The Vikings are ranked No. 1 in DyeStat's early season Northwest boys regional rankings, released Sept. 5, and return five runners from last season's Nike Cross Northwest Regional championship team which became Idaho's first boys team to qualify for Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) in Portland.

Coeur d'Alene is not alone in receiving recognition from DyeStat in the early going. The Rocky Mountain boys, who placed second at last season's 5A state meet behind Coeur d'Alene and had an NXN individual qualifier in Landon Heemeyer (now at BYU), are ranked No. 4 in the early season Northwest regional rankings. On the girls side, four Idaho teams are among 11 teams on DyeStat's early season Northwest regional watchlist from Sept 5: Timberline, Capital, Boise and Rocky Mountain.

The Coeur d'Alene and Rocky Mountain boys have certainly made impressive statements early in the season. The Vikings began the season by winning the boys team title at the Timberlake Farragut Invite on Sept. 7 at Farragut State Park with a score of 41 points, placing seven runners in the top 25 and four in the top 15. Senior twin brothers Max and Zackery Cervi-Skinner went 1-2 in 15:12.68 and 15:26.33, respectively, while Wyatt Carr was fourth in 15:49.31 and Gabe Heule placed 14th in 16:29.66. The Cervi-Skinner twins' times are currently the top two fastest 5k times by Idaho boys thus far this season. The Vikings next compete at the annual Woodbridge Cross Country Classic Sept. 20-21 in Orange County, Calif. Rocky Mountain began its season by winning the varsity boys title at the Jerome Open Invite on Aug. 29 with a perfect score of 15.

Also at the Timberlake Farragut Invite, Capital won the girls title with 70 points and placed five girls in the top 20. Meridian senior Paisley Taylor won the individual title in 18:35.06 while Capital senior Lily Sullivan was second in 19:03.07. 

Win Streaks And Early Season Showdowns

Some Idaho runners already have win streaks established three weeks into the 2024 season.

Meridian's Paisley Taylor, mentioned above, has won both meets she's competed in so far this season and still holds Idaho's fastest girls 5k time thus far this season (18:25.1). She has broken 18:40 in both her wins. Madison senior Brynlee Gwilliam has won three meets, most recently winning the varsity girls individual title at the annual Cardinal Classic on Sept. 7 in Soda Springs in 19:46.92 to help the Bobcats place fourth as a team with 160 points. Star Valley (Wyo.) won the girls title with 124 points while Soda Springs was the top Idaho team, placing third on the girls side with 156 points. Star Valley also won the boys title (74 points) and the individual title (Habtamu Wetzel in 15:50.13) while Skyline placed second with 102 points. Teton senior Zane Lindquist (third, 16:21.17) and North Fremont senior Corbin Johnston (fourth, 16:26.79) were Idaho's top boys finishers.

Some of Idaho's small school strongholds went head-to-head at the Valley Invite on Sept. 5 in Hazelton. Ririe, two-time 2A state runners-up now competing in 3A, scored 25 points and placed five runners in the top 10 to win the girls title over Sugar-Salem, the defending 3A state runner-up now competing in 4A. Ririe junior Lucy Boone took the individual title in 20:12.7. On the boys side, Sugar-Salem brought seven runners across the finish line in the top 12 to win the title with a score of 17 points. Individual champion and senior Dylan Ball (16:56.4) led a Sugar 1-2-3 finish as teammates Darrel Dickson (second place, 17:02.4) and Adam Willis (third place, 17:28.7) finished right after him.

Also on Sept. 5, Highland continued to make a statement early in the season by sweeping varsity team titles at the Dam Run at Lake Wilcott in Rupert. The Rams won the girls team title with 32 point and the boys team title with 30 points. Both individual champions were also from Highland, as sophomore Brynli Knudsen won the girls race in 20:42.10 and junior Cody Christensen won the boys race in 16:40.70.

On The Horizon

One of the largest meets in Idaho this season, the annual Tiger-Grizz Invitational co-hosted by Skyline and Idaho Falls, takes place Friday at Freeman Park in Idaho Falls. As of Sunday, 55 teams are registered. The first varsity races begin at noon, the varsity B girls followed by the varsity B boys. The seeded races, which made their debut last season, begin at 1 p.m. with the girls followed by the boys at 1:30. The varsity A girls and boys races are at 2 and 2:30 p.m., respectively. The varsity A division is for large schools and varsity B is for small schools.

Several District 3 teams are registered for Tiger-Grizz, including last season's 5A boys state runner-up Rocky Mountain and 5A girls state champion Timberline. Aside from the annual Bob Firman Invitational scheduled for Sept. 28 at Eagle Island State Park, Tiger-Grizz will be the only opportunity for most eastern Idaho schools to compete against District 3 schools before the state meet Nov. 2.