and like push each other as hard as we can throughout the race," Hansen said. "Honestly, Ammon has had a spectacular season. I knew it was kinda just gonna be how hard can I push myself so that I can stick with him and it worked."

Bitton spent a lengthy amount of time in the medical tent following Saturday's race, and Hansen remained nearby to check on him. Bitton said at about the 1.5-mile mark, he became concerned about his breathing. After a downhill followed by an uphill, his issues became worse.

"I'm not sure what happened, but my theory right now is hyperventilating with 800 to go and just collapsed and ended up getting passed at the end," Bitton said. "I still got third. I'm just grateful that I got to have this season. You can't have every race. I'm really happy that Ethan got to have a good race and now we both probably have a lot better chance of making it to the NXR championship race, so it'll be super fun."

Hansen, a Columbia commit, added that he was not surprised eastern Idaho runners went 1-2-3-4-5 in the 5A boys race. In addition to Bitton, the other three top-five finishers were all from District 5-6: Skyline senior Davis Roberts (second, 15:34.4), Blackfoot junior Owen Gregory (fourth, 15:44.6) and Skyline senior Will McCombs (fifth, 16:11.6).

"Pulled up with my D-I guys," Hansen said with a smile. "I don't know what's gotten into the water here but eastern Idaho running has blown up."

Hansen and Bitton said they plan to continue preparing for NXR with the ultimate goal of advancing to NXN.

Roberts and McCombs finishes, along with junior Lincoln Johnson (15th, 16:37.7) also medaling, helped secure a third consecutive 5A boys state title for Skyline with 59 points. The three-peat is a program first accomplishment for the Grizz, and it also makes them the first Idaho 5A (formerly 4A) boys team to win three consecutive state titles since their District 91 rival Idaho Falls (2017, 2018, 2019).

During August practices, Roberts and McCombs acknowledged how it felt to have targets on their backs in 5A as they pursued a three-peat. By the time district championships concluded, Skyline's biggest competition became more clear, especially to head coach Sean Schmidt: Century and Blackfoot from within Skyline's own district, District 3 champion Bishop Kelly and District 1-2 champion Sandpoint.

Schmidt, who has said before how he never gets nervous at meets anymore after 30-plus years of coaching, did share Saturday that he felt a little nervous about the 5A boys race. His nerves were not alleviated until seeing where the Grizz were at the 2-mile mark. Skyline ultimately won by a 12-point margin over Sandpoint.

"They believed in each other and themselves," Schmidt said. "They had confidence that they could win. Not arrogance, but just a good confidence they could win."

Roberts and McCombs completed similar journeys to reach Saturday's meet, as they suffered stress fractures two years apart. McCombs missed his entire sophomore cross country season as a result, opting to compete for Skyline's swim team instead, while Roberts's stress fracture happened in March and abruptly ended his junior season of track.

"It's been really special being able to work hard with the team and pull through with them, especially with Davis with what we've been through together," McCombs said. "It's really been about having fun while you're working. It's also important to be doing this with your friends."

As the fourth and youngest sibling in a family of runners with much history intertwined in Skyline's program, Roberts was thankful to run his final state meet at Portneuf Wellness Complex. His older brother Harrison (2017 Skyline graduate) medaled on Skyline's 2016 4A boys state championship team. At that same meet on that same course, Harrison's and Davis's sister Adria (2020 Skyline graduate and member of Skyline's 2017 4A girls state championship team) clinched a medal by fractions of a second as a freshman in the 4A girls race, and Harrison's future wife Karlie Callahan medaled as a sophomore for Shelley's girls state championship team in the 3A race. Portneuf Wellness Complex bookended Davis's older sister Nelah's high school cross country state meets, as she won her first 4A girls individual state title and contributed to Skyline's team state title as a freshman in 2020 and became Idaho's first (and so far, only) four-time girls individual state champion at the 2023 4A state meet.

Nelah was competing for BYU in the Big 12 Championships in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, and Harrison and Karlie, who live on the East Coast, Facetimed with Roberts after his career best second-place finish. His parents Eric and Kynda, as well as Adria and her husband Sean, were among those present Saturday to support him.

"I really appreciate all the support that has been given to us throughout my running career," Roberts said. "I'm super grateful I've been able to be here and finish really strong and perform well."

For the first time in eight years and 12th time in program history, Bishop Kelly won a girls cross country state championship. The Knights claimed Saturday's 5A state title with 68 points, getting medals from sophomore Clare Murphy (second, 18:58.8), sophomore Sierra Loescher (11th, 20:28.6) and junior Mia Laing (14th, 20:33.7).

The 4A races produced the fastest winning times of the day. Timberlake senior Lola Eggleston ran 17:54.4 to win the 4A girls title--her sixth victory this season and her fifth sub-18 minute time. Sugar-Salem junior Darrel Dickson won the 4A boys title in 15:07.5, which Sugar-Salem head coach Brett Hill said was close to the Portneuf Wellness Complex course record.

Eggleston's win was monumental as it made her Timberlake's very first girls individual cross country state champion. She and her teammates competed Saturday with encouragement literally written on their arms.

She pointed out a blue design on her right shoulder that was drawn by a teammate's younger sister, and names of her supporters beneath it. On her left arm was the Timberlake team mantra, '4 My Girls.' Eggleston said she and her teammates also competed at last year's state meet with their team mantra and supporters' names on their arms.

"I actually looked (at the names) during my race to remind me of my why for what I do," Eggleston said. "It's amazing how I've raced this season and how much I have loved this senior season."

Eggleston, who won Saturday's race by about a minute and 25 seconds, said she is looking forward to competing at NXR Northwest on Nov. 21 at The Course at Spokane, where she competed in September at the Nike Bob Firman Invitational's new location.

Dickson's win was a victory he had spent a year thinking about and preparing for, and Saturday was not without deja vu. Dickson had led for much of last year's 4A boys race in Lewiston before finishing second to McCall-Donnelly's Charlie Speirs, both of them breaking the 15-minute barrier on the Lewis-Clark State College course.

Additionally, Speirs bested Dickson in May's 4A boys 3,200 and 1,600 meter state finals. Going into Saturday's race, Speirs had a season best 15:03.7, Dickson had a season best 15:04.5 and Speirs was undefeated versus Dickson in both cross country and track.

Dickson thanked Speirs and their fellow 4A competitors for continuing to bring their best in both sports in recent seasons.

"It just came down to whoever got to the tangent at the last turn and it ended up being me," Dickson said. "It was a fun race. I wouldn't have nearly gone that fast time wise if it wasn't for him pushing me. A big part of what I've been doing (this season) is going for a course PR."

Dickson, who said he is inspired by half marathoner Yaseen Abdalla, is the third Sugar-Salem boys individual state champion in program history, joining Kooper Williams (2018) and Brennan Anderson (2017) who won in 3A.

"Just, they paved the way for it and I'm ready to be the new spearhead and just show my younger teammates what's possible and hope that they will also follow in my footsteps and and I want them to do the best they can," Dickson said.

In addition to Eggleston's historic first girls individual state title, Timberlake became boys state champions for the first time upon beating two-time defending 4A state champion Sugar-Salem by seven points. The White Siberian Tigers got medals from senior Caleb Royce (third, 16:15.7), senior Jonathan Barnhart (fifth, 16:20.1), sophomore Eli Royce (14th, 17:01) and junior Joseph Sateren (15th, 17:03.2).

Senior Paetyn Polatis (second, 19:19.7), sophomore Savaya Christensen (fourth, 19:36.7), junior Gwen Jones (12th, personal best 20:07.4) and freshman Sorella High (13th, personal best 20:10.2) all medaled for Snake River, which won the 4A girls state title with 56 points for its third title in six years. The Panthers won by 26 points over Preston, which moved from 5A to 4A this season.

Malad entered Saturday as defending 3A boys and girls state champions and came close to another sweep. In the end, however, Nampa Christian won a program first boys cross country state championship by four points over Malad, with senior Ethan Lee (fifth, 16:51.9), senior Chase Dawson (seventh, 16:56.1) and junior Cru Gumm (13th, 17:21.2) medaling for the Trojans. Malad repeated as 3A girls state champions with a winning score of 58 points. The Dragons had medalists in freshman Brielle Nalder (fourth, personal best 19:46.8), junior Aezlyn Summers (11th, 20:46.1) and junior Brielle Bastian (12th, 20:59.6).

The 3A girls individual title came down to fractions of a second, with Soda Springs freshman Anna Uskoski getting the win over

Nampa Christian senior Phoebe Mitchell, 19:20.4 to 19:20.7, to become the Cardinals' first girls individual state champion since Kathryne McCullough in 2015. The title gave Uskoski seven consecutive wins this season and her third victory at Portneuf Wellness Complex in one month.

A notable first was achieved in the 3A boys race with Community School senior John Harris winning in 15:59.7 to become Community School's first boys individual state champion in program history. Additionally, he led a 1-2 finish with teammate sophomore Jasper Lakefish (16:29.7).

Victory Charter continued its 2A dominance with a second consecutive sweep of the boys and girls state titles. The Vipers extended their girls state title streak to a third year, winning Saturday with the lowest score of the day: 33 points. Libby Stockett also gave the Vipers a second consecutive girls individual state champion, as the senior won in 18:58.8. Senior Lydia Brewer (fifth, 20:14.6), sophomore Annika Snyder (11th, 20:50.5), junior Alyssa Lee (13th, 21:13.8) and freshman Zoe Lee (16th, 21:27.7) also medaled for Victory Charter in its three-peat.

Stockett added to her family's medal collection as she joined brothers Ian (2021, 2022) and Luke (2023), who won 1A individual state titles for the Vipers.

Stockett said Victory Charter's coaches advised the Vipers to not start out too fast Saturday.

"I thought I was doing that, but I went out too fast just like he told me not to do," Stockett said. "I was feeling a little rough, but I just knew I had to push through because I knew I really wanted to be here, to be a champion. I just knew I had to earn it."

Junior JD Willey (second, 17:01), sophomore Santiago Pena (third, 17:10.8), junior Oliver Kunz (fourth, 17:27.2) and sophomore Andrew Schlerf (ninth, 18:05.1) medaled for the Victory Charter boys, who repeated as 2A state champions with a score of 41 points. Deary freshman Ben Forsmann won the 2A title in 16:59.  He is the first boys cross country champion in Deary's history.