Much has happened during my two-week hiatus from this notebook for vacation. This week, I will share where we are, how we got here and what is ahead as the countdown to Idaho's state cross country championships reaches 24 days.

New Names at the Top

At two different meets in Washington on Saturday, Coeur d'Alene's Max Cervi-Skinner and Meridian's Nate Stadtlander reached a significant milestone.

The seniors became the eighth and ninth Idaho boys on record to ever break the 15-minute barrier for the 5k and consequently are the fastest two boys in Idaho for any classification this season. At the annual Battle for the 509 in Spokane, Cervi-Skinner ran 14:42.5 to win the varsity black individual title. He also led a 1-2-3 Coeur d'Alene finish, as teammates Zack Cervi-Skinner (15:00.3) and Wyatt Carr (15:15) placed just behind him in second and third, and Coeur d'Alene ultimately won the varsity black team title for the second consecutive season with 44 points. 

Cervi-Skinner and Stadtlander joined Salmon's Danny Simmons (14:37, 2021 RunningLane National Championships), Blackfoot's Matt Thomas (14:50.53, 2021 RunningLane National Championships, 14:47.61 at 2022 Idaho state meet in Lewiston), Nampa Christian's Grady Mylander (14:59, 2021 Winston Tilzey Invitational in Nampa), Rocky Mountain's Tyler Sainsbury (14:48, 2022 Inland Empire Challenge in Lewiston), Bishop Kelly's Austin Clough (14:58.19, 2022 Idaho state meet in Lewiston), Twin Falls' Stockton Stevens (14:54.07, 2022 Idaho state meet in Lewiston) and Rocky Mountain's Landon Heemeyer (14:38.79, 2022 Idaho state meet in Lewiston) as Idaho boys on record to have broken the 15-minute barrier.

Also Saturday at the Nike Twilight XC Invitational, Stadtlander's teammate Paisley Taylor ran 17:25.9 to place second in the varsity girls 3A/4A race, a personal best and her fourth sub-18 time in her career. Meridian placed 19th (521 points) of 42 teams. Taylor is the only Idaho girl thus far this season to break 18 minutes for the 5k, having previously done so with her 17:59.5 for fifth place (and top Idaho finisher) in the Bob Firman Invitational girls elite race on Sept. 28 at Eagle Island State Park. Her 17:25.9 is No. 10 all-time on record in Idaho.

Stadtlander and Taylor were among 11 Idaho runners to medal in the elite races at Bob Firman, which drew 172 teams from eight states, and they were also the top Idaho finishers. Also medaling were Boise's Jack Sheesley (seventh, 15:22), Rocky Mountain's Cody Lucas (10th, 16:8.7) and North Fremont's Corbin Johnston (17th, 15:39.3) in the boys race and Boise's Audrey Orme (sixth, 18:11), Rocky Mountain's Hallie Heemeyer (ninth, 18:22.3), Madison's Brynlee Gwilliam (12th, 18:26), Twin Falls' Raelee Richardson (18th, 18:38.9), Post Falls' Kaylynn Misner (19th, 18:39.8) and Eagle's Betsy Reeder (20th, 18:39.9) in the girls race.

Win Streaks Abound

Idaho teams have been on a tear since mid-September, and District 3 is shaping up to be especially competitive in 6A.

The Timberline girls won Saturday's Nike Twilight XC Invitational 3A/4A title 102-123 over Lakeridge, Ore., the fourth meet the Wolves have won so far this season. The Capital girls won Nike Portland on Sept. 28 by five points over Oregon powerhouse and 2018 Nike Cross Nationals champion Summit. On Sept. 28 at Eagle Island State Park, Boise placed second, Rocky Mountain placed third and Timberline placed sixth in the Bob Firman Invitational girls elite race. This will set up a showdown Oct. 24 at the 6A District 3 championships to determine who qualifies for the state meet Nov. 2 at Eagle Island State Park.

On the 6A boys side, two Idaho teams made DyeStat.com's Oct. 3 national rankings. Defending Nike Cross Regionals Northwest champion Coeur d'Alene was ranked No. 14 while Rocky Mountain was ranked No. 27. Coeur d'Alene has won all but one meet so far on its schedule this season: the 43rd annual Woodbridge Classic in Irvine, Calif., where the Vikings placed fifth in the boys 3-mile sweepstakes race to defending Nike Cross Nationals champion Herriman (Utah), Southlake Carroll (Tex.), Crater (Ore.) and Hamilton (Ariz.), all of which are nationally ranked teams.

Similarly, the Rocky Mountain boys have won all but one meet thus far on the schedule, placing third in the boys elite race of the Bob Firman Invitational to defending NXN champion Herriman and Taylorsville (Utah).

Among the smaller classifications, the Ririe girls and Sugar-Salem boys have won every meet so far on their schedules that were not divided up by grade (freshman only race, sophomore only race, etc.) Most recently, Ririe repeated as Bob Firman varsity girls division II champions on Sept. 28, 76-124 over three-time 4A state champion Preston, and repeated as varsity girls B champions at the Bob Conley Invitational on Oct. 3 in Pocatello, 67-97 over Soda Springs, led by Lucy Boone's individual win in a personal best 19:10.8. Sugar-Salem's two most recent wins were also at those meets, winning the Bob Firman varsity boys division II title 62-167 over Snake River and the varsity boys B title at Bob Conley 70-123 over conference opponent Teton. The Diggers had four boys place in the top 20 in each of those meets while Ririe had three girls place in the top 20 in each meet.

On the Horizon

The annual Inland Empire Challenge is scheduled for Saturday at the Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston. As of Sunday, 26 teams are registered.

The annual Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational is scheduled for Saturday at Lakewood High School north of Seattle, and five Idaho teams are registered: Coeur d'Alene, Eagle, North Fremont, Teton and Thunder Ridge. Coeur d'Alene won the varsity boys team title at last year's meet over Jesuit (Ore).