State championship week has arrived for Idaho high school cross country.

Qualifying teams and individuals head to Eagle Island State Park on Saturday for a chance to claim medals, trophies and banners and to improve on their best times. 

Here are the storylines to watch for each classification.

CLASS 6A

The Boise, Timberline, Capital and Rocky Mountain girls have had impressive seasons thus far, especially at large meets. Timberline, last year's 5A state champion, won the Tiger-Grizz Invitational girls seeded race, placed sixth in the Bob Firman Invitational girls elite race, won the 3A/4A Nike Twilight Invitational in Wash. and placed third in the District 3 championships. Boise, last year's 5A state runner-up,  placed second in the Bob Firman Invitational girls elite race, won the Rose City Championships in Portland and placed fourth at the District 3 championships. Rocky Mountain, last year's 5A state third place team, placed second in the Tiger-Grizz Invitational girls seeded race, placed third in the Bob Firman Invitational girls elite race and won the District 3 championships. Capital, which did not qualify a full team to last year's 5A state meet, won the Timberlake Farragut Invitational, won the Danner Championship race at Nike Portland in and placed second at the District 3 championships. Second place to fourth place at the District 3 championships was separated by four points.  

The top four boys teams from last year's 5A state meet--Coeur d'Alene, Rocky Mountain, Boise and Mountain View--have all had strong inaugural 6A seasons. Coeur d'Alene, last year's 5A state champions and Nike Cross Northwest Regional champions, have won every meet on their schedule this season with the exception of the Woodbridge Classic in Irvine, Calif.: the Timberlake Farragut Invitational, annual Battle for the 509 in Spokane, Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational and 6A District 1-2 championships. For the second year in a row, the Vikings posted a perfect score of 15 to win districts. Rocky Mountain, last season's 5A state runner-up, won the Jerome Open in August with a perfect score, won the Tiger-Grizz Invitational boys seeded race, placed third in the Bob Firman boys elite race and won the District 3 championships. Boise, last year's 5A state third place team, won the Rose City Championships in Portland on Oct. 11, placed sixth in the Bob Firman boys elite race and placed second at the District 3 championships. Mountain View, last year's 5A state fourth place team, placed second in the Tiger-Grizz Invitational boys seeded race, placed fourth in the Danner Championship race at Nike Portland and placed third at the District 3 championships.

If conditions allow, the 6A race could produce the fastest times of the day Saturday. Four 6A boys to watch for the individual title have all broken 15 minutes for the 5k this season: Meridian senior Nate Stadtlander (personal best 14:57.4 last year's 5A boys individual state champion), Boise senior Jack Sheesley (personal best 14:36.8), Coeur d'Alene senior Max Cervi-Skinner (personal best 14:40.1) and Coeur d'Alene senior Zackery Cervi-Skinner (personal best 14:53.1). All four are returning state medalists and they are among the 11 Idaho boys on record to ever break 15 minutes for the 5k. Sheesley's personal best is the No. 1 all-time fastest 5k on record for an Idaho boy. 

On the girls side, all three sub-18 minute girls 5ks this season in Idaho have been recorded by 6A athletes: Meridian senior Paisley Taylor (personal best 17:25.9), Boise junior Audrey Orme (personal best 17:22.5) and Boise junior Lucy Spiess (personal best 17:52.5). Taylor and Orme are both returning state medalists.

CLASS 5A

A wealth of eastern and southern Idaho teams are bringing strong season performances with them into this weekend's 5A state championships. 

Twin Falls sophomore Raelee Richardson, last year's 4A state individual runner-up, has won five 5ks this season, including three in October. Her personal best 18:13.2 is the fastest 5A girls 5k time in Idaho this season. Bishop Kelly senior Zoey Stauffer (personal best 18:48), Burley senior Alyssa Bradshaw (personal best 18:54) and Moscow junior Cora Crawford (18:59) have also broken 19 minutes for the 5k this season. Richardson is also the No. 1 runner for a Twin Falls girls team in contention for its first state title since 2016. Twin Falls currently has four girls in the top 21 fastest times in 5A. Twin Falls won the varsity A girls title at the Bob Conley Invitational, the Dani Bates Invitational, Doug Root Invitational and the 5A District 4 championships. Three-time 4A state champion and District 5 champion Preston, District 6 champion Idaho Falls, District 3 champion Bishop Kelly and District 6 runner-up Skyline can't be counted out of trophy contention, either.

Bishop Kelly senior Jack Tobin has the fastest Idaho 5A boys time this season (15:21) and has won three 5ks. Beyond Tobin, Skyline junior Alexander Renna, who won last week's 5A District 6 individual title in a personal best 15:46.4 by fractions of a second, Bonneville junior Giryan Jones (who took second to Renna in a personal best 15:46.9) and Sandpoint junior Paul Kent (personal best 15:50.5) have all broken 15:51 this season. As for the team competition, Skyline has four of the top 20 fastest times in 5A this season and won last week's 5A District 6 title with a score of 27. District 5 champion Century is having a historic season and is also in trophy contention, as is District 3 champion Bishop Kelly, District 5 runner-up Preston and last year's 4A state champion Idaho Falls.

CLASS 4A

A team title sweep attempt is in the works this weekend.

Sugar-Salem, which has traded off with Snake River for the last four 3A girls state titles and missed last year's 3A boys state meet, has been on a roll this season. The Diggers last swept state team titles in 2020 (3A). Sugar-Salem swept team titles at last week's 4A District 6 championships and currently has six boys among Idaho's top 20 fastest 4A times and three girls in the top 20 fastest 4A times (including two in the top 10). Underclassmen Darrel Dickson (freshman, personal best 15:58.7) and Janyja Jackson (sophomore, season best 19:32.7) are currently leading the Diggers. The only boys team Sugar-Salem has lost to this season in meets not divided up by class (sophomore only, freshman only, etc.) is Rigby at the Firth Invitational. 

Cole Valley Christian and Snake River are the top challengers to Sugar-Salem on the girls side, while McCall-Donnelly, Snake River and Timberlake are not to be counted out either. Snake River sophomore Paetyn Polatis (personal best 18:54.6) brings the fastest 4A girls time into state this weekend and is the only 4A girl thus far to break 19 minutes this fall. She has won her last two meets.  Timberlake junior Vanessa McLachlan (personal best 19:09.4), Weiser junior Claire Matthews (season best 19:20.6), Fruitland sophomore Ella Smith (personal best 19:27.1) and last year's 3A state runner-up Jackson are also individuals to watch. 

Teton senior Zane Lindquist owns the fastest 4A time in Idaho this season with a personal best of 15:19.9. Last year's 3A state third place individual finisher, he has won three 5ks and most recently repeated as District 6 individual champion. McCall-Donnelly sophomore Charlie Speirs (personal best 15:49), Weiser junior Blake Quinton (personal best 15:54) and Dickson have also broken 16 minutes for the 5k this season.

Likely challengers to Sugar-Salem on the boys side will be some familiar names from eastern Idaho--Teton and Snake River--as well as McCall-Donnelly.

CLASS 3A

The closest team race Saturday aside from 6A girls is likely to be 3A girls, and for good reason.

Soda Springs has gotten the better of Ririe the last two seasons in 2A, winning the 2A girls state title over the Bulldogs by two points in 2022 and by three points last year. With several other former 2A teams, Soda Springs and Ririe moved to 3A this season and have competed as fiercely as ever. Ririe has bested Soda Springs in every head-to-head meeting thus far this season, and Ririe's only loss this season at all has been to Wyoming powerhouse Jackson at the Century Blake Stephens Invitational. That being said, the Cardinals and Bulldogs are extremely similar and Saturday's 3A state title will come down to who has the best day. Both teams have five runners with times in the top 30 fastest in 3A. Ririe's top three girls are in the top 11 fastest times while Soda Springs has four girls in the top 16. Expect Saturday's 3A title to again come down to single-digit margins between these programs. 

Parma senior Megan Atkinson is the fastest 3A girl in Idaho this season with a personal best of 18:56.3. She has won five 5ks this fall. Four other 3A girls have broken 19:55 for the 5k this season: Ririe junior Lucy Boone (personal best 19:02.3), Firth senior Kynzie Nielson (season best 19:10), Soda Springs junior Ellie Wood (season best 19:46.1) and Soda Springs senior Lizzie Beutler (season best 19:48.6). Expect fellow eastern Idaho teams North Fremont and Malad to be in trophy contention as well.

North Fremont senior Corbin Johnston moves to 3A having won back-to-back 2A boys individual state titles. He is the fastest 3A boy in Idaho this season with a personal best 15:19. He has won three 5ks this fall. Priest River senior Brayden Lamanna (personal best 15:42) and West Side junior Ethan Willis (personal best 15:57.4) have also broken 16 minutes for the 5k this season.

Nampa Christian, which won last week's District 3 title with a score of 29, has four runners in the top 30 fastest in 3A right now. Beyond the Trojans, there is a logjam of eastern Idaho teams also vying for state trophies including District 5 champion Malad, District 5 runner-up Soda Springs, District 6 champion Ririe and District 6 runner-up North Fremont. 

CLASS 2A

Some traditional 1A powerhouses have taken 2A by storm so far and will be vying for titles and trophies this weekend.

The Logos boys, who last won a state title in 2016 (1A), currently have five runners in the top 30 fastest 2A times this season and won last week's District 2 title with 21 points. Victory Charter, which won three consecutive 1A boys state titles from 2020 to 2022, won last week's District 3 title with 39 points, has four runners in the top 25 fastest 2A times. Don't count out last year's 1A state champion Rockland either, which won last week's District 5 title by a seven-point margin over Grace. 

Rockland made history in 1A last season with a historic program first boys team state championship, and the Bulldogs have the fastest runner in 2A thus far this season: senior Hayden Smith with a personal best 15:43. Smith is the only 2A Idaho boy to have broken 16 minutes thus far this fall. North Star Charter senior Everett Metier (season best 16:11.7) and Logos junior John Henry Crapuchettes (personal best 16:15) are the only 2A Idaho boys to have broken 16:20 this season along with Smith.

Victory Charter is in great contention for two trophies, if not two titles, this weekend. The Vipers currently have the fastest three 2A girls in Idaho: junior Taliah Rogers (18:40.1), sophomore Libby Stockett (personal best 19:47.1) and freshman Alyssa Hust (personal best 19:49.1). Rogers has won five 5ks this season. Victory Charter has not won a girls cross country individual or team state championship. Likely the biggest challengers to Victory Charter for the 2A girls state title will be District 5 champion Grace, District 4 champion Raft River. 

Beyond Victory Charter's top three, Grace senior Cally Coleman (personal best 19:35.5), Challis senior Taylor Redick (season best 19:52.6) and Tri-Valley senior Emma Barton (personal best 19:53.5) are also runners to watch in 2A.

RACE DAY SCHEDULE

10:00 AM - 5A GIRLS

10:30 AM - 6A GIRLS

11:00 AM - 3A GIRLS

11:30 AM - 5A BOYS

12:00 PM - 6A BOYS

12:30 PM - 3A BOYS

1:00 PM - 4A GIRLS

1:30 PM - 2A GIRLS

2:00 PM - 4A BOYS

2:30 PM - 2A BOYS