ORDER GAME PHOTOS

POCATELLO--Snow lined the Portneuf Wellness Complex course at the beginning of the day, but individuals and teams in every classification put forth sizzling performances Saturday at the Idaho state cross country championships.

In 5A, new teams and individuals claimed titles. Thanks to medals from Max Cervi-Skinner (sixth, 15:35:21), Jacob King (eighth, 15:48.25), Mitchell Rietze (10th, 15:58.54), Lachlan May (11th, 16:01.25) and Zackery Cervi-Skinner (16th, 16:08.82), Coeur d'Alene continued its undefeated season and won over two-time defending state champion Rocky Mountain for its first 5A boys state title since 2011. The Vikings were victorious with 45 points to take the title by a 15-point margin over the Grizzlies. 

King and May, both seniors, said the Vikings had a plan for each mile of the course and used the hills to their advantage.

"Every time we went uphill, that was our chance to go," King said. 

Coeur d'Alene, ranked No. 9 in DyeStat's Oct. 26 U.S. boys team rankings, has won every single meet on its schedule this season, including the Mountain West Classic in Missoula and Battle for the 509 and the
Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational in Washington, the latter of which was a first for an Idaho team.

"I feel so blessed to be on this team," King said. 

Head coach Cathy Compton attributed the progression of the team from last year, when the Vkings placed third in 5A with all underclassmen, to this year to 'growth, strength and character.' Coeur d'Alene will next compete at Nike Cross Northwest Regionals (NXR) on Nov. 11 at Eagle Island State Park, where qualification spots will be on the line for Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) in December in Portland.

"That's been the goal all along," Compton said.   

"We know we can do it," May said. "We know what we're capable of."

"As long as we run how we know we can," King said. "We've just got to go out and do it."

King, May and Compton all spoke to the rise of cross country in Idaho over the last decade and the exciting time for the sport right now. 

"You can see the commitment and change," said Compton, who has coached in Idaho for 27 years. "It's statewide."

"It's been great to be a part of it," May said. "It's been amazing to see far the sport has come." 

May also gave a shoutout to Coeur d'Alene's YouTube channel, CDA Distance, where the Vikings have posting videos throughout the season and the summer.

Timberline got medals from 5A individual state champion Ruby Ihmels  (18:06.86), a freshman, Sasha Livingston (eighth, 18:55) and Lily Simmonds (14th, 19:10.84) to win the 5A girls state title by 12 points over five-time defending champion Boise. The team title and individual title are program firsts for Timberline.

Meridian claimed its first 5A boys individual state title since Dwain Stucker in 2012 with junior Nate Stadtlander's win in 15:12.82 on Saturday.

Eastern Idaho claimed individual and team titles in 4A.

Skyline senior Nelah Roberts ran a personal best and all-time eastern Idaho best 17:18.06 to win the 4A girls race by one minute, 42 seconds to become the first Idaho girls four-time individual state champion. It was the fastest girls time of the day and the only one to break 18 minutes.

She held up four fingers as she crossed the finish line and her smile gave way to tears as soon as she saw her family on the other side of the finish area barrier. All of them said, "You did it!" and were just as teary as she was as they enveloped her in hugs one by one: her older sister Adria (Skyline 4A girls state champions, 2017), older brother Harrison (Skyline 4A boys state champions, 2016), sister-in-law Karlie Callahan Roberts (2017 3A girls individual state champion for Shelley), her mom Kynda and her dad, Eric, a Skyline alumnus.

Roberts' historic fourth title came three years after winning her first state title on the same course.

"Just remembering all those years ago...I've planned this for so long," Roberts said. "So surreal. It's made it all worth it." 

She said she came up with the idea to hold four fingers aloft while she was still running.

"I didn't really have anything else to think about during the race," Roberts said with a laugh.

Her senior teammate Marina Renna (fourth, 19:03.13) also medaled to contribute to Skyline's third place trophy, which the Grizz won with 111 points. Roberts competed at NXN last year and at Eastbay (formerly Footlocker) Nationals in 2021 and plans to continue training for NXR in two weeks at Eagle Island State Park. 

She said she has not tapered her mileage just yet and is expecting the battle for NXN qualifying spots to be more intense than last year with so many returning runners, several of whom she faced at Nike Hole in the Wall. 

Elly Jeppsen (sixth, 19:12.13), Maren Leffler (eighth, 19:23.99), Myah Atchley (ninth, 19:27.27), Ashley Scott (11th, 9:29.89), Oakley Reid, (13th, 19:36.85) and Bethany Moore (20th, 19:50.36) all medaled as Preston three-peated as 4A girls state champions with 47 points. 

Two years after winning the 5A individual state title, Idaho Falls senior Luke Athay won the 4A individual boys title in 15:38.02 and was one of four Tigers to medal on the way to winning the 4A boys team title with 67 points. 

This is Athay's first season back after being sidelined due to a stress fracture and surgery recovery for a total of 16 months. He had surgery last December and returned to running in July after not competing his entire junior year. His older sister, Jane, an Idaho Falls graduate whom he credits for getting him and older brother Mitchell into running, and his parents were among the first to congratulate and hug him.

"When I was on crutches, I said, 'I'm gonna come back and I'm gonna do this again,'" Athay said.

"Partway through the season, 'maybe I can't do it.' I've felt stuck at times, but I fought through a lot."

Athay plans to compete at NXR and then turn his attention to preparing for outdoor track. He expressed gatitude for being able to run with his team again this season.

"I was out for so long" Athay said. "I'm so glad to be here."

Caleb Boyle (fifth, 16:26.66), Jaiden Liddle (sixth, 16:31.69) and Eli Byron (19th, 16:45.49) also won medals for Idaho Falls, which beat Burley by five points Saturday. Longtime Idaho Falls coach Alan McMurtrey said the Tigers were not surprised by Burley, especially upon seeing their times from a different division at last month's Bob Firman Invitational at Eagle Island State Park, and I.F. entered state with the thought of, "Why not us?"

I.F.'s title on Saturday was its first since winning four boys titles in a row from 2017 to 2020, the latter of which was 5A. McMurtrey said  the quotes on their team shirts, 'Our roots run deep' capture the culture of the program that has had multiple siblings from the same families participate and contribute to state trophies.

"There's some families and other teams who came before them that helped push this group," McMurtrey said.   

The 3A team and individual winners were new this year. Senior George Speirs won the 3A boys race in 15:57.43 to become McCall-Donnelly's first boys individual state champion and senior Sage Lyon won the 3A girls race in 19:09.66 to become South Fremont's first individual state champion, boy or girl, in school history. 

Shortly after winning, she looked for her sister, Violet, and was the first to hug her when she finished 22nd. Violet is a freshman and Saturday was her first state meet.

"I think it's really cool because state was here my freshman year," Lyon said. "It's nice to hand this off to her."

Second year South Fremont head coach Mike Rupp said Lyon will be a big loss to the team once she graduates, but the four-time cross country state medalist has set an example for the younger girls.

"She's an example of if you put in the time, you can get there," Rupp said. "I think we have a group of girls that can see what it takes." 

Thanks to medals from A.J. Stalker (sixth, 16:48.23), Jackson Lemmon (12th, 17:01.53), Tyce Poulsen (14th, 17:04.26), Hyrum Rupp (16th, 17:08.67) and Beau Ashcraft (18th, 17:10.68), South Fremont won a program first state championship by claiming the 3A boys title with 63 points.

Rupp singled out the Cougars winning the varsity division II title at last month's Bob Fiman Invitational over 41 teams including District 6 rival Sugar-Salem as a turning point in confidence for the season.

"If we can beat them, we can be the best," Rupp said.

Stalker, the lone senior of South Fremont's medalists, missed all of last season with a stress fracture. He said the Cougars became more confident in their potential as the season went on.

"As the season played out, it became more real," Stalker said. "It became more apparent to us."

Snake River and Sugar-Salem battled it out for the 3A girls title for the third consecutive year and the margin was single digits again. Hailey Raymond (seventh, 20:22.37), Mikelle Kesler (eighth, 20:22.86), Paetyn Platis (ninth, 20:34.52) and Rylie Edlefsen (19th, 21:03.04) medaled for Snake River, which beat Sugar-Salem 55-60 for the championship.

The 2A girls race was as tight as expected and also came down to eastern Idaho teams. Lizzie Beutler (third, 19:38.4), India Galloway (seventh, 20:11.02), Ellie Wood (eighth, 20:15.78, Rebekah Evans (10th, 20:34.10) and Jinettie Garbett (15th, 20:53.91) collected five medals for Soda Springs while Ririe had six medalists. In the end, the Cardinals edged the Bulldogs 38-41 to repeat as state champions.

Freshman Bella Spencer became West Jefferson's first ever individual state champion, winning the 2A girls title in 19:29.63. Spencer is undefeated versus 2A competition this fall and will train for NXR and Champs Sports (formerly Footlocker) West Regionals.

"I've been running a lot with my mom," Spencer said. "She's helped me along the way, and my coach Linda (Smuin)."

Another District 6 runner who has gone undefeated versus 2A competition and has plans to compete at NXR and Champs Sports West Regionals won the boys individual title. North Fremont junior Corbin Johnston repeated as 2A boys individual champion in 15:52.74, getting a 43-second victory and leading the Huskies to five finishes in the top 30 to claim the team title with 79 points. Payton Linger (15th, 17:40.96) also claimed a medal for the Huskies, who won their second title in three years. 

"We just started strong and all of us just kept getting better and better," Johnston said of the Huskies.  

The 1A team title races were nailbiters this year. Raft River and Victory Charter each had four top-30 finishes in the 1A girls race, but a three-peat individual title from senior Allie Black (19:30.07) and a medal from Naomi Campbell (20th,  21:24.73) proved to be enough for Raft River in a 52-53 win over Victory Charter.

The 1A boys team title was separated by two points. Two-time defending champion Victory Charter claimed the individual title for another year with Luke Stockett's win in 15:41.18 and had three other medalists, but Ezra Hubbard (fourth, 16:34.37), Hayden Smith (fifth, 16:56.01) and Xavier Parrish (eighth, 17:24.90) medaled for Rockland and led the Bulldogs to five top-30 finishes to give Rockland a program-first state title with 56 points.