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EAGLE ISLAND STATE PARK--For the first time ever, two Idaho teams will be headed to Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) next month in Portland as regional champions.

Coeur d'Alene repeated as boys team champions and Rocky Mountain won the girls title for the first time Saturday in the championship races of Nike Cross Northwest (NXR) at Eagle Island State Park, a historic sweep for the Gem State on the same course that hosted the state championships two weeks earlier.

Max Cervi-Skinner (ninth place, 15:02.7), Zack Cervi-Skinner (12th, 15:15.2),Wyatt Carr (17th, 15:22.1), Mitchell Rietze (58th, 15:52.3), Rowan Henry (74th, 16:00.1), Wyatt Morgenstern (85th, 16:06.4) and Gabe Heule (86th, 16:06.7) helped Coeur d'Alene, running under the club name CDA Distance and ranked No. 12 in Dyestat.com's Nov. 14 boys team national rankings, secure the repeat team title with 88 points. Last season, Coeur d'Alene became the first Idaho boys team to win NXR Northwest. The Vikings went on to place 11th at NXN.

Hallie Heemeyer (13th, 18:07.2), Brooklyn Hom( 30th, 18:26.1), Brooke Thompson (36th, 18:35.1), Emme Hamm (47th, 18:48.3), Chloe Pollock (59th, 18:57.4), Makelle Carlson (72nd, 19:05.5) and Eve Archibald (160th, 20:25.9) propeled Rocky Mountain to the team title with 99 points. 

The win came two weeks after the Rocky Mountain girls claimed their first cross country state championship on the same course. The Grizzlies have won every single meet on their schedule since Oct. 10 and were ranked No. 17 in Dyestat.com's Nov. 14 girls team national rankings. Rocky Mountain is the first Idaho team to win the NXR Northwest girls title since Coeur d'Alene in 2012 and is the fourth Idaho girls team to ever qualify for NXN.

"Now it's beginning to feel real," said Heemeyer after she and her teammates completed the necessary paperwork for NXN and had received their championship banner and trophy. "It's really cool. I'm so thankful for this opportunity. We knew our goal was to be at NXR and try to make it to NXN. That's something that didn't seem tangible last year. This year we thought we had a chance."

"It hasn't sunk in," added Hom. "It means so much more than we can be there as a team. These girls are my family. I never imagined we'd do it, not just qualify for NXN but win (NXR)."

Rocky Mountain trains at Eagle Island all the time, giving the Grizzlies an advantage over other teams at NXR. Hom said the Grizzlies know the course 'like the back of their hands' and the meet day nerves eventually faded away once the race got going. 

"I was ready to have fun," Hom said. 

Hom said she is looking forward to sharing the entire NXN experience with her teammates and making new memories together. Heeemeyer already has some insight into what awaits them in Portland. A year ago, Heemeyer's older brother Landon placed second at NXR to qualify for NXN, where he went on to finish 14th in 15:30. Hallie traveled to Portland to watch him at NXN, and on Saturday, it was his turn to watch her. Landon traveled up from BYU to cheer her on as well as her teammates. 

"He said to make sure to soak it all up," Hallie Heemeyer said. 

Meridian senior Nate Stadtlander also qualified for NXN as an individual by placing fifth in the boys championship race in 14:58.1. This was his fourth time running NXR and his third consecutive time running in the championship race. Last year, he placed ninth.

He was one of seven boys to break the 15-minute barrier in Saturday's race, and the lead pack was tight clear to the finish as runners jostled for a top-five spot to automatically qualify for NXN.

Furthermore, he was grateful to be able to race after being in the emergency room on Nov. 5.

"I was a lot more focused on placement than time today," Stadtlander said. "Tuesday after state, I was throwing up all day, all night and had to go to the ER. Thankfully, God willing I came back. I was able to get hydrated and running again." 

Stadtlander said he looks forward to getting to know the other NXR Northwest individual qualifiers better once they all get to Portland. He added that this season has been a journey ultimately leading to securing this opportunity to compete at NXN. Two weeks before NXN on the same course, he fought down the final stretch to win Idaho's 6A boys state championship race to become a two-time individual state champion.

"I came into this season and got humbled right away," he said. "I had to realize this season had to be earned and it wasn't given. I just trained all the way through. I'm just over the moon about this season. I'm thrilled I was able to come here (today) and perform how I did."

Additionally, Timberline (competing under the club name East Boise XC) placed third in the girls championship race with 187 points, four point back of second place and automatic NXN qualifier. Forest Park (Lincoln High School from Portland). Sasha Livingston (43rd place, 18:45.3) and Emma Bellomy (48th place, 18:48.6) led the way for Timberline, which is eligible for an at-large bid to NXN due to placing third. At-large bids will be chosen by the NXN committee from the nine regional meets across the country. The Rocky Mountain boys, competing under the club name Grit XC like the girls, also placed third in the boys championship race with 173 points to be in consideration for an at-large bid as well. Cody Lucas (34th place, 15:41.6) and Jacob Thomas (42nd place,15:44.1) led the way for Rocky Mountain. The first and second place teams at NXR automatically qualify for NXN while third and fourth place teams are subject to at-large bids.

Boise senior Jack Sheesley was the only other Idaho finisher in the top 21 of the boys championship race, placing 14th in 15:19.1. The top 21 finishers received T-shirts and first, second and third team NXR honors. 

Meridian senior Paisley Taylor was the top Idaho finisher in the girls championship race, finishing ninth in 17:47.2. Centennial sophomore Annie Herd was 14th in 18:12 and Twin Falls sophomore Raelee Richardson was 17th in 18:12.9.

Idaho athletes also competed in the boys and girls open invitational races at NXR. Mountain View, running under the club name Remain Curious Project, won the girls open invitational title with 160 points, led by Jeweliet Pence's 13th place finish in 19:05.2 in the merged results of two sections. Lake City's Hazel Kunkel was 10th in 18:59.1 in the merged results.

Skyline, competing under the club name Grizz XC, placed second in the boys open invitational with 251 points. Davis Roberts and Alexander Renna were 23rd and 24th, respectively, in the merged results of three sections with times of 16:17.6 and 16:18.5 to lead the Grizzlies. Timberline, i.e. East Boise XC, placed fourth with 303 points, led by Nick Janecko's 16:27.1 for 41st place in the merged results. Individually, Weiser's Blake Quinton placed ninth (16:00.2), Logos' John Henry Crapuchettes placed 15th (16:08.8) and Eagle's Johnny Culpepper placed 16th (16:10.2) in the merged results.

Look for a follow-up on Idaho runners at NXN after the meet next month. NXN takes place December 7 at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland.