ORDER GAME PHOTOS

The 2024 high school cross country season is upon us, and the next chapter in an exciting time for the sport in Idaho is just beginning.

This season will have notable differences that coaches, athletes and supporters will recognize right away. Namely, the numbers and letters next to school names on meet entry lists. 

Idaho's most significant classification change since 2000 has taken effect, resulting in the addition of a 6A classification for the first time ever and some smaller schools now competing in classifications they've never competed in before.

There is also new opportunity this season for returning runners following the graduation of an accomplished 2024 graduating class that included the likes of Boise's Noe Kemper (Dartmouth commit, won Idaho's 5A boys 800 state title in May and New Balance Outdoor Nationals 2k steeplechase in June), Boise's Sophia Clark (Montana commit who set Idaho's all-time girls 400 meter record in May), Rocky Mountain's Landon Heemeyer (BYU commit, won Idaho's 5A boys 3,200 state title in May, placed 14th at Nike Cross Nationals last December, 2022 Idaho 5A boys individual cross country state champion), Skyline's Nelah Roberts (BYU commit, Idaho's all-time girls 3,200 meter record holder, four-time Idaho 4A girls individual cross country state champion, 16th place at Nike Cross Nationals last December), Boise's Allie Bruce (Utah commit, 2021 Idaho 5A girls individual cross country state champion, 2022 and 2023 individual state runner-up), Boise's Samantha Smith (Stanford soccer commit, won 5A 800 state title in May, 2020 Idaho 5A girls individual cross country state champion), and Victory Charter's Luke Stockett (Utah State commit, won Oregon Relays varsity boys 1-mile in April, Idaho's 2023 1A boys individual cross country state champion). 

Who will we see step up this fall?

Here are storylines to watch in each of Idaho's new classifications this season.

Class 6A

Most of Idaho's former 5A cross country programs made the move to 6A, and the competition for state championships on Nov. 2 at Eagle Island State Park will be as fierce as ever.

Both boys and girls individual and team state titles went to new champions last fall. The Coeur d'Alene boys won the 5A team state title last season for the first time since 2011, continuing on to become Idaho's first boys team to ever qualify for Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) in Portland. The Vikings graduated two from that team which won every meet on their schedule except for NXN, Lachlan May and Jacob King. Their five other runners from last year's state meet were all underclassmen: sophomore Wyatt Carr, who placed third in the freshman boys mile at Nike Outdoor Nationals in June, junior Mitchell Rietze, twin brothers Max and Zackery Cervi-Skinner and senior Kyle Rohlinger. Max placed sixth in the boys championship 5k at Nike Outdoor Nationals while Zackery placed fifth in the emerging elite boys 2-mile at the same meet.

"For the boys, (the state title) goes through Coeur d'Alene," Boise head coach Aaron Olswanger said. "Around here (in District 3), it goes through Rocky Mountain."

Rocky Mountain graduated three from last year's state runner-up team including individual state runner-up Heemeyer while Boise graduated three from last year's third-place team including Kemper. Fourth place Mountain View also graduated three.

Timberline won its program first 5A girls cross country state title last season with a 12-point victory margin over five-time defending champion Boise. The Wolves also claimed the individual title as freshman Ruby Ihmels won in 18:06.9.

This year's 6A girls individual title will be up for grabs, however. Ihmels and her older brother Wil, are no longer attending Timberline as their family moved to North Dakota this summer. Rocky Mountain graduated two from its girls team which placed third at state last season, two points behind Boise. Thunder Ridge graduated three from its fourth place team.

Olswanger said he expects strong competition within District 3 for 6A girls state trophies, especially between Timberline, Rocky Mountain and Boise. 

Boise's top boys returners are senior Jack Sheesley (fifth place at last season's 5A state meet, 19th place at Footlocker Nationals last December) and junior Audrey Orme (sixth place at last season's 5A state meet). 

"Both of those two are very accomplished and are excited to have a successful season," Olswanger said.

He added that Boise has 106 kids out for cross country this season and has a 'really good young core.'

"We love our group this year, both sides," Olswanger said. "They're great kids. They work hard and come prepared. We had a lot of fun this summer. We've seen good things so far." 

Senior Nate Stadtlander, an Oklahoma State commit who won the 5A boys individual cross country state title last season and 5A boys 1,600 state title in May, is back for Meridian this season. Sheesley is the top boys returning medalist after Stadtlander.

Stadtlander's teammate Paisley Taylor (fifth place at state last season) also returns for the Warriors. Owyhee's Faith Johnson (fourth place at state last season) is the top returning medalist from 2023. Taylor and Johnson are both seniors this year. 

Class 5A

Preston and Idaho Falls, winners of last year's 4A girls and boys team titles, respectively, move up to 5A after filling their trophy cases in 4A over the last seven years.

Preston graduated three runners from its seven who won a third consecutive 4A girls state title last October. Preston had six medalists last year, three of whom were underclassmen. 

Longtime Skyline head coach Sean Schmidt predicts Preston will be favored upon moving to 5A for the first time this fall, too.

"They're gonna be the best," Schmidt said. "I don't think they're beatable, to be honest."

Skyline returns to 5A for the first time in eight years having graduated one of the best cross country and track athletes in Idaho history, Nelah Roberts, who is now at BYU. Last October, Roberts won her fourth consecutive 4A girls individual state cross country title to become Idaho's first four-time girls individual cross country state champion. She graduated from Skyline having competed in three national championship cross country meets (EastBay in 2021, NXN in 2022 and 2023), getting her best finish with 16th place at NXN last December to receive All-American honors. Her 5k personal best of 17:18.1 is No. 7 all-time on record in Idaho.

The Grizz also graduated three-time cross country state medalist Marina Renna, now at Nevada, and three-time cross country state qualifier Abby Wegener from the girls team. Three of Skyline's other four state qualifiers from last year's girls state meet are seniors this year: Ellen Harrison, Analee Ricks and Raygen Chambers. The Grizz graduated one, McGuire Gitthens, from last year's seven runners who competed at last year's boys state meet. Among the returners are junior Alexander Renna, sophomore Davis Roberts and senior Porter Orchard, all three of whom were 4A state track qualifiers in May. Skyline placed third at last year's girls cross country state championships and fifth in boys, nine points back of fourth-place Preston. 

Schmidt anticipates the 5A boys team title to be more up for grabs than the girls' title. Defending champion Idaho Falls graduated four from their seven boys who competed at state last year, including two-time individual state champion Luke Athay (now at Utah State). 

Idaho Falls last competed in 5A for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years. The Tigers won three consecutive 4A boys cross country team state titles from 2017 to 2019, won the 2019 4A girls team state title, won the 2020 5A boys title and placed second in 5A boys in 2021 and second in 4A boys in 2022 before winning last year's 4A boys title by five points over Burley. Returning for Idaho Falls is medalist Caleb Boyle, now a senior. He is one of four senior boys on varsity. The Tigers are sophomore laden on the boys side this season while the girls team is mostly junior and sophomore laden with the exception of senior Rachel Hales. 

Idaho Falls graduated three from their seven girls who competed at state last year. Among the returning varsity athletes is junior Jaycee Jensen, who placed third last year. I.F.'s top four finishers last season were all underclassmen.

Second-place Burley graduated four from last season's 4A second place boys team while third-place Bishop Kelly graduated four of its seven state runners and fourth-place Preston graduated four of its state runners. Bishop Kelly senior Isaac Edwards (fourth place at state last season), Boyle (fifth place), Bishop Kelly senior Jack Tobin (seventh place) and Renna (eighth place) were all underclassmen to place in the top 10 last season.

Twin Falls' Raelee Richardson, who placed second at last year's 4A state meet as a freshman, is the top returning girl from last season. She was one of five underclassmen and one of three freshmen who ran at state last year for Twin Falls' second place 4A team. Jerome graduated two from its fourth place 4A girls team. In addition to Richardson and Jensen, Preston senior Myah Atchley (ninth place), Skyview junior Camilla Freeman (10th place) and Preston senior Ashley Scott (11th place) were all underclassmen at state last season who could vie for the individual title.

Class 4A

The new 4A classification includes several teams which built impressive and historic resumes in 3A.

From 2008 to last year, at least one 3A team state title went to a District 6 school. South Fremont contributed to that win streak last October upon winning a program first boys cross country state championship. The Cougars also had a girls individual state champion for the first time ever with senior Sage Lyon, now at College of Southern Idaho. 

Sugar-Salem head coach Brett Hill said the 4A boys state title will be especially competitive considering how few runners graduated from fellow District 6 teams South Fremont and Teton. South Fremont returns six of its seven boys who ran at state last season while 3A state runner-up Teton graduated two. South Fremont, which won the varsity boys division II title at last year's Bob Firman Invitational out of 41 schools, has four of its top five boys back: senior Jackson Lemmon (12th place at state last year), senior Tyce Poulsen (14th place), junior Hyrum Rupp (16th place) and sophomore Beau Ashcraft (18th place). Teton, which was nine points back of South Fremont at state, has one of the top returning individual state medalists in senior Zane Lindquist (third place at state last year).

"I think the three best teams in the state are from our district," Hill said.

South Fremont's returning boys have friendly competition between them, but head coach Mike Rupp described it as healthy motivation.

"What's beautiful about it is they want to beat each other but they want that person right next to them," Rupp said. 

Winning a program first state title has fueled that motivation as well. Rupp described his team as young, but enthusiastic. 

"We are still young and we have a lot of talent, but nothing is handed to us," Rupp said. "There's just been a lot of excitement that we can be successful at South Fremont."

Third-place Timberlake graduated four from its seven boys to run at state while fourth place McCall-Donnelly only graduated one, individual state champion George Speirs.

Sugar-Salem missed out on qualifying its boys team to state last season, but Hill already has high praise for his returning runners. He  returns senior Dylan Ball, who set a course record on Sugar-Salem's 1.5-mile time trials course earlier this month. Hill also compared this year's freshman class to the 2018 and 2019 graduating classes who contributed to the Diggers' four 3A state titles from 2015 to 2018.

"My freshman class is absolutely unbelievable," Hill said. "That's the best time trial I ever had."

Rupp agreed with Hill's observation about District 6 remaining highly competitive as all three teams move to 4A.

"If we do well in our district, we know we'll do well at state," Rupp said. "There's so much depth in our conference."

Kimberly senior Ben Browing (second place last year), McCall-Donnelly sophomore Charlie Speirs (seventh place), Timberlake sophomore Caleb Royce (eighth place), Snake River senior Jacob Hammond (ninth place), Kimberly senior Ethan Poff (10th place) and Fruitland sophomore Landon Hillam (11th place) also placed as underclassmen last year in 3A.

On the girls' side, District 5's Snake River outlasted defending state champion Sugar-Salem by five points. It was third consecutive year the 3A girls title was decided by single points between those two teams, and Hill predicts it could happen again this season at 4A.

Snake River graduated three from its state championship team while Sugar-Salem graduated two from its state runner-up team. 

"I think we will be back and forth with them again," Hill said.

Snake River's Mikelle Kesler (junior, eighth place last year) and Paetyn Polatis (sophomore, ninth place last year) medaled as underclassmen last season.

Sugar-Salem sophomore Janyja Jackson is the top returning girls state medalist from last season as she placed second as a freshman. Two of her teammates, junior Abigail Anderson (10th place) and sophomore Mckenzie Bean (12th place), also return as state medalists.

"Sugar, they had a phenomenal girls team last year," Rupp said.

Third place Teton graduated one from its group of seven girls to run at state. Junior Raelin Gilroy (13th place) and sophomore Stella Pistoresi (14th place) medaled as underclassmen last year for the Timberwolves. Fourth place Weiser graduated two from its seven girls to run at state. 

There were 15 underclassmen who won 3A girls state medals last season, providing a possible glimpse into who could be the top finishers in 4A this season. Among them are Timberlake junior Vanessa McLachlan (third place), Coeur d'Alene junior Annabelle Carr (fourth place, ran 2:13.78 to win the 3A girls 800 state title in May), Fruitland sophomore Ella Smith (fifth place), Weiser junior Claire Matthews (sixth place) and Parma senior Megan Atkinson (11th place).

Class 3A

For many of the new 3A teams, this is the first time they have ever competed higher than 2A.

Among them is North Fremont, which won its second 2A boys cross country state championship in three years last October.

"I have a hard time wrapping my head around it," head coach Holly Johnston said of being a 3A program now.

The Huskies join 3A having graduated one runner from their seven boys who won the 2A state meet last season. Everyone else is back: Payton Linger, Axel Harshbarger, Bryce Jensen, Isaiah Bingham, Ayden Nunez and repeat 2A boys individual state champion Corbin Johnston. They also add six freshmen as well as a junior, Gibson Allen.

Corbin Johnston is the fastest returning boy from District 6, regardless of classification, and is North Fremont's lone senior boy this season. Additionally, the Huskies have 18 boys on varsity, the most they have ever had with head coach Holly Johnston.

"We're definitely motivated and excited to get back into the season," Corbin said. "We have a lot of excitement coming off last year winning state. It's been super cool to be able to have a lot more guys coming out and being more dedicated."

He added that he hopes to run in college. Holly Johnston is his mom as well as his coach, and he followed three older siblings into running and ultimately competing for the Huskies.

"I'm pretty sure I was about in third grade when I started running," he said.

North Fremont's girls graduated no one from last year's eighth place team. The Huskies have a returning medalist in senior Yadira Patino (11th place) and also add freshman Eliza Bingham, who has been training with the top varsity girl runners. 

"This is our strongest women's team we've ever had," coach Johnston said. "They were definitely motivated to run through the summer to prepare themselves."

North Star Charter, which placed second to the North Fremont boys last season by eight points, only had five runners compete at state and graduated two of them. Top finisher Everett Metier (third place) medaled as an underclassman. Cole Valley Christian, which placed third last year, moves up to 4A this year. Fourth place Malad graduated one from its seven state runners.

In addition to Johnston and Metier, West Side sophomore Ethan Willis (fifth place), Nampa Christian sophomore Chase Dawson (seventh place), North Star Charter sophomore Kyle Pelham (eighth place) and Malad senior Brycen Talbot (12th place) were all underclassmen who placed in the top 10 last season.

Soda Springs repeated as 2A girls state champions last season by three points over Ririe in an incredibly tight race. The Cardinals move to 3A having built a dynasty in 2A: 16 total girls state championships including a 14-year win streak from 2005 to 2019. They also graduated two from their seven state runners last season while the state runner-up Bulldogs graduated one. Four of the Cardinals placed in the top 10, and they were all underclassmen: Lizzie Beutler (third place), India Galloway (seventh), Ellie Wood (eighth) and Rebekah Evans (10th).

"With a half mile to go in that race, we were ahead," Ririe head coach Pat Bragassa said of last year's state meet. "They still feel that pain.  They worked pretty hard this summer. They're hungry to get back at it."

Liza Boone said the Bulldogs are especially looking forward to competing at the Bob Firman Invitational on Sept. 27 at Eagle Island State Park. They won the varsity girls division II title there last season, placing first out of 32 schools, and this year's meet will give them a chance to race on the state meet course. 

"We love it," Liza Boone said of the Eagle Island course. "We like to travel up there. (Coach) Pat is really good at training us to do hills."

Ririe moves to 3A having won back-to-back 2A state runner-up trophies. The Bulldogs last won a girls cross country state title in 1994. Last season, they won all but two meets on their schedule. Seeing where the Bulldogs were when she was a freshman and where they are now has been a rewarding experience for Liza Boone, who said she and her sister Lucy made a goal to run five to six days each week over the summer.

"The whole team is ready for this year," she said. "We've been preparing. We're also just really good friends. It's so much more fun doing well as a team than doing well individually."

The third-place Malad girls graduated four, including track star Oaklie Hebdon, and fourth place Declo graduated one, top finisher Olivia Wilson (fourth place).

Last season's 2A girls individual state champion was from District 6, West Jefferson freshman Bella Spencer, who became the first individual cross country state champion for the Panthers.

Bragassa also said to watch out for his boys this season, who placed 10th last year. He said junior Thomas Henderson and junior Spencer Barney should be Ririe's top boys, but the rest of the top seven is to be determined. The Bulldogs also add freshman Cody Baxter.

Bragrassa described them as darkhorses this season.

"They all recognize this is our year," Bragassa said. "We're not gonna be on anyone's radar. Our goal is to finish in the top three in the state. I don't think that's unreasonable if we stay healthy. They bought in on the training and the team aspect."

Class 2A 

With the new classifications, there is no more 1A in Idaho high school cross country. The former 1A schools have moved up to 2A, now Idaho's smallest classification for cross country and track.

Like the new 3A schools, 2A is something that is taking time to grasp. 

"That will be different," said Raft River coach Brooke Christensen. "Honestly, it won't even occur to me the first couple times (we race)."

Raft River moves to 2A having filled its trophy case in 1A: three total girls team state titles since 2020 and five total girls individual state titles since 2018.

The Trojans graduated three-time 1A girls individual state champion Allie Black and accomplished sprinter Heidi Harper (35th place last season) from last year's team which won the 1A title by one point over Victory Charter. Both are continuing their careers at Utah State. 

Top returners for the Trojans are seniors Naomi Campbell (20th place last season), Ashlee Christensen (23rd place) and Audrey Gilbert (29th place). 

"They're very consistent," Brooke Christensen said. "I'm not sure if we're gonna have one outstanding person that is gonna carry us to victory. The consistency of the group, they're gonna work hard and give their all."

Brooke and her husband and fellow coach, Mike, said Raft River has its biggest team ever this season: 26 total high school runners, 15 girls and 11 boys. The downside of those numbers will be that not everyone will make varsity, but the upside is the growth and interest in a program that doesn't even have a triple-digit school enrollment.

"It's gonna be a bit sad, but they'll push each other," Mike said.

Seeing newcomers join has also been encouraging.

"For a while, it's been families who had siblings come in after other siblings," Brooke said. "We graduate a lot of those siblings this year and we thought, 'The program is gonna die off.' But we have new families coming in. Maybe the program will sustain a little longer."

Runner-up Victory Charter graduated two from last year's state team and had two underclassmen medalists: Libby Stockett (ninth place) and Lydia Brewer (16th place). Grace graduated one, its lone medalist Madison Edwards (13th place), from its third-place team, while fourth place Tri-Valley graduated none. 

Numerous underclassmen medaled at last year's 1A state meet and could vie for the individual title now that Black has graduated: Challis' Taylor Redick (second last year), Logos' Mari Calene (third place), Rockland's Stacy Neal (fifth place), Greeleaf Friends' Anna Dixon (sixth place), Cascade's Josie Leslie (seventh place) and Leadore's Azelynn Jones (eighth place) among them.

The boys individual title will also be up for grabs with the graduation of Luke Stockett (now at Utah State). Rockland won a program first 1A state title last season by two points over defending champion Victory Charter and graduated three from that team. Stockett was one of two graduating members of Victory Charter's runner-up team. Third place Grace graduated one while fourth place Challis graduated three. 

Last year's 1A boys race had numerous senior top finishers. Some of last year's underclassmen who could vie for the individual title in 2A this year include Rockland's Hayden Smith (fifth place last year), Tri-Valley's Wyatt Stiff (sixth place), Grace's Aj Mejia (seventh place) and Rockland's Xavier Parrish (eighth place).